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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Max vs Aramis Black

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

Updated 203 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Aramis Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

  • Max

    Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

  • Aramis Black

    Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Max1/4
Aramis Black3/4
Ratings & consensus
Not scored
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Aramis Black
Sillage & projection
Max
Value for money
Aramis Black
Versatility
Not scored
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Aramis Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
MaxÉsika
Aramis BlackAramis
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.56/ 5 · 9 votes
Have 54%Had 14%Want 32%
3.70/ 5 · 194 votes
Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
22%Love
44%Like
11%Ok
11%Dislike
11%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

39%Love
47%Like
3%Ok
10%Dislike
1%Hate

135 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity62
〰 Sillage70
♥ Love / hate64
⏱ Longevity63
〰 Sillage57
♥ Love / hate77
Category winners

LongevityAramis Black

SillageMax

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value71
¤ Price value72
Category winnerAramis BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
woody100%
leather86%
aromatic72%
earthy58%
animalic44%
smoky30%
woody100%
aromatic91%
balsamic83%
amber74%
leather65%
fresh spicy56%
Scent match52%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

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

No top / heart / base split published

Top
elemiMastic or LentisqueGrapefruit
Heart
Woody NotesCognacJuniper
Base
LeatherIncenseVetiverTonka Bean
InformationalShared notesVetiver, Leather and Woody Notes. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring33
Summer33
Fall100
Winter100
Day100
Night86
Spring57
Summer31
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men88
Unisex13
Women0
Men81
Unisex19
Women0
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#64,968

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#11,668

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerAramis BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Max by Ésika is an earthy, direct woody leather cologne built for men who like straightforward masculine scents. It opens with a brisk touch of dry vetiver root before settling into a warm core of worn jacket leather and sturdy cedar-style woody notes. There is a subtle smoky quality in the background that gives the b…

Reviews →

Aramis Black is a dry, woody aromatic with a brisk grapefruit and resin opening, then a darker core of juniper, cognac and polished woods. As it settles, leather, incense, vetiver and tonka give it a smoky amber warmth. It usually reads mature, masculine and slightly dressy. If you like your fragrances smooth, woody a…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Max or Aramis Black?

Aramis Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Max is rated 3.56/5 from 9 votes; Aramis Black is rated 3.70/5 from 194 votes. Choose Max for a woody and leather character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Aramis Black for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Max or Aramis Black?

They last about the same: Aramis Black 63/100, Max 62/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Max or Aramis Black?

Max projects furthest (Max 70/100, Aramis Black 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Max and Aramis Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and leather accords. Common notes include Vetiver, Leather and Woody Notes.

Is Max or Aramis Black better for summer or winter?

Max suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Max and Aramis Black?

Max features Vetiver, Leather and Woody Notes. Aramis Black has top notes of elemi, Mastic or Lentisque and Grapefruit, heart notes of Woody Notes, Cognac and Juniper, a base of Leather, Incense, Vetiver and Tonka Bean.

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