Fragrance comparison

Pure Black vs Flight

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 1,164 ratings analysed

5 wins

Pure Black

Mandarina Duck

4.26988 votes

Rank #1,726 VanillaCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Flight

Michael Jordan

3.97176 votes

Rank #24,523 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pure Black takes 5 of 7 categories.

Pure Black
Choose it for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Flight
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Pure Black5/7

Flight2/7

Ratings & consensus: Pure Black
Community sentiment: Flight
Longevity: Pure Black
Sillage & projection: Pure Black
Value for money: Flight
Versatility: Pure Black
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

FlightMichael Jordan

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 988 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

3.97/ 5 · 176 votes

Have 55%Had 21%Want 24%

Category winnerPure BlackRating 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

28%Love

63%Like

3%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

167 votes

Category winnerFlightMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityPure Black

SillagePure Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value86

Category winnerFlightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

citrus92%

sweet84%

woody77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

woody77%

white floral69%

amber61%

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

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

African Orange FlowerBergamot

Heart

PepperVirginia CedarSage

Base

AmberVetiverSeaweed

InformationalShared notesPepper, Bergamot, African Orange Flower 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter22

Day–

Night–

Category winnerPure BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex15

Women3

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

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,726

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews148

Overall rank#24,523

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

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 →

Flight is a fresh woody spicy scent built around bergamot, orange blossom, sage and pepper, with cedar, amber and vetiver giving it a clean masculine base. It opens bright and aromatic, then settles into something drier, greener and slightly salty. This usually suits someone who wants an easy daytime fragrance with a …

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 Flight?

Pure Black takes 5 of 7 categories. Pure Black is rated 4.26/5 from 988 votes; Flight is rated 3.97/5 from 176 votes. Choose Pure Black for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Flight for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Pure Black or Flight?

Pure Black lasts longest (Pure Black 63/100, Flight 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Pure Black or Flight?

Projection is very close: Pure Black 55/100, Flight 53/100 for sillage.

Do Pure Black and Flight smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Pepper, Bergamot, African Orange Flower and Virginia Cedar.

Is Pure Black or Flight better for summer or winter?

For summer, Pure Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Pure Black is the stronger pick. Pure Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pure Black and Flight?

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. Flight has top notes of African Orange Flower and Bergamot, heart notes of Pepper, Virginia Cedar and Sage, a base of Amber, Vetiver and Seaweed.