Fragrance comparison

Pure Black vs Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 993 ratings analysed

3 wins

Pure Black

Mandarina Duck

4.26988 votes

Rank #1,726 VanillaCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑

RECLASSIFIED RE调香室

2.205 votes

Rank #70,344 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pure Black takes 3 of 3 categories.

Pure Black
Choose it for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character.

Pure Black3/3

Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑0/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Pure BlackMandarina Duck

Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑RECLASSIFIED RE调香室

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 988 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

2.20/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 18%Had 9%Want 73%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

43%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

1%Hate

988 votes

0%Love

20%Like

0%Ok

60%Dislike

20%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate30

Category winners

LongevityPure Black

SillagePure Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

citrus92%

sweet84%

woody77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

white floral100%

citrus86%

woody72%

sweet58%

powdery44%

animalic30%

Scent match62%Closely related · both citrus, white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TangerinePepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanTiare FlowerAfrican Orange Flower

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaSandalwoodVirginia Cedar

Top

LemonRed Apple

Heart

African Orange FlowerTiare FlowerIris

Base

MuskSandalwoodVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesTiare Flower, African Orange Flower, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar. Durations are only published for Pure Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring78

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day92

Night100

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex15

Women3

Casual 32%Work 30%Date 26%Party 13%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,726

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews148

Overall rank#70,344

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPure BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mandarina Duck Pure Black delivers an approachable, lightly spiced citrus profile wrapped in smooth sweetness. It opens with juicy tangerine, sharp black pepper, and bright bergamot. The alcohol evaporates within two minutes, revealing an airy heart of tonka bean and creamy orange flower petals. As the scent warms, sw…

Reviews →

Apollo's Smile opens with a bright mix of lemon and crisp red apple, then settles into soft white florals with a lightly powdery iris touch. The dry-down stays clean and woody, with musk, sandalwood, and cedar keeping it smooth. It reads as a fresh floral-fruity scent with a gentle, intimate style. If you like airy wh…

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, Pure Black or Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑?

Pure Black takes 3 of 3 categories. Pure Black is rated 4.26/5 from 988 votes; Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 is rated 2.20/5 from 5 votes. Choose Pure Black for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 for a white floral and citrus character.

Which lasts longer, Pure Black or Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑?

Pure Black lasts longest (Pure Black 63/100, Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Pure Black or Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑?

Pure Black projects furthest (Pure Black 55/100, Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pure Black and Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Tiare Flower, African Orange Flower, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar.

Is Pure Black or Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 better for summer or winter?

Pure Black suits evening wear; Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pure Black and Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑?

Pure Black has top notes of Tangerine, Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Tiare Flower and African Orange Flower, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar. Apollo's Smile 阿波罗的微笑 has top notes of Lemon and Red Apple, heart notes of African Orange Flower, Tiare Flower and Iris, a base of Musk, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar.