Fragrance comparison

Hot! Fragrances Black vs Bleu

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 18 ratings analysed

Hot! Fragrances Black

Ulric de Varens · 2008

3.9416 votes

Rank #45,256 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Bleu

Botanique

5.002 votes

Rank #40,451 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bleu takes 4 of 4 categories.

Hot! Fragrances Black
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Bleu
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.

Hot! Fragrances Black0/4

Bleu4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Hot! Fragrances BlackUlric de Varens

BleuBotanique

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 39%Had 36%Want 25%

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

56%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

16 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

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityBleu

SillageBleu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value100

Category winnerBleuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody83%

aromatic65%

amber48%

leather30%

woody100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

warm spicy69%

green61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both citrus, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LemonMandarin OrangeGrapefruit

Heart2-3 hrs

Teak WoodVetiver

Base3-5 hrs

LeatherAmber

Top

LemonGrapefruitMandarin OrangeMintWater Notes

Heart

NutmegGingerPepperJasmine

Base

VetiverCedarSandalwoodAmberPatchouli

InformationalShared notesLemon, Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Hot! Fragrances Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night44

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 42%Work 33%Date 15%Party 10%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,256

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2008

Reviews1

Overall rank#40,451

PerfumerArmando Alonzo

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBleuHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Hot! Fragrances Black by Ulric de Varens delivers a crisp citrus punch that quickly settles into dry wood and subtle warmth. Spray it on. Tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, and sweet mandarin orange hit your nose with instant brightness. It wakes you up immediately. Within twenty minutes, the sharp citrus edge fades into …

Reviews →

Bleu by Botanique kicks off with a sharp splash of lemon, tart grapefruit, and cool mint over watery accents. The opening feels clean and crisp, cutting through hot humid weather without smelling harsh or synthetic. As the initial citrus settles, prickly ginger and warm nutmeg add a subtle spice prickle to the middle …

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, Hot! Fragrances Black or Bleu?

Bleu takes 4 of 4 categories. Hot! Fragrances Black is rated 3.94/5 from 16 votes; Bleu is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Hot! Fragrances Black for a citrus and woody character. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Bleu for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Hot! Fragrances Black or Bleu?

Bleu lasts longest (Bleu 80/100, Hot! Fragrances Black 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Hot! Fragrances Black or Bleu?

Bleu projects furthest (Bleu 75/100, Hot! Fragrances Black 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Hot! Fragrances Black and Bleu smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lemon, Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit and Vetiver.

Is Hot! Fragrances Black or Bleu better for summer or winter?

Hot! Fragrances Black suits daytime wear; Bleu suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Hot! Fragrances Black and Bleu?

Hot! Fragrances Black has top notes of Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Grapefruit, heart notes of Teak Wood and Vetiver, a base of Leather and Amber. Bleu has top notes of Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange and Mint, heart notes of Nutmeg, Ginger, Pepper and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood and Amber.