Fragrance comparison

Private Black vs Shaghaf

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 129 ratings analysed

5 wins

Private Black

Saint Hilaire · 2018

4.1953 votes

Rank #30,736 Warm SpicyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

Shaghaf

Ajmal

3.7576 votes

Rank #33,441 OudFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Private Black takes 5 of 7 categories.

Private Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Shaghaf
Choose it for a oud and floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Private Black5/7

Shaghaf2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Private BlackSaint Hilaire

ShaghafAjmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 60%Had 8%Want 32%

3.75/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 26%Had 23%Want 51%

Category winnerPrivate BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

47%Like

11%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

53 votes

17%Love

62%Like

1%Ok

18%Dislike

1%Hate

76 votes

Category winnerPrivate BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityShaghaf

SillageShaghaf

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value86

¤ Price value69

Category winnerPrivate BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

musky90%

oud80%

amber70%

powdery60%

metallic50%

oud100%

floral91%

fruity83%

amber74%

musky65%

warm spicy56%

Scent match58%Closely related · both oud, warm spicy and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SpicesBergamot

Heart

SaffronCinnamon

Base

MuskAgarwood (Oud)Amber

Top

Fruity Notes

Heart

SpicesFlowers

Base

Agarwood (Oud)AmberMusk

InformationalShared notesSpices, Musk, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer11

Fall100

Winter96

Day57

Night100

Spring28

Summer33

Fall100

Winter94

Day100

Night59

Category winnerPrivate BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men91

Unisex9

Women0

Men0

Unisex75

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,736

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2018

Reviews0

Overall rank#33,441

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPrivate BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Saint Hilaire Private Black is a warm spicy oriental fragrance built around crackling spices, golden amber, and a soft base of agarwood oud. It opens with an energetic burst of zesty bergamot alongside crushed black pepper and mixed culinary spices, creating an immediate crisp warmth that cuts through cool air. As the…

Reviews →

Ajmal Shaghaf is a fruity floral oud that leans warm, musky, and ambery. It opens with a generic ripe fruit feel, moves into a spiced floral heart, then settles into a confident oud amber musk dry-down. If you like bold Middle Eastern style blends where florals sit on an oud-amber base, this is one to sample. It can c…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Private Black or Shaghaf?

Private Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Private Black is rated 4.19/5 from 53 votes; Shaghaf is rated 3.75/5 from 76 votes. Choose Private Black for a warm spicy and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Shaghaf for a oud and floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Private Black or Shaghaf?

Shaghaf lasts longest (Shaghaf 75/100, Private Black 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Private Black or Shaghaf?

Shaghaf projects furthest (Shaghaf 71/100, Private Black 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Private Black and Shaghaf smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share oud, warm spicy and musky accords. Common notes include Spices, Musk, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber.

Is Private Black or Shaghaf better for summer or winter?

For summer, Shaghaf is the stronger pick. For winter, Private Black is the stronger pick. Private Black suits evening wear; Shaghaf suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Private Black and Shaghaf?

Private Black has top notes of Spices and Bergamot, heart notes of Saffron and Cinnamon, a base of Musk, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber. Shaghaf has top notes of Fruity Notes, heart notes of Spices and Flowers, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Amber and Musk.