Fragrance comparison

Akaster vs Darkwood Rose

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 443 ratings analysed

3 wins

Akaster

Parfums de Marly

3.82428 votes

Rank #7,231 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

67%scent match

Closely related

Darkwood Rose

Alexandria Fragrances

4.5315 votes

Rank #36,201 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Akaster takes 3 of 5 categories.

Akaster
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Darkwood Rose
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Akaster3/5

Darkwood Rose2/5

Ratings & consensus: Darkwood Rose
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Akaster
Sillage & projection: Akaster
Value for money: Darkwood Rose
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Akaster

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AkasterParfums de Marly

Darkwood RoseAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 428 votes

Have 38%Had 12%Want 50%

4.53/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 32%Had 7%Want 61%

Category winnerDarkwood RoseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

32%Like

10%Ok

14%Dislike

6%Hate

428 votes

67%Love

27%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityAkaster

SillageAkaster

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value64

Category winnerDarkwood RoseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

rose84%

oud77%

woody69%

musky61%

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

oud84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

musky61%

Scent match67%Closely related · both aromatic, fresh spicy and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CypressLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Bulgarian RoseAfrican Geranium

Base7-10+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)MuskCardamom

Top

CorianderCardamomLemon

Heart

Bulgarian RoseArtemisiaCypressGeranium

Base

Agarwood (Oud)MuskPatchouliIncenseRum

InformationalShared notesCypress, Lemon, Bulgarian Rose and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Akaster, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring56

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring75

Summer50

Fall88

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex34

Women8

Date 40%Work 25%Party 19%Casual 16%

Men29

Unisex71

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,231

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews66

Overall rank#36,201

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAkasterHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums de Marly Akaster pairs crisp cypress needle greenery with deep Bulgarian rose and smooth agarwood. It opens with an unexpected bite of tart lemon. That sharp green burst fades quickly. Within fifteen minutes, African geranium and velvet red rose petals take over the projection bubble, backed by warm cardamom s…

Reviews →

Darkwood Rose is a dry, aromatic rose-oud scent with a spicy green opening and a darker, smoky base. The rose feels less jammy than many oud-rose fragrances, while cypress, incense, musk, and patchouli keep it brisk and woody. It suits wearers who want rose with structure rather than sweetness. Projection can feel str…

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, Akaster or Darkwood Rose?

Akaster takes 3 of 5 categories. Akaster is rated 3.82/5 from 428 votes; Darkwood Rose is rated 4.53/5 from 15 votes. Choose Akaster for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Darkwood Rose for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Akaster or Darkwood Rose?

Akaster lasts longest (Akaster 75/100, Darkwood Rose 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Akaster or Darkwood Rose?

Projection is very close: Akaster 66/100, Darkwood Rose 64/100 for sillage.

Do Akaster and Darkwood Rose smell similar?

Closely related: a 67% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and oud accords. Common notes include Cypress, Lemon, Bulgarian Rose and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Akaster or Darkwood Rose better for summer or winter?

Akaster suits evening wear; Darkwood Rose suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Akaster and Darkwood Rose?

Akaster has top notes of Cypress and Lemon, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose and African Geranium, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Musk and Cardamom. Darkwood Rose has top notes of Coriander, Cardamom and Lemon, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Artemisia, Cypress and Geranium, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Musk, Patchouli and Incense.