Fragrance comparison

Secret Source vs Surhomme Noir

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 84 ratings analysed

4 wins

Secret Source

The Woods Collection

3.8877 votes

Rank #29,334 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

Surhomme Noir

Parfums de Nietzsche

3.577 votes

Rank #55,634 IrisEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Secret Source takes 4 of 4 categories.

Secret Source
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Surhomme Noir
Choose it for a iris and earthy character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Secret Source4/4

Surhomme Noir0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Secret SourceThe Woods Collection

Surhomme NoirParfums de Nietzsche

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.88/ 5 · 77 votes

Have 34%Had 14%Want 53%

3.57/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 13%Had 2%Want 85%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

47%Like

12%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

77 votes

43%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

29%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevitySecret Source

SillageSecret Source

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value62

¤ Price value33

Category winnerSecret SourceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

floral92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

vanilla69%

powdery61%

iris100%

earthy92%

powdery84%

woody77%

violet69%

leather61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black CurrantGardeniaJasmineLemonMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

OrchidFruitsSpicy NotesLotus

Base

VanillaVetiverIncensePatchouliDark ChocolateSandalwoodAmber

Notes

Black IrisDark ChocolateLeatherVetiverAmberPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesVetiver, Patchouli, Dark Chocolate and Amber. Durations are only published for Surhomme Noir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring33

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex65

Women35

Men33

Unisex50

Women17

Date 41%Party 31%Casual 15%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,334

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#55,634

PerfumerCarlos Benaïm

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerSecret SourceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Secret Source opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, gardenia, and dark currant before settling into dense orchid and warm spices. As the hours pass, heavy patchouli and bitter dark chocolate merge with smoldering incense and vanilla along the base. It feels thick, mysterious, and moody, tailored for chilly November ev…

Reviews →

Surhomme Noir by Parfums de Nietzsche takes a bold, shadowed approach to modern leather. The first three minutes hit with a sharp solvent lift before settling into dense, bitter dark chocolate and dry black iris. It feels thick on the skin. Earthy patchouli and vetiver soon emerge beneath the floral powder, grounding …

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, Secret Source or Surhomme Noir?

Secret Source takes 4 of 4 categories. Secret Source is rated 3.88/5 from 77 votes; Surhomme Noir is rated 3.57/5 from 7 votes. Choose Secret Source for a woody and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Surhomme Noir for a iris and earthy character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Secret Source or Surhomme Noir?

They last about the same: Secret Source 70/100, Surhomme Noir 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Secret Source or Surhomme Noir?

Secret Source projects furthest (Secret Source 68/100, Surhomme Noir 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Secret Source and Surhomme Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Vetiver, Patchouli, Dark Chocolate and Amber.

Is Secret Source or Surhomme Noir better for summer or winter?

Surhomme Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Secret Source and Surhomme Noir?

Secret Source has top notes of Black Currant, Gardenia, Jasmine and Lemon, heart notes of Orchid, Fruits, Spicy Notes and Lotus, a base of Vanilla, Vetiver, Incense and Patchouli. Surhomme Noir features Black Iris, Dark Chocolate, Leather, Vetiver and Amber.