Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 vs Black Forest Elixir

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 171 ratings analysed

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016

Marc Jacobs

3.69118 votes

Rank #18,796 PowderyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Black Forest Elixir

Al Ambra

4.2453 votes

Rank #5,472 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Forest Elixir takes 5 of 5 categories.

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016
Choose it for a powdery and citrus character. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Black Forest Elixir
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 20160/5

Black Forest Elixir5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016Marc Jacobs

Black Forest ElixirAl Ambra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.69/ 5 · 118 votes

Have 35%Had 16%Want 49%

4.24/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 20%Had 5%Want 74%

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

21%Love

50%Like

5%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

118 votes

44%Love

50%Like

6%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityBlack Forest Elixir

SillageBlack Forest Elixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value84

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

citrus91%

aquatic83%

woody74%

fresh65%

musky56%

citrus100%

musky92%

aldehydic84%

white floral77%

woody69%

fresh61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Watery NotesBergamotWhite PeachMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart1.5-3 hrs

Cotton FlowerLavenderJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base3-5 hrs

MuskWhite WoodsSuedeSandalwood

Top

AldehydesMandarin OrangeWhite PeachBergamot

Heart

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyAmbretteVetiverMahonia

Base

AmbroxanVanillaMuskAkigalawoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, White Peach, Mandarin Orange and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring97

Summer100

Fall41

Winter28

Day100

Night17

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter25

Day100

Night57

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex73

Women9

Casual 48%Work 39%Date 8%Party 5%

Men27

Unisex45

Women27

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,796

PerfumerSteven Claisse

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#5,472

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 captures the comforting smell of freshly laundered cotton t-shirts drying in the summer breeze. It is remarkably light. The fragrance opens with a bright splash of mandarin orange, watery notes, and crisp bergamot before softening into a delicate heart of cotton flower and lily-of-the-va…

Reviews →

Black Forest Elixir is a bright, clean aldehydic floral musk with a juicy peach and citrus lift. It opens sparkly and soapy-fresh, then settles into orange blossom and soft white florals over musky ambroxan, with a touch of vanilla and woods. It is often described as polished and airy, but it can lean more feminine on…

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, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Black Forest Elixir?

Black Forest Elixir takes 5 of 5 categories. Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 is rated 3.69/5 from 118 votes; Black Forest Elixir is rated 4.24/5 from 53 votes. Choose Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 for a powdery and citrus character. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Black Forest Elixir for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Black Forest Elixir?

Black Forest Elixir lasts longest (Black Forest Elixir 84/100, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Black Forest Elixir?

Black Forest Elixir projects furthest (Black Forest Elixir 76/100, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 and Black Forest Elixir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, White Peach, Mandarin Orange and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Black Forest Elixir better for summer or winter?

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 suits daytime wear; Black Forest Elixir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 and Black Forest Elixir?

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 has top notes of Watery Notes, Bergamot, White Peach and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cotton Flower, Lavender, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, White Woods, Suede and Sandalwood. Black Forest Elixir has top notes of Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange, White Peach and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Ambrette and Vetiver, a base of Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musk and Akigalawood.