Fragrance comparison

Love in Black vs Gleam

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 1,590 ratings analysed

3 wins

Love in Black

Creed

3.621,584 votes

Rank #27,580 PowderyViolet

Full profile Similar & dupes

82%scent match

Very similar

Gleam

Johan B

3.836 votes

Rank #50,667 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Love in Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

Love in Black
Choose it for a powdery and violet character. Wins on longevity, note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Gleam
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Love in Black3/4

Gleam1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Love in BlackCreed

GleamJohan B

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.62/ 5 · 1,584 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 23%Had 4%Want 73%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

34%Like

6%Ok

25%Dislike

4%Hate

1,584 votes

17%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityLove in Black

SillageGleam

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value27

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

violet92%

floral84%

woody77%

iris69%

fruity61%

powdery100%

woody92%

violet84%

warm spicy77%

fruity69%

floral61%

Scent match82%Very similar · both powdery, violet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Italian VioletVirginia CedarWildflowers

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisMuskCloves

Base6-8+ hrs

Black CurrantBulgarian Rose

Top15-30 mins

Black CurrantViolet

Heart2-4 hrs

ClovesJasmineIrisRose

Base6-8 hrs

CedarMusk

Category winnerLove in BlackLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring82

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day39

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex26

Women70

Date 43%Party 27%Work 16%Casual 14%

Not enough votes yet

Date 36%Casual 28%Work 19%Party 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,580

PerfumerErwin Creed, Olivier Creed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#50,667

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerLove in BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Creed Love in Black opens with a cool rush of Italian violet and Virginia cedar that smells like crushed purple petals over crisp pencil shavings. As the opening settles, a dense dusting of Florentine iris and warm clove emerges, giving the perfume a vintage cosmetic feel reminiscent of luxury lipstick and pressed fac…

Reviews →

Johan B Gleam is a distinctive woody floral perfume that catches you off guard right from the first spray. The scent opens with a sharp burst of tart black currant paired with a bold, spicy kick of crushed cloves. Within thirty minutes, that peppery bite softens as powdery violet and cool iris step forward to smooth o…

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, Love in Black or Gleam?

Love in Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Love in Black is rated 3.62/5 from 1,584 votes; Gleam is rated 3.83/5 from 6 votes. Choose Love in Black for a powdery and violet character. Wins on longevity, note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Gleam for a powdery and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Love in Black or Gleam?

Love in Black lasts longest (Love in Black 68/100, Gleam 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Love in Black or Gleam?

Gleam projects furthest (Gleam 80/100, Love in Black 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Love in Black and Gleam smell similar?

Very similar: a 82% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, violet and woody accords. Common notes include Italian Violet, Virginia Cedar, Iris and Musk.

Is Love in Black or Gleam better for summer or winter?

Love in Black suits evening wear; Gleam suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Love in Black and Gleam?

Love in Black has top notes of Italian Violet, Virginia Cedar and Wildflowers, heart notes of Iris, Musk and Cloves, a base of Black Currant and Bulgarian Rose. Gleam has top notes of Black Currant and Violet, heart notes of Cloves, Jasmine, Iris and Rose, a base of Cedar and Musk.