Fragrance comparison

Polyamory vs Version Black

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 40 ratings analysed

Polyamory

Perfume Cult

4.673 votes

Rank #46,444 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Version Black

Ulric de Varens

3.9537 votes

Rank #18,062 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Version Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

Polyamory
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Version Black
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Polyamory1/4

Version Black3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PolyamoryPerfume Cult

Version BlackUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 19%Had 0%Want 81%

3.95/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 59%Had 15%Want 26%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

19%Love

65%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityVersion Black

SillagePolyamory

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value93

Category winnerVersion BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

sweet69%

musky61%

citrus100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

lavender69%

floral61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypressPineappleBergamotLavenderLemonAppleMandarin Orange

Heart

Palisander RosewoodCardamomNutmegRoseJasmineelemi

Base

MuskPatchouliCedarwoodMossTonka BeanLabdanumVanillaMaltol

Top15-30 mins

CitrusesCardamomMandarin OrangePineappleNutmeg

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderFreesiaViolet

Base4-6 hrs

MuskWoody NotesTonka BeanPalisander Rosewood

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Lavender, Mandarin Orange and Palisander Rosewood. Durations are only published for Version Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall42

Winter17

Day100

Night32

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men81

Unisex15

Women4

Casual 47%Work 32%Date 12%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,444

PerfumerLaure Breysse

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,062

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerVersion BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Polyamory by Perfume Cult is a bright woody gourmand with a lively fruit and citrus opening, then a warmer heart of rosewood, cardamom, nutmeg, rose, jasmine and elemi. The dry-down settles into musk, patchouli, cedarwood, moss, tonka, vanilla, maltol, labdanum and amber. It suits someone who likes sweet, aromatic, sp…

Reviews →

Do not let the dark name fool you. Version Black by Ulric de Varens is not a heavy, brooding night scent. Instead, it bursts open with a bright blast of mandarin orange, tart pineapple, and fresh cardamom. The initial alcohol lift settles quickly on skin, revealing a clean heart of French lavender, delicate violet, an…

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, Polyamory or Version Black?

Version Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Polyamory is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes; Version Black is rated 3.95/5 from 37 votes. Choose Polyamory for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Version Black for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Polyamory or Version Black?

They last about the same: Version Black 55/100, Polyamory 53/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Polyamory or Version Black?

Polyamory projects furthest (Polyamory 63/100, Version Black 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Polyamory and Version Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Lavender, Mandarin Orange and Palisander Rosewood.

Is Polyamory or Version Black better for summer or winter?

Polyamory suits day or night wear; Version Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Polyamory and Version Black?

Polyamory has top notes of Cypress, Pineapple, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Palisander Rosewood, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Rose, a base of Musk, Patchouli, Cedarwood and Moss. Version Black has top notes of Citruses, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Pineapple, heart notes of Lavender, Freesia and Violet, a base of Musk, Woody Notes, Tonka Bean and Palisander Rosewood.