Fragrance comparison

Message in a Bottle vs Petale Noir

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,217 ratings analysed

Message in a Bottle

Mark Buxton

3.9462 votes

Rank #16,999 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Petale Noir

Agent Provocateur

3.721,155 votes

Rank #1,878 FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Petale Noir takes 4 of 7 categories.

Message in a Bottle
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Petale Noir
Choose it for a floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Message in a Bottle3/7

Petale Noir4/7

Ratings & consensus: Message in a Bottle
Community sentiment: Message in a Bottle
Longevity: Petale Noir
Sillage & projection: Petale Noir
Value for money: Petale Noir
Versatility: Message in a Bottle
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Petale Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Message in a BottleMark Buxton

Petale NoirAgent Provocateur

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 28%Had 21%Want 51%

3.72/ 5 · 1,155 votes

Have 43%Had 25%Want 32%

Category winnerMessage in a BottleRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

39%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

62 votes

25%Love

47%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

1%Hate

1,058 votes

Category winnerMessage in a BottleMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityPetale Noir

SillagePetale Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value66

Category winnerPetale NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

floral92%

amber84%

yellow floral77%

animalic69%

citrus61%

floral100%

woody92%

green84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both floral and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Jasmine SambacYlang-YlangNeroliMagnoliaAmbergrisCivetSandalwoodLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Top

MagnoliaHyacinthViolet LeafLotusMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

RoseLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-YlangNeroliHeliotropeOrris RootOsmanthus

Base

LeatherOakmossTobacco LeafPatchouliVetiverMuskGingerBenzoin

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Neroli and Magnolia. Durations are only published for Message in a Bottle, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer71

Fall33

Winter10

Day100

Night42

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter50

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMessage in a BottleMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Men1

Unisex7

Women92

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,999

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#1,878

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews153

Category winnerPetale NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Message in a Bottle by Mark Buxton is a bold floral blend anchored by deep animalic warmth. The scent opens with a bright burst of neroli paired with powdery magnolia and sweet ylang-ylang, creating an immediate yellow floral and white floral presence. Beneath the sunny blossoms lies an earthy foundation of ambergris,…

Reviews →

Petale Noir is a green floral with a darker edge, opening in wet petals, cut stems, and airy white flowers before leather, moss, tobacco leaf, and soft woods start to show. It often feels more strange and seductive than truly black, which makes it a strong pick for anyone who likes vintage-leaning florals with texture…

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, Message in a Bottle or Petale Noir?

Petale Noir takes 4 of 7 categories. Message in a Bottle is rated 3.94/5 from 62 votes; Petale Noir is rated 3.72/5 from 1,155 votes. Choose Message in a Bottle for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Petale Noir for a floral and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Message in a Bottle or Petale Noir?

Petale Noir lasts longest (Petale Noir 71/100, Message in a Bottle 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Message in a Bottle or Petale Noir?

Petale Noir projects furthest (Petale Noir 65/100, Message in a Bottle 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Message in a Bottle and Petale Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and citrus accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Magnolia.

Is Message in a Bottle or Petale Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Message in a Bottle is the stronger pick. For winter, Petale Noir is the stronger pick. Message in a Bottle suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Message in a Bottle and Petale Noir?

Message in a Bottle features Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Magnolia and Ambergris. Petale Noir has top notes of Magnolia, Hyacinth, Violet Leaf and Lotus, heart notes of Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Ylang-Ylang and Neroli, a base of Leather, Oakmoss, Tobacco Leaf and Patchouli.