Fragrance comparison

Nigredo vs Old Books

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 70 ratings analysed

4 wins

Nigredo

Anna Zworykina Perfumes

4.2744 votes

Rank #33,285 AromaticAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

Old Books

The Perfumer's Story by Azzi

4.2326 votes

Rank #42,046 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nigredo takes 4 of 7 categories.

Nigredo
Choose it for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Old Books
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Nigredo4/7

Old Books3/7

Ratings & consensus: Nigredo
Community sentiment: Nigredo
Longevity: Old Books
Sillage & projection: Nigredo
Value for money: Old Books
Versatility: Old Books
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nigredo

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NigredoAnna Zworykina Perfumes

Old BooksThe Perfumer's Story by Azzi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.27/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 26%Had 13%Want 61%

4.23/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 12%Had 2%Want 86%

Category winnerNigredoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

32%Like

2%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

44 votes

62%Love

15%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

Category winnerNigredoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityOld Books

SillageNigredo

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value29

¤ Price value45

Category winnerOld BooksBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

amber92%

woody84%

fresh spicy77%

balsamic69%

earthy61%

amber100%

woody90%

warm spicy80%

balsamic70%

aromatic60%

patchouli50%

Scent match57%Closely related · both amber, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

WormwoodAgarwood (Oud)elemiVetiverIncenseMyrrhNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)CastoreumPatchouliOsmanthusTuberoseRose

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

PatchouliIncenseOlibanumCedarMyrrhAmberVetiverelemi

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared noteselemi, Vetiver, Incense and Myrrh. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring28

Summer39

Fall100

Winter78

Day76

Night100

Spring54

Summer31

Fall100

Winter92

Day100

Night78

Category winnerOld BooksMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

Men63

Unisex31

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,285

PerfumerAnna Zworykina

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#42,046

PerfumerAzzi Glasser

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNigredoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nigredo by Anna Zworykina Perfumes is a dark, heavy woody fragrance that starts with a sharp blast of wormwood and bitter elemi resin. As the perfume warms on your skin, it shifts into a smoky hearth of vetiver, black incense, and castoreum. This is an all-natural creation, meaning it lacks the synthetic clean notes o…

Reviews →

Old Books by The Perfumer's Story by Azzi captures the scent of aged paper and library quiet. It centers on frankincense and rich myrrh, wrapping the wearer in a dry, woody cocoon. This fragrance is designed for quiet autumn afternoons spent reading by a window.

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, Nigredo or Old Books?

Nigredo takes 4 of 7 categories. Nigredo is rated 4.27/5 from 44 votes; Old Books is rated 4.23/5 from 26 votes. Choose Nigredo for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Old Books for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Nigredo or Old Books?

Old Books lasts longest (Old Books 63/100, Nigredo 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nigredo or Old Books?

Projection is very close: Nigredo 51/100, Old Books 50/100 for sillage.

Do Nigredo and Old Books smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include elemi, Vetiver, Incense and Myrrh.

Is Nigredo or Old Books better for summer or winter?

For summer, Nigredo is the stronger pick. For winter, Old Books is the stronger pick. Nigredo suits evening wear; Old Books suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.