Fragrance comparison

Cool Black vs Neandertal Us

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 28 Oct 2026 260 ratings analysed

Cool Black

Mandarina Duck

3.95112 votes

Rank #14,029 AromaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Neandertal Us

Neandertal

3.94148 votes

Rank #8,382 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Neandertal Us takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cool Black
Choose it for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Neandertal Us
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in winter.

Cool Black3/7

Neandertal Us4/7

Ratings & consensus: Neandertal Us
Community sentiment: Cool Black
Longevity: Neandertal Us
Sillage & projection: Cool Black
Value for money: Cool Black
Versatility: Neandertal Us
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Neandertal Us

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Cool BlackMandarina Duck

Neandertal UsNeandertal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 112 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.94/ 5 · 148 votes

Have 20%Had 6%Want 74%

Category winnerNeandertal UsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

54%Like

6%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

112 votes

38%Love

36%Like

9%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

148 votes

Category winnerCool BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityNeandertal Us

SillageCool Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value44

Category winnerCool BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

powdery77%

woody69%

violet61%

aromatic100%

woody91%

fresh spicy83%

amber74%

warm spicy65%

earthy56%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

BergamotBlack PepperLemon Peel

Heart2-4 hrs

VioletelemiHyssop

Base5-7 hrs

MuskCedarMoss

Top

Black PepperelemiEucalyptusBergamotOrangePink Pepper

Heart

IncenseCardamomGeraniumRose

Base

Cade oilVetiverCypriol Oil or NagarmothaAgarwood (Oud)MyrrhLabdanumMossHyrax

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Black Pepper, elemi and Moss. Durations are only published for Cool Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter11

Day100

Night39

Spring44

Summer23

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNeandertal UsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex21

Women5

Casual 39%Work 35%Date 15%Party 10%

Men49

Unisex48

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,029

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews21

Overall rank#8,382

PerfumerEuan McCall

Launched—

Reviews30

Category winnerNeandertal UsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cool Black by Mandarina Duck is a crisp woody aromatic Eau de Toilette built around zesty citrus and leafy violet. The first spray delivers a tart burst of bitter lemon peel and bergamot, sharpened by a kick of freshly crushed black pepper. Give it ten minutes. The citrus sharp edges soften into cool violet petals, he…

Reviews →

Neandertal Us opens with a sharp burst of black pepper, eucalyptus, and citric elemi over a dark heart of incense and cade oil. Created by perfumer Euan McCall in 2020, this unisex fragrance builds an austere, smoky atmosphere anchored by vetiver, myrrh, and oud. It fits cold winter days and avant-garde art settings f…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cool Black or Neandertal Us?

Neandertal Us takes 4 of 7 categories. Cool Black is rated 3.95/5 from 112 votes; Neandertal Us is rated 3.94/5 from 148 votes. Choose Cool Black for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Neandertal Us for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Cool Black or Neandertal Us?

Neandertal Us lasts longest (Neandertal Us 76/100, Cool Black 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cool Black or Neandertal Us?

Cool Black projects furthest (Cool Black 57/100, Neandertal Us 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cool Black and Neandertal Us smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Black Pepper, elemi and Moss.

Is Cool Black or Neandertal Us better for summer or winter?

For summer, Neandertal Us is the stronger pick. For winter, Neandertal Us is the stronger pick. Cool Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cool Black and Neandertal Us?

Cool Black has top notes of Bergamot, Black Pepper and Lemon Peel, heart notes of Violet, elemi and Hyssop, a base of Musk, Cedar and Moss. Neandertal Us has top notes of Black Pepper, elemi, Eucalyptus and Bergamot, heart notes of Incense, Cardamom, Geranium and Rose, a base of Cade oil, Vetiver, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Agarwood (Oud).