Fragrance comparison

Modoc vs No.18 Bête Noir

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 120 ratings analysed

3 wins

Modoc

Xerjoff

3.81111 votes

Rank #12,557 IrisEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

No.18 Bête Noir

Arcadia

3.009 votes

Rank #71,466 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Modoc takes 3 of 4 categories.

Modoc
Choose it for a iris and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
No.18 Bête Noir
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Modoc3/4

No.18 Bête Noir1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Modoc
Sillage & projection: Modoc
Value for money: No.18 Bête Noir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Modoc

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ModocXerjoff

No.18 Bête NoirArcadia

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.81/ 5 · 111 votes

Have 32%Had 14%Want 55%

3.00/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 47%Had 9%Want 44%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

36%Like

5%Ok

22%Dislike

2%Hate

111 votes

33%Love

0%Like

22%Ok

22%Dislike

22%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityModoc

SillageModoc

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value50

Category winnerNo.18 Bête NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

earthy88%

powdery77%

woody65%

violet53%

aromatic42%

musky100%

powdery92%

earthy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

floral61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both earthy, powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Iris

Heart

Vetiver

Base

Musk

Top

HyacinthPineapple

Heart

IrisJasminePink Pepper

Base

MuskVetiverPatchouliAmberVanilla

InformationalShared notesIris, Vetiver and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer79

Fall96

Winter83

Day100

Night87

Spring20

Summer20

Fall60

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men59

Unisex29

Women12

Men33

Unisex50

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,557

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#71,466

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerModocHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Xerjoff Modoc opens with an intense blast of powdery iris before revealing its core of raw vetiver. Released in 2009 under the brand's Shooting Stars line, this fragrance pushes a stark contrast between chalky florals and damp rooty soil. As it warms on skin, a subtle musk base softens the sharp initial astringency. T…

Reviews →

Arcadia No.18 Bête Noir opens green and slightly fruity, with hyacinth and pineapple giving it a cool, polished lift before iris, jasmine, and pink pepper soften the centre. The dry-down leans musky, powdery, earthy, and gently sweet. It reads more like a textured floral musk than a bright fruity scent. If you enjoy p…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Modoc or No.18 Bête Noir?

Modoc takes 3 of 4 categories. Modoc is rated 3.81/5 from 111 votes; No.18 Bête Noir is rated 3.00/5 from 9 votes. Choose Modoc for a iris and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose No.18 Bête Noir for a musky and powdery character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Modoc or No.18 Bête Noir?

Modoc lasts longest (Modoc 82/100, No.18 Bête Noir 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Modoc or No.18 Bête Noir?

Modoc projects furthest (Modoc 73/100, No.18 Bête Noir 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Modoc and No.18 Bête Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share earthy, powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Iris, Vetiver and Musk.

Is Modoc or No.18 Bête Noir better for summer or winter?

Modoc suits daytime wear; No.18 Bête Noir suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Modoc and No.18 Bête Noir?

Modoc has top notes of Iris, heart notes of Vetiver, a base of Musk. No.18 Bête Noir has top notes of Hyacinth and Pineapple, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine and Pink Pepper, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber.