Fragrance comparison

The White vs Blacklight

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 86 ratings analysed

The White

The Sum

3.7633 votes

Rank #21,756 IrisPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Blacklight

Pekji

3.5353 votes

Rank #12,698 AldehydicSoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Blacklight takes 5 of 7 categories.

The White
Choose it for a iris and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Blacklight
Choose it for a aldehydic and soft spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

The White1/7

Blacklight5/7

Ratings & consensus: The White
Community sentiment: Tie
Longevity: Blacklight
Sillage & projection: Blacklight
Value for money: Blacklight
Versatility: Blacklight
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Blacklight

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The WhiteThe Sum

BlacklightPekji

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.76/ 5 · 33 votes

Have 12%Had 6%Want 82%

3.53/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 19%Had 7%Want 74%

Category winnerThe WhiteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

30%Like

0%Ok

27%Dislike

3%Hate

33 votes

27%Love

36%Like

12%Ok

18%Dislike

6%Hate

33 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityBlacklight

SillageBlacklight

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value52

Category winnerBlacklightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

powdery86%

woody72%

violet58%

smoky44%

earthy30%

aldehydic100%

soft spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

fresh77%

aromatic69%

iris61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both iris

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IrisSmokeWoody Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

AldehydesBlack PepperLicoriceCorianderIrisLeatherSmoke

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesIris and Smoke. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer67

Fall83

Winter75

Day100

Night36

Spring100

Summer79

Fall100

Winter79

Day93

Night100

Category winnerBlacklightMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Men19

Unisex81

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,756

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#12,698

PerfumerÖmer Ipekçi

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerBlacklightHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The White by The Sum pairs crisp iris root with a pale cloud of white smoke and dry woods. Crafted by perfumer Josh Meyer, it feels clean, quiet, and minimalist on skin. It shines in cool spring mornings or quiet office settings, offering a tranquil aura without heavy amber sweetness or dense spice.

Reviews →

Blacklight is a sharply unconventional unisex scent built around aldehydes, pepper, licorice, iris, leather, and smoke. It opens bright, metallic, and spicy, with several wearers picking up licorice and even marker-like facets before it softens into something greener, cooler, and more powdery. This is not an easy crow…

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, The White or Blacklight?

Blacklight takes 5 of 7 categories. The White is rated 3.76/5 from 33 votes; Blacklight is rated 3.53/5 from 53 votes. Choose The White for a iris and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Blacklight for a aldehydic and soft spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, The White or Blacklight?

Blacklight lasts longest (Blacklight 85/100, The White 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The White or Blacklight?

Blacklight projects furthest (Blacklight 75/100, The White 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The White and Blacklight smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share iris accords. Common notes include Iris and Smoke.

Is The White or Blacklight better for summer or winter?

For summer, Blacklight is the stronger pick. For winter, Blacklight is the stronger pick. The White suits daytime wear; Blacklight suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.