Fragrance comparison

Magenta vs Black Essential Self

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 25 ratings analysed

2 wins

Magenta

Paolo Pecora Milano

3.754 votes

Rank #61,752 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Black Essential Self

Avon

4.1021 votes

Rank #45,582 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Magenta takes 2 of 3 categories.

Magenta
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Black Essential Self
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Magenta2/3

Black Essential Self1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MagentaPaolo Pecora Milano

Black Essential SelfAvon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 46%Had 15%Want 38%

4.10/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 58%Had 10%Want 32%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

75%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

29%Love

57%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityMagenta

SillageMagenta

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value75

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

amber84%

balsamic77%

earthy69%

sweet61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy88%

woody77%

green65%

earthy53%

herbal42%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Pink PepperCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Sage

Base7-10 hrs

OpoponaxVetiver

Top

CitrusesBasil LeafMint

Heart

TruffleGeraniumSage

Base

VetiverCedarLabdanum

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Sage and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Magenta, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day86

Night100

Spring100

Summer76

Fall82

Winter47

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 31%Date 29%Casual 26%Party 14%

Men82

Unisex12

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,752

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#45,582

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack Essential SelfHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paolo Pecora Milano Magenta hits skin with an immediate flash of sparkling citruses and tingling pink pepper. The opening feels dry and brisk rather than sweet. Give it five minutes. A dusty, herbal sage heart quickly emerges to cut through the initial brightness. Underneath, resinous opoponax resin and dark vetiver e…

Reviews →

Black Essential Self by Avon opens with a sharp burst of crushed mint leaves, fresh basil, and bright citruses. As the top notes settle, a green herbal heart of sage and geranium emerges alongside an earthy truffle note. The dry-down brings clean cedar and earthy vetiver to the skin, creating an accessible aromatic fr…

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, Magenta or Black Essential Self?

Magenta takes 2 of 3 categories. Magenta is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Black Essential Self is rated 4.10/5 from 21 votes. Choose Magenta for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Black Essential Self for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Magenta or Black Essential Self?

Magenta lasts longest (Magenta 87/100, Black Essential Self 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Magenta or Black Essential Self?

Magenta projects furthest (Magenta 65/100, Black Essential Self 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Magenta and Black Essential Self smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Citruses, Sage and Vetiver.

Is Magenta or Black Essential Self better for summer or winter?

Magenta suits evening wear; Black Essential Self suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Magenta and Black Essential Self?

Magenta has top notes of Pink Pepper and Citruses, heart notes of Sage, a base of Opoponax and Vetiver. Black Essential Self has top notes of Citruses, Basil Leaf and Mint, heart notes of Truffle, Geranium and Sage, a base of Vetiver, Cedar and Labdanum.