Fragrance comparison

Musk Malabi vs Artisan Black

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 664 ratings analysed

Musk Malabi

Ayala Moriel

3.502 votes

Rank #62,845 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

2 wins

Artisan Black

John Varvatos

3.95662 votes

Rank #4,090 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Artisan Black takes 2 of 3 categories.

Musk Malabi
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.
Artisan Black
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Musk Malabi1/3

Artisan Black2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Musk MalabiAyala Moriel

Artisan BlackJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 0%Had 5%Want 95%

3.95/ 5 · 662 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

50%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

32%Love

47%Like

5%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

662 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityMusk Malabi

SillageArtisan Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value59

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

white floral84%

woody77%

musky69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

white floral88%

woody77%

aromatic65%

fresh spicy53%

leather42%

Scent match55%Closely related · both citrus, white floral and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Bitter OrangeCardamomCorianderBlood Orange

Heart

RoseNeroliOrange Blossom

Base

CedarMuskVanilla

Top15-30 mins

Blood OrangeTangerineAmalfi LemonWatermelon

Heart2-3 hrs

GingerAfrican Orange FlowerNeroliJasmineCardamomCoriander

Base4-6 hrs

LeatherVetyverWoody NotesWhite AmberKephalisPatchouliWhite MuskOrris Root

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Coriander, Blood Orange and Neroli. Durations are only published for Artisan Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day–

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter23

Day100

Night62

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men88

Unisex5

Women6

Casual 34%Work 30%Date 24%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#62,845

PerfumerAyala Moriel

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,090

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews98

Category winnerArtisan BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Musk Malabi opens bright and spiced, with bitter orange, blood orange, cardamom and coriander giving it a zesty, aromatic lift. As it settles, neroli, orange blossom and rose soften the edges, while musk, cedar and vanilla keep the dry-down smooth, lightly powdery and close to the skin. It reads as a gentle citrus flo…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Artisan Black takes the sunny, breezy citrus DNA of the original Artisan and casts it in deeper shadows. A sharp splash of blood orange and tangy tangerine greets you first. It smells juicy. Then, bitter lemon and crisp watermelon introduce a sharp aromatic bite. Within twenty minutes, the bright fruit s…

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, Musk Malabi or Artisan Black?

Artisan Black takes 2 of 3 categories. Musk Malabi is rated 3.50/5 from 2 votes; Artisan Black is rated 3.95/5 from 662 votes. Choose Musk Malabi for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Artisan Black for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Musk Malabi or Artisan Black?

Musk Malabi lasts longest (Musk Malabi 60/100, Artisan Black 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Musk Malabi or Artisan Black?

Artisan Black projects furthest (Artisan Black 52/100, Musk Malabi 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Musk Malabi and Artisan Black smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, white floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Coriander, Blood Orange and Neroli.

Is Musk Malabi or Artisan Black better for summer or winter?

Musk Malabi suits evening wear; Artisan Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Musk Malabi and Artisan Black?

Musk Malabi has top notes of Bitter Orange, Cardamom, Coriander and Blood Orange, heart notes of Rose, Neroli and Orange Blossom, a base of Cedar, Musk and Vanilla. Artisan Black has top notes of Blood Orange, Tangerine, Amalfi Lemon and Watermelon, heart notes of Ginger, African Orange Flower, Neroli and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Vetyver, Woody Notes and White Amber.