Fragrance comparison

Ocean Noir Dive vs The Bug

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 273 ratings analysed

4 wins

Ocean Noir Dive

Michael Malul London

4.4547 votes

Rank #28,976 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

The Bug

Lush

3.74226 votes

Rank #11,444 AromaticBalsamic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ocean Noir Dive takes 4 of 7 categories.

Ocean Noir Dive
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
The Bug
Choose it for a aromatic and balsamic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Ocean Noir Dive4/7

The Bug3/7

Ratings & consensus: Ocean Noir Dive
Community sentiment: Ocean Noir Dive
Longevity: The Bug
Sillage & projection: The Bug
Value for money: Ocean Noir Dive
Versatility: Ocean Noir Dive
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Bug

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ocean Noir DiveMichael Malul London

The BugLush

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.45/ 5 · 47 votes

Have 52%Had 5%Want 43%

3.74/ 5 · 226 votes

Have 42%Had 16%Want 41%

Category winnerOcean Noir DiveRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

43%Like

6%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

47 votes

28%Love

45%Like

5%Ok

21%Dislike

1%Hate

181 votes

Category winnerOcean Noir DiveMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityThe Bug

SillageThe Bug

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value52

Category winnerOcean Noir DiveBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

citrus84%

mossy77%

earthy69%

fresh spicy61%

aromatic100%

balsamic90%

green80%

fresh spicy70%

amber60%

woody50%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangeClary SageBlack Pepper

Heart

LavenderelemiLabdanum

Base

OakmossIndonesian Patchouli LeafSandalwood

Notes

elemiGalbanumBlack PepperLabdanumSandalwoodTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, elemi, Labdanum and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring63

Summer100

Fall43

Winter13

Day100

Night61

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOcean Noir DiveMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men91

Unisex9

Women0

Men18

Unisex76

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,976

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#11,444

PerfumerMark Constantine, Simon Constantine

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerThe BugHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ocean Noir Dive is a fresh aromatic woody scent with a brisk citrus opening, herbal sage, and a mossy, earthy base. It reads clean and masculine, but less shower-gel blue than many modern aquatics. Lavender, elemi, patchouli, and sandalwood give it a dry, textured finish that suits warm weather well. If you like citru…

Reviews →

Lush The Bug leans sharp, resinous, and green from the first spray. Galbanum and black pepper give it a brisk, slightly confrontational opening, then labdanum, elemi, sandalwood, and tonka soften it into something drier, warmer, and more wearable. It suits shoppers who like unusual aromatic scents with a balsamic edge…

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, Ocean Noir Dive or The Bug?

Ocean Noir Dive takes 4 of 7 categories. Ocean Noir Dive is rated 4.45/5 from 47 votes; The Bug is rated 3.74/5 from 226 votes. Choose Ocean Noir Dive for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose The Bug for a aromatic and balsamic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Ocean Noir Dive or The Bug?

The Bug lasts longest (The Bug 73/100, Ocean Noir Dive 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ocean Noir Dive or The Bug?

The Bug projects furthest (The Bug 67/100, Ocean Noir Dive 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ocean Noir Dive and The Bug smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, elemi, Labdanum and Sandalwood.

Is Ocean Noir Dive or The Bug better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ocean Noir Dive is the stronger pick. For winter, The Bug is the stronger pick. Ocean Noir Dive suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ocean Noir Dive and The Bug?

Ocean Noir Dive has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Clary Sage and Black Pepper, heart notes of Lavender, elemi and Labdanum, a base of Oakmoss, Indonesian Patchouli Leaf and Sandalwood. The Bug features elemi, Galbanum, Black Pepper, Labdanum and Sandalwood.