The Trained Nose

Black against Midnight in Paris

One number per era rather than one number overall — two fragrances can be near-identical at the opening and different things by the evening, and an average hides exactly that.
Bvlgari

Black

· lasts about 11.3 h
Van Cleef & Arpels

Midnight in Paris

· lasts about 8.8 h

How close, and when

Across a whole wearing, Bvlgari Black and Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight in Paris are related, not interchangeable. They are nearest during the opening and furthest apart in the drydown, which is the part a single figure would average away.

76% opening · 0–1 h
54% heart · 1–3 h
49% drydown · 3–8 h
Measured across all twenty-four facets, from the notes below — not from the families on the boxes. They share 2 of 22 materials, which is worth holding beside the figures: a pair can share almost nothing and still converge, because different materials can smell of the same things.

What AKIN predicts

AKIN predicts these two are alike, and the evidence behind that is substantial.

Two signals sit on this page and are never averaged: what the note pyramids measure these two to share, and what AKIN’s resemblance graph predicts. Where they part, that is the finding rather than a fault.

The pyramids, side by side

Compared by material rather than by spelling, so a note recorded two ways is not counted as a difference.
top
both — Bergamot
Black only — Green Tea, Rose
Midnight in Paris only — Amalfi Lemon, Holly, Leather, Rosemary
heart
Black only — Cedar, Jasmine, Sandalwood
Midnight in Paris only — Lily of the Valley, Styrax, Tea
base
both — Amber
Black only — Leather, Musk, Oakmoss, Vanilla
Midnight in Paris only — Almond, Benzoin, Incense, Tonka Bean

Other comparisons worth reading

Pairs involving one of these two where the notes are fully recorded on both sides and AKIN has enough evidence for the pair to be worth reading.