Fragrance comparison

Icon Vanilla Black vs Niswah

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 95 ratings analysed

3 wins

Icon Vanilla Black

Ga-De

4.2280 votes

Rank #23,870 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Niswah

Ahmed Al Maghribi

3.0715 votes

Rank #23,016 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Icon Vanilla Black takes 3 of 5 categories.

Icon Vanilla Black
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Niswah
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Icon Vanilla Black3/5

Niswah2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Icon Vanilla BlackGa-De

NiswahAhmed Al Maghribi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 80 votes

Have 46%Had 21%Want 33%

3.07/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 12%Had 2%Want 86%

Category winnerIcon Vanilla BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

36%Like

8%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

80 votes

47%Love

0%Like

7%Ok

7%Dislike

40%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate52

Category winners

LongevityIcon Vanilla Black

SillageIcon Vanilla Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value78

Category winnerNiswahBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

sweet88%

fruity77%

amber65%

powdery53%

white floral42%

fruity100%

sweet92%

amber84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

floral61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both sweet, fruity and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

PlumPomegranateApple

Heart2-4 hrs

VanillaTonka BeanGardenia

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberSandalwood

Top

RaspberryPeonyApplePearBlack CurrantSaffronRed BerriesPink Pepper

Heart

CinnamonFrangipaniCoconutRoseFireGardeniaJasmineNutmeg

Base

AmbroxanTobaccoVanillaOudWhite MuskPatchouliCashmeranBenzoin

InformationalShared notesApple, Vanilla and Gardenia. Durations are only published for Icon Vanilla Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer14

Fall65

Winter100

Day39

Night100

Spring75

Summer100

Fall38

Winter25

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex13

Women87

Date 40%Party 28%Casual 23%Work 10%

Men55

Unisex9

Women36

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,870

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#23,016

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerNiswahHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ga-De Icon Vanilla Black is a dark, syrupy gourmand built around dark fruits and rich vanilla. It does not smell like airy vanilla frosting. Instead, the opening hits with ripe plum and tart pomegranate before melting into a dense core of bourbon vanilla, tonka bean, and warm amber. A subtle gardenia floral note keeps…

Reviews →

Niswah opens with a bright rush of pear, berries and saffron, then settles into a floral oud wrapped in caramel, vanilla and amber woods. It reads rich, sweet and intentionally dramatic. This is the kind of scent that may suit shoppers who enjoy bold Middle Eastern gourmands with a fruity top and a smoky, woody base. …

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, Icon Vanilla Black or Niswah?

Icon Vanilla Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Icon Vanilla Black is rated 4.22/5 from 80 votes; Niswah is rated 3.07/5 from 15 votes. Choose Icon Vanilla Black for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Niswah for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Icon Vanilla Black or Niswah?

Icon Vanilla Black lasts longest (Icon Vanilla Black 68/100, Niswah 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Icon Vanilla Black or Niswah?

Icon Vanilla Black projects furthest (Icon Vanilla Black 66/100, Niswah 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Icon Vanilla Black and Niswah smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, fruity and amber accords. Common notes include Apple, Vanilla and Gardenia.

Is Icon Vanilla Black or Niswah better for summer or winter?

Icon Vanilla Black suits evening wear; Niswah suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Icon Vanilla Black and Niswah?

Icon Vanilla Black has top notes of Plum, Pomegranate and Apple, heart notes of Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Gardenia, a base of Amber and Sandalwood. Niswah has top notes of Raspberry, Peony, Apple and Pear, heart notes of Cinnamon, Frangipani, Coconut and Rose, a base of Ambroxan, Tobacco, Vanilla and Oud.