Fragrance comparison

Papilio vs Petale Noir

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 1,258 ratings analysed

Papilio

Puredistance

3.93103 votes

Rank #16,772 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Petale Noir

Agent Provocateur

3.721,155 votes

Rank #1,729 FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Petale Noir takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Papilio3/7

Petale Noir4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PapilioPuredistance

Petale NoirAgent Provocateur

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 103 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.72/ 5 · 1,155 votes

Have 43%Had 25%Want 32%

Category winnerPapilioRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

27%Like

13%Ok

16%Dislike

2%Hate

103 votes

25%Love

47%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

1%Hate

1,058 votes

Category winnerPapilioMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityPetale Noir

SillagePetale Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value19

¤ Price value66

Category winnerPetale NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

floral92%

amber84%

citrus77%

powdery69%

leather61%

floral100%

woody92%

green84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both woody, floral and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Bergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

MagnoliaHedioneOrrisNeroliHeliotropeLily of the ValleyCarrot

Base8-10 hrs

CedarVetiverAmbroxanPeachAmbretteMuscenoneAmyrisOpoponax

Top

MagnoliaHyacinthViolet LeafLotusMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

RoseLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-YlangNeroliHeliotropeOrris RootOsmanthus

Base

LeatherOakmossTobacco LeafPatchouliVetiverMuskGingerBenzoin

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Magnolia, Neroli and Heliotrope. Durations are only published for Papilio, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer45

Fall100

Winter63

Day100

Night84

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter50

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPapilioMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex33

Women56

Work 35%Casual 30%Date 27%Party 9%

Men1

Unisex7

Women92

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,772

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#1,729

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews153

Category winnerPetale NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Puredistance Papilio opens with a bright flash of crisp bergamot that quickly yields to soft magnolia petals and earthy carrot seed. It is not a loud floral. Instead, silky orris and breezy hedione float over a grounded base of cedar, smooth vetiver, and warm opoponax. A subtle touch of ripe peach adds gentle sweetnes…

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, Papilio or Petale Noir?

Petale Noir takes 4 of 7 categories. Papilio is rated 3.93/5 from 103 votes; Petale Noir is rated 3.72/5 from 1,155 votes. Choose Papilio for a woody and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, 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, Papilio or Petale Noir?

Petale Noir lasts longest (Petale Noir 71/100, Papilio 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Papilio or Petale Noir?

Petale Noir projects furthest (Petale Noir 65/100, Papilio 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Papilio and Petale Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Magnolia, Neroli and Heliotrope.

Is Papilio or Petale Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Papilio is the stronger pick. For winter, Papilio is the stronger pick. Papilio suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Papilio and Petale Noir?

Papilio has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Magnolia, Hedione, Orris and Neroli, a base of Cedar, Vetiver, Ambroxan and Peach. 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.