Fragrance comparison

Frey vs Royal Black

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 166 ratings analysed

4 wins

Frey

Oriflame

4.37143 votes

Rank #7,915 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Royal Black

Arno Sorel

4.2623 votes

Rank #24,544 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Frey takes 4 of 5 categories.

Frey
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Royal Black
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Frey4/5

Royal Black1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreyOriflame

Royal BlackArno Sorel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 143 votes

Have 22%Had 78%Want 0%

4.26/ 5 · 23 votes

Have 56%Had 25%Want 19%

Category winnerFreyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

48%Like

2%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

143 votes

43%Love

48%Like

0%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

23 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityFrey

SillageFrey

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value85

Category winnerRoyal BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy65%

herbal48%

warm spicy30%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

musky84%

warm spicy77%

woody69%

amber61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonGrapefruitOrange

Heart

MarjoramRed ThymeCardamom

Base

Musk

Top

OrangeLimeLemonGrapefruit

Heart

SageCinnamonThymePepperCardamom

Base

White MuskSandalwoodOakmossLabdanumAmberCedar

InformationalShared notesLemon, Grapefruit, Orange and Cardamom. 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

Summer91

Fall0

Winter47

Day–

Night–

Spring67

Summer100

Fall47

Winter27

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men41

Unisex59

Women0

Men93

Unisex7

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,915

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#24,544

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerFreyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Oriflame Frey opens with a sharp burst of lemon, sour grapefruit, and sweet orange that immediately brightens cool morning air. As the initial citrus rush cools down, aromatic marjoram and earthy red thyme surface to give the composition a distinctly herbal, green edge. Cardamom adds a touch of dry warmth before the s…

Reviews →

Royal Black opens with a bright citrus burst, then settles into an aromatic, slightly spicy heart with sage, cardamom and cinnamon. As it dries down, the musk, woods and amber give it a softer, sweeter finish. It reads as an easy everyday men's fragrance with good value appeal. If you like fresh scents with a warmer e…

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, Frey or Royal Black?

Frey takes 4 of 5 categories. Frey is rated 4.37/5 from 143 votes; Royal Black is rated 4.26/5 from 23 votes. Choose Frey for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Royal Black for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Frey or Royal Black?

Frey lasts longest (Frey 63/100, Royal Black 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Frey or Royal Black?

Frey projects furthest (Frey 59/100, Royal Black 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Frey and Royal Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Lemon, Grapefruit, Orange and Cardamom.

Is Frey or Royal Black better for summer or winter?

Royal Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Frey and Royal Black?

Frey has top notes of Lemon, Grapefruit and Orange, heart notes of Marjoram, Red Thyme and Cardamom, a base of Musk. Royal Black has top notes of Orange, Lime, Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of Sage, Cinnamon, Thyme and Pepper, a base of White Musk, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Labdanum.