Fragrance comparison

Pure Black vs Vepres Siciliennes

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 1,314 ratings analysed

4 wins

Pure Black

Mandarina Duck

4.26988 votes

Rank #1,726 VanillaCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Vepres Siciliennes

MDCI Parfums

3.99326 votes

Rank #7,906 FruityCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pure Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Pure Black4/7

Vepres Siciliennes3/7

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

Vepres SiciliennesMDCI Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 988 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

3.99/ 5 · 326 votes

Have 60%Had 40%Want 0%

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

32%Love

47%Like

10%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

326 votes

Category winnerPure BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityVepres Siciliennes

SillageVepres Siciliennes

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value32

Category winnerPure BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

citrus92%

sweet84%

woody77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

fruity100%

citrus90%

sweet80%

floral70%

white floral60%

powdery50%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both citrus, sweet 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

TangerineMagnoliaOrangeGrapefruitGreen NotesLily-of-the-ValleyCardamomPepper

Heart

African Orange FlowerTuberoseYlang-YlangHeliotropeRoseJasmineOakmossAmber

Base

PeachOsmanthusRaspberryCaramelPlumMuskVanillaCoconut

InformationalShared notesTangerine, Pepper, African Orange Flower and Vanilla. 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

Summer90

Fall0

Winter18

Day–

Night–

Category winnerVepres SiciliennesMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex15

Women3

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

Men0

Unisex11

Women89

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,726

PerfumerNathalie Lorson

Launched—

Reviews148

Overall rank#7,906

PerfumerJeanne-Marie Faugier

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 →

Vepres Siciliennes is a polished fruity floral chypre built around citrus, magnolia, peach, soft white flowers and moss. Reviewers often describe it as green, juicy, sweet and well blended, with a creamy powdery floral side that can feel vintage without becoming dusty. It is best sampled first. Some wearers love its r…

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 Vepres Siciliennes?

Pure Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Pure Black is rated 4.26/5 from 988 votes; Vepres Siciliennes is rated 3.99/5 from 326 votes. Choose Pure Black for a vanilla and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Vepres Siciliennes for a fruity and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Pure Black or Vepres Siciliennes?

Vepres Siciliennes lasts longest (Vepres Siciliennes 68/100, Pure Black 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Pure Black or Vepres Siciliennes?

Vepres Siciliennes projects furthest (Vepres Siciliennes 62/100, Pure Black 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pure Black and Vepres Siciliennes smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, sweet and white floral accords. Common notes include Tangerine, Pepper, African Orange Flower and Vanilla.

Is Pure Black or Vepres Siciliennes better for summer or winter?

For summer, Vepres Siciliennes 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 Vepres Siciliennes?

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. Vepres Siciliennes has top notes of Tangerine, Magnolia, Orange and Grapefruit, heart notes of African Orange Flower, Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang and Heliotrope, a base of Peach, Osmanthus, Raspberry and Caramel.