Fragrance comparison

Symbolus vs Black

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 18 ratings analysed

3 wins

Symbolus

Água de Cheiro

4.4314 votes

Rank #44,841 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Black

Barba Brasil

4.504 votes

Rank #49,599 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Symbolus takes 3 of 4 categories.

Symbolus
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Black
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Symbolus3/4

Black1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SymbolusÁgua de Cheiro

BlackBarba Brasil

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.43/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 45%Had 34%Want 21%

4.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 56%Had 33%Want 11%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

43%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

75%Love

0%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBlack

SillageSymbolus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSymbolusBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic83%

herbal65%

fresh spicy48%

soft spicy30%

woody100%

citrus92%

lavender84%

white floral77%

fresh69%

musky61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Lime

Heart

Lavender

Base

Cedar

Top

LimeLavenderPearApple

Heart

Lily-of-the-ValleyJasmineRose

Base

CedarMuskVanilla

InformationalShared notesLime, Lavender and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer50

Fall100

Winter88

Day38

Night100

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#44,841

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#49,599

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSymbolusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Symbolus by Água de Cheiro brings a straightforward, crisp aromatic profile for daily wear. It opens with a sharp burst of lime that quickly transitions into a clean lavender heart. The experience settles into a reliable, dry cedar base, providing a crisp, woody foundation that performs well during the warmer months. …

Reviews →

Black by Barba Brasil opens with a bright burst of lime, followed by the crisp crunch of pear and green apple. A clean aromatic heart of lavender and jasmine emerges on skin, keeping the profile fresh and uplifting. Over a few hours, it settles into a warm base of cedarwood and vanilla, creating a subtle contrast of s…

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

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Symbolus or Black?

Symbolus takes 3 of 4 categories. Symbolus is rated 4.43/5 from 14 votes; Black is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes. Choose Symbolus for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Black for a woody and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Symbolus or Black?

They last about the same: Black 70/100, Symbolus 69/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Symbolus or Black?

Symbolus projects furthest (Symbolus 68/100, Black 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Symbolus and Black smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Lime, Lavender and Cedar.

Is Symbolus or Black better for summer or winter?

Symbolus suits evening wear; Black suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Symbolus and Black?

Symbolus has top notes of Lime, heart notes of Lavender, a base of Cedar. Black has top notes of Lime, Lavender, Pear and Apple, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Cedar, Musk and Vanilla.