Fragrance comparison

Version Black vs Polyamory

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 40 ratings analysed

3 wins

Version Black

Ulric de Varens

3.9537 votes

Rank #18,062 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

Polyamory

Perfume Cult

4.673 votes

Rank #46,444 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Version Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Version Black3/4

Polyamory1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Version Black
Sillage & projection: Polyamory
Value for money: Version Black
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

PolyamoryPerfume Cult

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 59%Had 15%Want 26%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 19%Had 0%Want 81%

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

67%Love

33%Like

0%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

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityVersion Black

SillagePolyamory

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value93

¤ Price value25

Category winnerVersion BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

lavender69%

floral61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

sweet69%

musky61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

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

CypressPineappleBergamotLavenderLemonAppleMandarin Orange

Heart

Palisander RosewoodCardamomNutmegRoseJasmineelemi

Base

MuskPatchouliCedarwoodMossTonka BeanLabdanumVanillaMaltol

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Mandarin Orange, Pineapple and Nutmeg. 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

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex15

Women4

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

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,062

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#46,444

PerfumerLaure Breysse

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Polyamory by Perfume Cult is a bright woody gourmand with a lively fruit and citrus opening, then a warmer heart of rosewood, cardamom, nutmeg, rose, jasmine and elemi. The dry-down settles into musk, patchouli, cedarwood, moss, tonka, vanilla, maltol, labdanum and amber. It suits someone who likes sweet, aromatic, sp…

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 Polyamory?

Version Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Version Black is rated 3.95/5 from 37 votes; Polyamory is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Version Black for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Polyamory for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Version Black or Polyamory?

They last about the same: Version Black 55/100, Polyamory 53/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Version Black or Polyamory?

Polyamory projects furthest (Polyamory 63/100, Version Black 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Version Black and Polyamory smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Mandarin Orange, Pineapple and Nutmeg.

Is Version Black or Polyamory better for summer or winter?

Version Black suits daytime wear; Polyamory suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Version Black and Polyamory?

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. Polyamory has top notes of Cypress, Pineapple, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Palisander Rosewood, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Rose, a base of Musk, Patchouli, Cedarwood and Moss.