Fragrance comparison

Explorer Black vs Al Fares

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 41 ratings analysed

Explorer Black

Aurora Scents

4.3010 votes

Rank #42,948 Warm SpicySoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Al Fares

Gulf Orchid

4.3931 votes

Rank #24,433 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2.

Explorer Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and soft spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Al Fares
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Explorer Black2/5

Al Fares2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Explorer BlackAurora Scents

Al FaresGulf Orchid

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 25%Had 3%Want 73%

4.39/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 51%Had 3%Want 46%

Category winnerAl FaresRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

30%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

10%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

55%Love

29%Like

16%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityExplorer Black

SillageExplorer Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

soft spicy92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

vanilla69%

ozonic61%

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

green77%

amber69%

nutty61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both warm spicy, aromatic and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomPink PepperViolet Leaf

Heart

Sage

Base

ChestnutVanillaAmberwood

Top15-30 mins

MintPink PepperCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonLavenderSage

Base6-8 hrs

ChestnutAmberwoodCedar

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Pink Pepper, Sage and Chestnut. Durations are only published for Al Fares, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night86

Spring37

Summer21

Fall100

Winter95

Day44

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men88

Unisex13

Women0

Date 33%Casual 30%Party 24%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,948

PerfumerLorenzo De Mosici, M.H Gerashi

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,433

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerAl FaresHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Explorer Black by Aurora Scents delivers a striking, aromatic presence built on a foundation of spicy cardamom and warm chestnut. Designed for the modern man, this oriental woody scent creates an immediate impression of confidence during autumn evenings. Its blend of warm spices and sweet vanilla ensures it remains a …

Reviews →

Al Fares by Gulf Orchid is a warm, aromatic fragrance built for crisp fall days and cold winter evenings. The scent hits your skin with a cool burst of fresh mint balanced by tingling pink pepper and crushed green cardamom pods. That initial freshness does not linger for long. Within twenty minutes, the fragrance shif…

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, Explorer Black or Al Fares?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2. Explorer Black is rated 4.30/5 from 10 votes; Al Fares is rated 4.39/5 from 31 votes. Choose Explorer Black for a warm spicy and soft spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Al Fares for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Explorer Black or Al Fares?

They last about the same: Explorer Black 69/100, Al Fares 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Explorer Black or Al Fares?

Explorer Black projects furthest (Explorer Black 58/100, Al Fares 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Explorer Black and Al Fares smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, aromatic and amber accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Pink Pepper, Sage and Chestnut.

Is Explorer Black or Al Fares better for summer or winter?

Explorer Black suits daytime wear; Al Fares suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Explorer Black and Al Fares?

Explorer Black has top notes of Cardamom, Pink Pepper and Violet Leaf, heart notes of Sage, a base of Chestnut, Vanilla and Amberwood. Al Fares has top notes of Mint, Pink Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Cinnamon, Lavender and Sage, a base of Chestnut, Amberwood and Cedar.