Fragrance comparison

Violette Hay vs Black Suede

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 732 ratings analysed

4 wins

Violette Hay

Marissa Zappas

4.19172 votes

Rank #10,351 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Black Suede

Avon

3.88560 votes

Rank #26,278 MuskyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Violette Hay takes 4 of 7 categories.

Violette Hay
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Black Suede
Choose it for a musky and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Violette Hay4/7

Black Suede3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Violette HayMarissa Zappas

Black SuedeAvon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 172 votes

Have 25%Had 4%Want 70%

3.88/ 5 · 560 votes

Have 63%Had 37%Want 0%

Category winnerViolette HayRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

36%Like

15%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

172 votes

26%Love

51%Like

8%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

560 votes

Category winnerViolette HayMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage36

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityBlack Suede

SillageBlack Suede

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value88

Category winnerBlack SuedeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

musky90%

green80%

violet70%

leather60%

herbal50%

musky100%

amber92%

powdery84%

woody77%

warm spicy69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both musky and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Carrot SeedsCoriander

Heart1 to 2 hours

VioletApricotSaffron

Base2 to 4 hours

HaySuedeMusk

Top

NutmegAldehydesCarnationCorianderGreen NotesBergamot

Heart

CloveOrrisLeatherVetiverRoseLavenderHeliotropeThyme

Base

MuskAmberWoodsy NotesOakmossCivetSuedeOpoponaxAnise

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Suede and Musk. Durations are only published for Violette Hay, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer66

Fall89

Winter32

Day100

Night32

Spring42

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerViolette HayMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex42

Women56

Men84

Unisex12

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,351

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews42

Overall rank#26,278

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerViolette HayHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Violette Hay by Marissa Zappas is an earthy, pastel floral fragrance that pairs soft violet petals with sun-cured hay and supple suede. The opening brings an earthy crunch of carrot seeds alongside mildly aromatic coriander. Soon, a delicate violet note emerges, rounded out by hints of velvety apricot and bittersweet …

Reviews →

Avon Black Suede opens with a sharp burst of soapy aldehydes, spicy nutmeg, and crisp carnation. Within fifteen minutes, the initial brightness settles into a darker heart of warm clove, aromatic lavender, and herbal thyme. The dry down hugs the skin with powdery amber, mossy oakmoss, and soft suede musk. It sits warm…

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, Violette Hay or Black Suede?

Violette Hay takes 4 of 7 categories. Violette Hay is rated 4.19/5 from 172 votes; Black Suede is rated 3.88/5 from 560 votes. Choose Violette Hay for a powdery and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Black Suede for a musky and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Violette Hay or Black Suede?

Black Suede lasts longest (Black Suede 62/100, Violette Hay 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Violette Hay or Black Suede?

Black Suede projects furthest (Black Suede 55/100, Violette Hay 36/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Violette Hay and Black Suede smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky and powdery accords. Common notes include Coriander, Suede and Musk.

Is Violette Hay or Black Suede better for summer or winter?

For summer, Violette Hay is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Suede is the stronger pick. Violette Hay suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Violette Hay and Black Suede?

Violette Hay has top notes of Carrot Seeds and Coriander, heart notes of Violet, Apricot and Saffron, a base of Hay, Suede and Musk. Black Suede has top notes of Nutmeg, Aldehydes, Carnation and Coriander, heart notes of Clove, Orris, Leather and Vetiver, a base of Musk, Amber, Woodsy Notes and Oakmoss.