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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Red Shield vs Black Tear

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

Updated 307 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Red Shield takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Red Shield

    Choose it for a powdery and iris character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

  • Black Tear

    Choose it for a fruity and tobacco character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Red Shield4/7
Black Tear3/7
Ratings & consensus
Red Shield
Community sentiment
Black Tear
Longevity
Black Tear
Sillage & projection
Black Tear
Value for money
Red Shield
Versatility
Red Shield
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Red Shield

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Red ShieldOrlov Paris
Black TearAntonio Visconti
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.13/ 5 · 245 votes
Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%
4.04/ 5 · 62 votes
Have 23%Had 21%Want 56%
Category winnerRed ShieldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
37%Love
42%Like
15%Ok
5%Dislike
2%Hate

172 votes

44%Love
41%Like
3%Ok
12%Dislike
0%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerBlack TearMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity72
〰 Sillage68
♥ Love / hate79
⏱ Longevity80
〰 Sillage71
♥ Love / hate80
Category winners

LongevityBlack Tear

SillageBlack Tear

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value58
¤ Price value50
Category winnerRed ShieldBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
powdery100%
iris92%
vanilla84%
honey77%
floral69%
sweet61%
fruity100%
tobacco92%
aromatic84%
sweet77%
green69%
woody61%
Scent match16%Clearly different · both sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
HoneyAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Black PepperCedar
Heart
IrisLeatherVetiverFreesia
Base
VanillaAmberTonka BeanMusk
Top
CassisGreen AppleBlack PepperLemonBergamot
Heart
ApricotTuberoseIrisJasmineHoneyRose
Base
TobaccoPatchouliVetiverVanillaWhite Musk
InformationalShared notesHoney, Black Pepper, Iris and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring56
Summer18
Fall100
Winter89
Day100
Night–
Spring33
Summer33
Fall100
Winter67
Day60
Night100
Category winnerRed ShieldMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men10
Unisex43
Women47
Men0
Unisex100
Women0
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,478

PerfumerQuentin Bisch

Launched—

Reviews41

Overall rank#9,404

PerfumerAntonio Visconti

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerRed ShieldHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Red Shield is a sweet powdery leather built around honey, iris, vanilla and soft suede. On skin it can open spicy and woody, then move toward a warmer gourmand feel with amber, ambrette musk and a cherry cordial kind of sweetness mentioned by wearers. It suits people who like their leather polished, sweet and powdery …

Reviews →

Black Tear opens fruity and green, with cassis, apple and citrus sharpened by black pepper. As it settles, honeyed tuberose and apricot add a plush sweetness, while tobacco, patchouli and vanilla give the dry-down a darker, fuller feel. It reads like a rich fruity gourmand with a floral heart and a tobacco-toned base.…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Red Shield or Black Tear?

Red Shield takes 4 of 7 categories. Red Shield is rated 4.13/5 from 245 votes; Black Tear is rated 4.04/5 from 62 votes. Choose Red Shield for a powdery and iris character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Black Tear for a fruity and tobacco character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Red Shield or Black Tear?

Black Tear lasts longest (Black Tear 80/100, Red Shield 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Red Shield or Black Tear?

Black Tear projects furthest (Black Tear 71/100, Red Shield 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Red Shield and Black Tear smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Honey, Black Pepper, Iris and Vetiver.

Is Red Shield or Black Tear better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Red Shield and Black Tear?

Red Shield has top notes of Honey, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Black Pepper and Cedar, heart notes of Iris, Leather, Vetiver and Freesia, a base of Vanilla, Amber, Tonka Bean and Musk. Black Tear has top notes of Cassis, Green Apple, Black Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Apricot, Tuberose, Iris and Jasmine, a base of Tobacco, Patchouli, Vetiver and Vanilla.

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