James vs Black Oudh
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
Which one should you pick?
James takes 3 of 5 categories.
JamesChoose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Black OudhChoose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
- Ratings & consensus
- Black Oudh
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- James
- Sillage & projection
- James
- Value for money
- Black Oudh
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- James
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership splitCommunity sentiment
How voters split from love to hate200 votes
22 votes · too few to score
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scoresLongevityJames
SillageJames
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itMain accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothNote pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedSeasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonWho wears it
Gender appeal votesRanking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#4,538
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews89
Overall rank#18,989
PerfumerChristian Provenzano
Launched—
Reviews6
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotJames is a green, woody vetiver fragrance with a sharp aromatic opening and a darker, earthier drydown. Reviews point to bright lime, sage and pepper up top, then a damp, inky vetiver and patchouli base that can feel polished, moody, and slightly old-school. It suits wearers who enjoy dry vetiver, modern fougeres, and…
Reviews →Black Oudh by Reiss wears like a dark, natural woods and vetiver scent with a brisk aromatic start. Think laurel, clary sage and elemi up top, then cypress and green violet leaf over a dry, earthy base of vetiver, woods, amber and soft musk. Despite the name, many wearers find the oud effect subtle, more “forest floor…
Reviews →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.
Ask about this matchup
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Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, James or Black Oudh?
James takes 3 of 5 categories. James is rated 3.65/5 from 410 votes; Black Oudh is rated 4.36/5 from 22 votes. Choose James for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Black Oudh for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, James or Black Oudh?
James lasts longest (James 74/100, Black Oudh 52/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, James or Black Oudh?
James projects furthest (James 61/100, Black Oudh 53/100), based on community performance votes.
Do James and Black Oudh smell similar?
Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Clary Sage, Elemi resin, Violet Leaf and Vetiver.
Is James or Black Oudh better for summer or winter?
Black Oudh suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in James and Black Oudh?
James has top notes of Clary Sage, Bergamot, Finger Lime and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Elemi resin, Violet Leaf and White Flowers, a base of Vetiver, Patchouli, Akigalawood and Musk. Black Oudh has top notes of Laurels, Clary Sage and Elemi resin, heart notes of Cypress, Violet Leaf and Jasmine, a base of Sequoia, Vetiver, Cashmere Musk and Agarwood (Oud).
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