Fragrance comparison

Around Midnight vs Fade To Black

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 154 ratings analysed

4 wins

Around Midnight

Mark Buxton

4.1771 votes

Rank #20,553 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Fade To Black

Alexandria Fragrances

3.7083 votes

Rank #26,167 SweetAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Around Midnight takes 4 of 7 categories.

Around Midnight
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Fade To Black
Choose it for a sweet and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Around Midnight4/7

Fade To Black3/7

Ratings & consensus: Around Midnight
Community sentiment: Around Midnight
Longevity: Fade To Black
Sillage & projection: Fade To Black
Value for money: Around Midnight
Versatility: Fade To Black
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Around Midnight

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Around MidnightMark Buxton

Fade To BlackAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.17/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

3.70/ 5 · 83 votes

Have 37%Had 13%Want 50%

Category winnerAround MidnightRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

34%Love

33%Like

7%Ok

23%Dislike

4%Hate

83 votes

Category winnerAround MidnightMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityFade To Black

SillageFade To Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value55

Category winnerAround MidnightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

herbal77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

sweet100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both amber, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

PepperChamomileGeranium

Heart1 to 2 hours

Jasmine

Base3 to 5 hours

French labdanumCedarStyraxPatchouli

Notes

White HoneyTobaccoCherryAlmondVanillaAmberRaspberryTonka BeanOlibanumChamomileNutmegFrench labdanum

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesChamomile and French labdanum. Durations are only published for Around Midnight, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer20

Fall80

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring38

Summer5

Fall88

Winter100

Day31

Night100

Category winnerFade To BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Men31

Unisex52

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,553

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#26,167

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerAround MidnightHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Around Midnight by Mark Buxton is a dry, resinous oriental fougere centered on smoky woods and herbal warmth. The scent opens with a sharp burst of black pepper and aromatic chamomile, balanced by the crisp greenery of geranium. As the initial spice settles, a quiet jasmine note softens the heart before shifting into …

Reviews →

Fade To Black is a rich, dessert-leaning oriental woody scent built around honey, cherry, tobacco and warm baking spices. It opens plush and sweet, then settles into a darker ambered mix of resin, soft woods and tonka. This suits cold weather, evening wear and anyone who enjoys dense, cozy fragrances with a gourmand e…

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, Around Midnight or Fade To Black?

Around Midnight takes 4 of 7 categories. Around Midnight is rated 4.17/5 from 71 votes; Fade To Black is rated 3.70/5 from 83 votes. Choose Around Midnight for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Fade To Black for a sweet and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Around Midnight or Fade To Black?

Fade To Black lasts longest (Fade To Black 72/100, Around Midnight 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Around Midnight or Fade To Black?

Fade To Black projects furthest (Fade To Black 67/100, Around Midnight 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Around Midnight and Fade To Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Chamomile and French labdanum.

Is Around Midnight or Fade To Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Around Midnight is the stronger pick. For winter, Around Midnight is the stronger pick. Around Midnight suits evening wear; Fade To Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Around Midnight and Fade To Black?

Around Midnight has top notes of Pepper, Chamomile and Geranium, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of French labdanum, Cedar, Styrax and Patchouli. Fade To Black features White Honey, Tobacco, Cherry, Almond and Vanilla.