Fragrance comparison

Pure Black vs Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 1,323 ratings analysed

Pure Black

Mandarina Duck

4.26988 votes

Rank #1,726 VanillaCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)

Olivier Durbano

4.27335 votes

Rank #5,938 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) takes 5 of 7 categories.

Pure Black
Choose it for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Pure Black2/7

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)5/7

Ratings & consensus: Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)
Community sentiment: Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)
Longevity: Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)
Sillage & projection: Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)
Value for money: Pure Black
Versatility: Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)
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

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)Olivier Durbano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 988 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

4.27/ 5 · 335 votes

Have 65%Had 35%Want 0%

Category winnerCristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)Rating 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

45%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

335 votes

Category winnerCristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityCristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)

SillageCristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value38

Category winnerPure BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

citrus92%

sweet84%

woody77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

amber100%

warm spicy88%

fresh spicy77%

woody65%

aromatic53%

balsamic42%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both 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

PepperCarawayCardamomAfrican Orange FlowerCoriander

Heart

OlibanumIncenseMyrhhFrench labdanumBenzoin

Base

ImmortelleVirginia CedarVetiverSandalwoodOakmossMusk

InformationalShared notesPepper, 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

Spring49

Summer38

Fall100

Winter62

Day100

Night44

Category winnerCristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex15

Women3

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

Men13

Unisex75

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,726

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews148

Overall rank#5,938

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews23

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 →

This woody spicy scent opens with a sharp burst of black pepper and caraway before settling into a cold, mineralic incense. Unlike traditional amber scents that feel thick and sticky, this one is bone-dry and transparent. A strong base of Somalian olibanum, Virginia cedar, and immortelle holds the scent on the skin. I…

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 Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)?

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) takes 5 of 7 categories. Pure Black is rated 4.26/5 from 988 votes; Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) is rated 4.27/5 from 335 votes. Choose Pure Black for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Pure Black or Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)?

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) lasts longest (Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) 68/100, Pure Black 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Pure Black or Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)?

Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) projects furthest (Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) 61/100, Pure Black 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pure Black and Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Pepper, African Orange Flower, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar.

Is Pure Black or Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) is the stronger pick. For winter, Pure Black is the stronger pick. Pure Black suits evening wear; Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pure Black and Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal)?

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. Cristal de Roche (Rock Crystal) has top notes of Pepper, Caraway, Cardamom and African Orange Flower, heart notes of Olibanum, Incense, Myrhh and French labdanum, a base of Immortelle, Virginia Cedar, Vetiver and Sandalwood.