Fragrance comparison

Explorer Gold vs Citron Noir

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 68 ratings analysed

3 wins

Explorer Gold

Aurora Scents

4.005 votes

Rank #53,961 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Citron Noir

L'Occitane en Provence

4.1163 votes

Rank #16,548 CitrusAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Explorer Gold takes 3 of 4 categories.

Explorer Gold
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Citron Noir
Choose it for a citrus and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Explorer Gold3/4

Citron Noir1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Explorer Gold
Sillage & projection: Explorer Gold
Value for money: Explorer Gold
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Citron Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Explorer GoldAurora Scents

Citron NoirL'Occitane en Provence

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 24%Had 0%Want 76%

4.11/ 5 · 63 votes

Have 32%Had 8%Want 60%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

20%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

37%Love

49%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

63 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityExplorer Gold

SillageExplorer Gold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value36

Category winnerExplorer GoldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

citrus92%

woody84%

floral77%

sweet69%

aquatic61%

citrus100%

amber88%

sweet77%

fresh spicy65%

aromatic53%

woody42%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both citrus, sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

YuzuLemonFruity NotesWatery Notes

Heart

JasmineOrange BlossomLotus

Base

CedarPatchouliSandalwoodVanilla

Top15-30 mins

YuzuLemonBergamotOrangeLime

Heart2-3 hrs

MyrhhOrange BlossomLabdanumGeraniumNeroli

Base5-7 hrs

OpoponaxVanillaVetiverCinnamonCedarPatchouli

InformationalShared notesYuzu, Lemon, Orange Blossom and Cedar. Durations are only published for Citron Noir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Spring65

Summer100

Fall50

Winter30

Day100

Night35

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Men20

Unisex55

Women25

Casual 39%Work 34%Date 17%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,961

PerfumerLorenzo De Mosici, M.H Gerashi

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,548

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerCitron NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Explorer Gold by Aurora Scents is a luminous floral fragrance that highlights yuzu and jasmine. This 2020 release focuses on a bright, citrus-forward opening followed by a heart of orange blossom and lotus. It feels best suited for daytime wear during spring and summer months, providing a cheerful and approachable sce…

Reviews →

L'Occitane en Provence Citron Noir is an unconventional citrus composition that matches mouth-puckering fruit with dark, resinous resins. The first spray delivers a crisp shower of tart yuzu, sour lime, and sparkling bergamot peel. It feels immediately refreshing, reminiscent of chilled herbal lemon tea brewed on a ho…

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 Gold or Citron Noir?

Explorer Gold takes 3 of 4 categories. Explorer Gold is rated 4.00/5 from 5 votes; Citron Noir is rated 4.11/5 from 63 votes. Choose Explorer Gold for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Citron Noir for a citrus and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Explorer Gold or Citron Noir?

Explorer Gold lasts longest (Explorer Gold 90/100, Citron Noir 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Explorer Gold or Citron Noir?

Explorer Gold projects furthest (Explorer Gold 65/100, Citron Noir 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Explorer Gold and Citron Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Yuzu, Lemon, Orange Blossom and Cedar.

Is Explorer Gold or Citron Noir better for summer or winter?

Explorer Gold suits day or night wear; Citron Noir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Explorer Gold and Citron Noir?

Explorer Gold has top notes of Yuzu, Lemon, Fruity Notes and Watery Notes, heart notes of Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Lotus, a base of Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vanilla. Citron Noir has top notes of Yuzu, Lemon, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Myrhh, Orange Blossom, Labdanum and Geranium, a base of Opoponax, Vanilla, Vetiver and Cinnamon.