Fragrance comparison

Unicorn vs Black Smoky

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 67 ratings analysed

Unicorn

Aaron Terence Hughes

4.5745 votes

Rank #5,026 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Black Smoky

Areej

4.1822 votes

Rank #29,475 SmokyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Smoky takes 3 of 5 categories.

Unicorn
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Black Smoky
Choose it for a smoky and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer.

Unicorn2/5

Black Smoky3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

UnicornAaron Terence Hughes

Black SmokyAreej

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.57/ 5 · 45 votes

Have 67%Had 6%Want 27%

4.18/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 50%Had 0%Want 50%

Category winnerUnicornRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

73%Love

27%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

73%Love

9%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

18%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage85

♥ Love / hate91

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBlack Smoky

SillageBlack Smoky

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value95

Category winnerBlack SmokyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

oud84%

fruity77%

metallic69%

woody61%

smoky100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

oud69%

coffee61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both warm spicy, amber and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SaffronOudAmberRaspberryFrankincenseWhite MuskIncenseCloveBarkPatchouliBergamotVanilla Absolute

No top / heart / base split published

Top

cannabisGreen NotesSaffronDavanaThyme

Heart

CoffeeTobaccoVioletWoody NotesRaspberryCinnamonResins

Base

Guaiac WoodIncenseOudTonka BeanAnimal notesVanillaCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Oud, Amber and Raspberry. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring0

Summer100

Fall50

Winter50

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex56

Women11

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,026

PerfumerAaron Terence Hughes

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#29,475

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerUnicornHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Unicorn is a sweet, spicy oud extrait that opens bright and fruity, then quickly turns resinous and warm. Expect raspberry and bergamot up top, saffron spice through the heart, and a cosy dry-down of amber, incense, vanilla and tonka over a smoky, woody oud. It can read bold and serious, with an opening that some wear…

Reviews →

Black Smoky opens with an aggressive herbal strike of cannabis, green thyme, and dry saffron. Bitter roasted coffee and dry tobacco leaves emerge within twenty minutes, cutting through the initial green harshness while spicy cinnamon and sweet violet ground the dark heart. As the fragrance settles during cold winter …

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, Unicorn or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky takes 3 of 5 categories. Unicorn is rated 4.57/5 from 45 votes; Black Smoky is rated 4.18/5 from 22 votes. Choose Unicorn for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Black Smoky for a smoky and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer.

Which lasts longer, Unicorn or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky lasts longest (Black Smoky 100/100, Unicorn 89/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Unicorn or Black Smoky?

Black Smoky projects furthest (Black Smoky 100/100, Unicorn 85/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Unicorn and Black Smoky smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and oud accords. Common notes include Saffron, Oud, Amber and Raspberry.

Is Unicorn or Black Smoky better for summer or winter?

Unicorn suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Unicorn and Black Smoky?

Unicorn features Saffron, Oud, Amber, Raspberry and Frankincense. Black Smoky has top notes of cannabis, Green Notes, Saffron and Davana, heart notes of Coffee, Tobacco, Violet and Woody Notes, a base of Guaiac Wood, Incense, Oud and Tonka Bean.