Fragrance comparison

Version Black vs C'est Magique

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 40 ratings analysed

Version Black

Ulric de Varens

3.9537 votes

Rank #18,062 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

C'est Magique

Kesling

4.003 votes

Rank #22,814 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

C'est Magique takes 2 of 3 categories.

Version Black
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
C'est Magique
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Version Black1/3

C'est Magique2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: C'est Magique
Sillage & projection: C'est Magique
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Version Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Version BlackUlric de Varens

C'est MagiqueKesling

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 59%Had 15%Want 26%

4.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 34%Had 8%Want 58%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

65%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityC'est Magique

SillageC'est Magique

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

lavender69%

floral61%

woody100%

fruity92%

citrus84%

sweet77%

floral69%

white floral61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CitrusesCardamomMandarin OrangePineappleNutmeg

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderFreesiaViolet

Base4-6 hrs

MuskWoody NotesTonka BeanPalisander Rosewood

Top

LemonGreen NotesPlumMandarin OrangeBergamotPineappleFruity Notes

Heart

GardeniaFreesiaYlang-YlangJasmineRoseVioletLily-of-the-Valley

Base

Palisander RosewoodPrecious WoodsMusk

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Pineapple, Freesia and Violet. Durations are only published for Version Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall42

Winter17

Day100

Night32

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex15

Women4

Casual 47%Work 32%Date 12%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,062

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#22,814

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerVersion BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Do not let the dark name fool you. Version Black by Ulric de Varens is not a heavy, brooding night scent. Instead, it bursts open with a bright blast of mandarin orange, tart pineapple, and fresh cardamom. The initial alcohol lift settles quickly on skin, revealing a clean heart of French lavender, delicate violet, an…

Reviews →

C'est Magique is a bright, fruity floral blend from 1997. It opens with a vibrant burst of lemon, mandarin, and pineapple, eventually settling into a gardenia and ylang-ylang heart. On the skin, the fragrance relies on palisander rosewood and musk to provide a grounded, woodsy finish suitable for casual daytime wear d…

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, Version Black or C'est Magique?

C'est Magique takes 2 of 3 categories. Version Black is rated 3.95/5 from 37 votes; C'est Magique is rated 4.00/5 from 3 votes. Choose Version Black for a citrus and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose C'est Magique for a woody and fruity character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Version Black or C'est Magique?

C'est Magique lasts longest (C'est Magique 60/100, Version Black 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Version Black or C'est Magique?

C'est Magique projects furthest (C'est Magique 56/100, Version Black 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Version Black and C'est Magique smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Pineapple, Freesia and Violet.

Is Version Black or C'est Magique better for summer or winter?

Version Black suits daytime wear; C'est Magique suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Version Black and C'est Magique?

Version Black has top notes of Citruses, Cardamom, Mandarin Orange and Pineapple, heart notes of Lavender, Freesia and Violet, a base of Musk, Woody Notes, Tonka Bean and Palisander Rosewood. C'est Magique has top notes of Lemon, Green Notes, Plum and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Gardenia, Freesia, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Palisander Rosewood, Precious Woods and Musk.