Explorer Black vs H2O
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
30%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
H2O takes 2 of 4 categories.
Explorer BlackChoose it for a warm spicy and soft spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
H2OChoose it for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, day or night wear.
Explorer Black1/4
H2O2/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- H2O
- Sillage & projection
- Explorer Black
- Value for money
- Tie
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- H2O
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Explorer BlackAurora ScentsH2OIntelligentWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.30/ 5 · 10 votes
Have 25%Had 3%Want 73%
5.00/ 5 · 2 votes
Have 83%Had 0%Want 17%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate60%Love
30%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
10%Hate
10 votes · too few to score
100%Love
0%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
2 votes · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityH2O
SillageExplorer Black
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerTieBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwarm spicy100%
soft spicy92%
aromatic84%
amber77%
vanilla69%
ozonic61%
marine100%
aromatic92%
citrus84%
amber77%
woody69%
aquatic61%
Scent match30%Clearly different · both aromatic and amber
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
CardamomPink PepperViolet Leaf
Heart
Sage
Base
ChestnutVanillaAmberwood
Top
Pink PepperGrapefruitCardamomVerbenaAppleYuzu
Heart
Aquatic notesViolet LeafTonka Bean
Base
Guaiac WoodPatchouliAmbergrisAmberwoodMusk
InformationalShared notesCardamom, Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf and Amberwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring50
Summer50
Fall100
Winter83
Day100
Night86
Spring0
Summer100
Fall0
Winter0
Day100
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#47,264
PerfumerLorenzo De Mosici, M.H Gerashi
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#39,668
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews1
Category winnerH2OHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotExplorer 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 →H2O by Intelligent is an aquatic fragrance launched in 2023 for men. This scent opens with a sharp burst of pink pepper, grapefruit, and yuzu. As it sits on the skin, marine notes and violet leaf dominate, balanced by a grounding base of guaiac wood and ambergris. It is a crisp choice for hot summer days.
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Explorer Black or H2O?
H2O takes 2 of 4 categories. Explorer Black is rated 4.30/5 from 10 votes; H2O is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Explorer Black for a warm spicy and soft spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose H2O for a marine and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, day or night wear.
Which lasts longer, Explorer Black or H2O?
H2O lasts longest (H2O 90/100, Explorer Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Explorer Black or H2O?
Explorer Black projects furthest (Explorer Black 58/100, H2O 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Explorer Black and H2O smell similar?
Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and amber accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf and Amberwood.
Is Explorer Black or H2O better for summer or winter?
Explorer Black suits daytime wear; H2O suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Explorer Black and H2O?
Explorer Black has top notes of Cardamom, Pink Pepper and Violet Leaf, heart notes of Sage, a base of Chestnut, Vanilla and Amberwood. H2O has top notes of Pink Pepper, Grapefruit, Cardamom and Verbena, heart notes of Aquatic notes, Violet Leaf and Tonka Bean, a base of Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Ambergris and Amberwood.
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