Fragrance comparison

Mahana vs Very Black

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 45 ratings analysed

Mahana

Fulton & Roark · 2020

4.0027 votes

Rank #36,708 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Very Black

Mahogany

3.8318 votes

Rank #50,617 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Very Black takes 3 of 5 categories.

Mahana
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Very Black
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Mahana2/5

Very Black3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MahanaFulton & Roark

Very BlackMahogany

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 70%Had 9%Want 22%

3.83/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 56%Had 13%Want 31%

Category winnerMahanaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

57%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

7%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

22%Love

56%Like

11%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityVery Black

SillageVery Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value67

Category winnerVery BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky92%

aromatic84%

soft spicy46%

sweet38%

fresh spicy30%

woody100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

patchouli69%

amber61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

PomeloWhite Musk

Heart1-3 hrs

CorianderBirch Leaf

Base3-5 hrs

Cedar

Top

BergamotCorianderPomeloCitron

Heart

Ozonic notesLaurelsCardamomGalbanum

Base

PatchouliAmbergrisWoody NotesGuaiac WoodOakmossVelvet

InformationalShared notesPomelo and Coriander. Durations are only published for Mahana, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer89

Fall44

Winter11

Day100

Night22

Spring91

Summer36

Fall100

Winter55

Day83

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex42

Women17

Casual 43%Work 35%Date 15%Party 8%

Men94

Unisex0

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,708

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2020

Reviews4

Overall rank#50,617

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMahanaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mahana delivers a sharp splash of ice-cold pomelo right out of the bottle. The citrus hits immediately. It smells like freshly sliced fruit pulp and bitter rind rather than a sugary soft drink. Within fifteen minutes, green birch leaf and crushed coriander seeds step forward. They bring an aromatic, coastal breeze cha…

Reviews →

Very Black by Mahogany is a woody aromatic fragrance for men, released in 2016. It blends bright top notes of bergamot and citron with a heart of ozonic airiness and cardamom. The base settles into a grounded mix of patchouli, guaiac wood, and velvet. It works best as an everyday scent for temperate spring or autumn d…

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, Mahana or Very Black?

Very Black takes 3 of 5 categories. Mahana is rated 4.00/5 from 27 votes; Very Black is rated 3.83/5 from 18 votes. Choose Mahana for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Very Black for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Mahana or Very Black?

Very Black lasts longest (Very Black 60/100, Mahana 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mahana or Very Black?

Very Black projects furthest (Very Black 48/100, Mahana 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mahana and Very Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Pomelo and Coriander.

Is Mahana or Very Black better for summer or winter?

Mahana suits daytime wear; Very Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mahana and Very Black?

Mahana has top notes of Pomelo and White Musk, heart notes of Coriander and Birch Leaf, a base of Cedar. Very Black has top notes of Bergamot, Coriander, Pomelo and Citron, heart notes of Ozonic notes, Laurels, Cardamom and Galbanum, a base of Patchouli, Ambergris, Woody Notes and Guaiac Wood.