Fragrance comparison

Courageous vs Black Tear

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 69 ratings analysed

Courageous

Ellen Tracy

3.437 votes

Rank #57,224 PatchouliWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Black Tear

Antonio Visconti

4.0462 votes

Rank #9,429 FruityTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Tear takes 3 of 4 categories.

Courageous
Choose it for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Black Tear
Choose it for a fruity and tobacco character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Courageous1/4

Black Tear3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CourageousEllen Tracy

Black TearAntonio Visconti

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 88%Had 3%Want 9%

4.04/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 23%Had 21%Want 56%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

14%Like

29%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

44%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity36

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate61

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBlack Tear

SillageBlack Tear

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value90

¤ Price value50

Category winnerCourageousBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

patchouli100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

powdery77%

rose69%

musky61%

fruity100%

tobacco92%

aromatic84%

sweet77%

green69%

woody61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Black PepperBergamotLemon

Heart1 to 2 hours

RoseWater LilyDewberryCassisOrris

Base2 to 3 hours

PatchouliMuskVanillaSandalwood

Top

CassisGreen AppleBlack PepperLemonBergamot

Heart

ApricotTuberoseIrisJasmineHoneyRose

Base

TobaccoPatchouliVetiverVanillaWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Bergamot, Lemon and Rose. Durations are only published for Courageous, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day60

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,224

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#9,429

PerfumerAntonio Visconti

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerBlack TearHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Courageous by Ellen Tracy delivers a bright citrus opening balanced by earthy patchouli and soft floral undertones. Fresh lemon and zesty bergamot introduce the scent with a light pinch of black pepper. Soon after, watery rose and delicate water lily emerge alongside tart dewberry and powdery orris root. The base sett…

Reviews →

Black Tear opens fruity and green, with cassis, apple and citrus sharpened by black pepper. As it settles, honeyed tuberose and apricot add a plush sweetness, while tobacco, patchouli and vanilla give the dry-down a darker, fuller feel. It reads like a rich fruity gourmand with a floral heart and a tobacco-toned base.…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Courageous or Black Tear?

Black Tear takes 3 of 4 categories. Courageous is rated 3.43/5 from 7 votes; Black Tear is rated 4.04/5 from 62 votes. Choose Courageous for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Black Tear for a fruity and tobacco character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Courageous or Black Tear?

Black Tear lasts longest (Black Tear 80/100, Courageous 36/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Courageous or Black Tear?

Black Tear projects furthest (Black Tear 71/100, Courageous 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Courageous and Black Tear smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Bergamot, Lemon and Rose.

Is Courageous or Black Tear better for summer or winter?

Courageous suits daytime wear; Black Tear suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Courageous and Black Tear?

Courageous has top notes of Black Pepper, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Rose, Water Lily, Dewberry and Cassis, a base of Patchouli, Musk, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Black Tear has top notes of Cassis, Green Apple, Black Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Apricot, Tuberose, Iris and Jasmine, a base of Tobacco, Patchouli, Vetiver and Vanilla.