Fragrance comparison

Malbec Black vs Stayin' Alive

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 938 ratings analysed

5 wins

Malbec Black

O Boticário

4.21882 votes

Rank #23,497 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

Stayin' Alive

Lush

3.9656 votes

Rank #24,583 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malbec Black takes 5 of 7 categories.

Malbec Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Stayin' Alive
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Malbec Black5/7

Stayin' Alive2/7

Ratings & consensus: Malbec Black
Community sentiment: Malbec Black
Longevity: Malbec Black
Sillage & projection: Stayin' Alive
Value for money: Malbec Black
Versatility: Stayin' Alive
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Malbec Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Malbec BlackO Boticário

Stayin' AliveLush

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 882 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 32%Had 14%Want 54%

Category winnerMalbec BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

29%Like

9%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

882 votes

43%Love

34%Like

4%Ok

16%Dislike

4%Hate

56 votes

Category winnerMalbec BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityMalbec Black

SillageStayin' Alive

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price value44

Category winnerMalbec BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

vanilla61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

vanilla69%

cinnamon61%

Scent match65%Closely related · both warm spicy, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CinnamonCardamomGingerJuniperLemonBergamot

Heart

SageGeranium

Base

VanillaSandalwoodAmberBenzoinOlibanumCashmeranPatchouli

Notes

OlibanumMadagascar VetiverVanillaSandalwoodCinnamonLemonFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Lemon, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring24

Summer5

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring19

Summer14

Fall100

Winter71

Day50

Night100

Category winnerStayin' AliveMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men96

Unisex3

Women1

Men20

Unisex60

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,497

PerfumerPascal Gaurin

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,583

PerfumerSimon Constantine

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerMalbec BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Malbec Black by O Boticário is a dark, warm, and spicy woody fragrance built around rich woods and cozy kitchen spices. It opens with an energetic kick of spicy cinnamon, crushed cardamom, and zesty ginger before settling into a heart of fresh sage and geranium. As it sits on your skin, it transforms into an inviting …

Reviews →

Stayin' Alive reads as a dry, spicy wood fragrance with frankincense, vetiver, sandalwood and vanilla doing most of the work. The opening likely feels sharper from lemon and cinnamon, then settles into something warmer, smokier and slightly powdery. It suits someone who likes resinous, woody scents more than sugary va…

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, Malbec Black or Stayin' Alive?

Malbec Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Malbec Black is rated 4.21/5 from 882 votes; Stayin' Alive is rated 3.96/5 from 56 votes. Choose Malbec Black for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Stayin' Alive for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Malbec Black or Stayin' Alive?

Malbec Black lasts longest (Malbec Black 79/100, Stayin' Alive 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malbec Black or Stayin' Alive?

Stayin' Alive projects furthest (Stayin' Alive 76/100, Malbec Black 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malbec Black and Stayin' Alive smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Lemon, Vanilla and Sandalwood.

Is Malbec Black or Stayin' Alive better for summer or winter?

For summer, Stayin' Alive is the stronger pick. For winter, Malbec Black is the stronger pick. Stayin' Alive suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Malbec Black and Stayin' Alive?

Malbec Black has top notes of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger and Juniper, heart notes of Sage and Geranium, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber and Benzoin. Stayin' Alive features Olibanum, Madagascar Vetiver, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cinnamon.