Fragrance comparison

Cretus vs Black

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 218 ratings analysed

4 wins

Cretus

LPDO

3.52189 votes

Rank #10,515 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

79%scent match

Very similar

Black

Max Philip

3.6229 votes

Rank #18,526 FruityMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cretus takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cretus
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
Black
Choose it for a fruity and musky character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Cretus4/7

Black2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CretusLPDO

BlackMax Philip

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.52/ 5 · 189 votes

Have 54%Had 21%Want 26%

3.62/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 40%Had 19%Want 41%

Category winnerCretusRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

33%Like

24%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

99 votes

28%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

17%Dislike

7%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerBlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageCretus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value77

¤ Price value64

Category winnerCretusBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

woody92%

leather84%

smoky77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

fruity100%

musky92%

leather84%

citrus77%

woody69%

smoky61%

Scent match79%Very similar · both fruity, leather and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotPineappleBlack CurrantApple

Heart

BirchJasmineJuniper BerriesPatchouli

Base

AmbergrisMuskOakmossVanilla

Top

Black CurrantBergamotPineappleApple

Heart

BirchPatchouliMoroccan JasmineRose

Base

MuskOakmossAmbergrisVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Pineapple, Black Currant and Apple. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer87

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer93

Fall100

Winter29

Day100

Night38

Category winnerBlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men78

Unisex20

Women2

Men79

Unisex8

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,515

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews44

Overall rank#18,526

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerCretusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cretus by LPDO is a crisp, fruity fragrance for both women and men. It features a bright opening of pineapple and bergamot, leading into a heart of birch and juniper berries. This scent relies on base notes of oakmoss and musk, creating a clean, casual profile perfect for daily wear in warmer weather or casual office …

Reviews →

Black by Max Philip is a fruity chypre with clear Aventus-inspired territory, opening on pineapple, citrus and black currant before moving into birch smoke, patchouli, florals and a musky base. It can feel bright and fairly loud early on, then settles into a drier, floral-musky wear that may suit men who want this sty…

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, Cretus or Black?

Cretus takes 4 of 7 categories. Cretus is rated 3.52/5 from 189 votes; Black is rated 3.62/5 from 29 votes. Choose Cretus for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Black for a fruity and musky character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cretus or Black?

They last about the same: Cretus 65/100, Black 65/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Cretus or Black?

Projection is very close: Cretus 57/100, Black 55/100 for sillage.

Do Cretus and Black smell similar?

Very similar: a 79% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, leather and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Pineapple, Black Currant and Apple.

Is Cretus or Black better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Cretus and Black?

Cretus has top notes of Bergamot, Pineapple, Black Currant and Apple, heart notes of Birch, Jasmine, Juniper Berries and Patchouli, a base of Ambergris, Musk, Oakmoss and Vanilla. Black has top notes of Black Currant, Bergamot, Pineapple and Apple, heart notes of Birch, Patchouli, Moroccan Jasmine and Rose, a base of Musk, Oakmoss, Ambergris and Vanilla.