Fragrance comparison

Around Midnight vs Playmaker

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 80 ratings analysed

Around Midnight

Mark Buxton

4.1771 votes

Rank #20,553 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Playmaker

Crusita · 2023

3.449 votes

Rank #63,280 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Playmaker takes 3 of 4 categories.

Around Midnight
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Playmaker
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Around Midnight1/4

Playmaker3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Playmaker
Sillage & projection: Playmaker
Value for money: Playmaker
Versatility: Not scored
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

PlaymakerCrusita

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.17/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

3.44/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 45%Had 5%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

11%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

22%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityPlaymaker

SillagePlaymaker

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value82

Category winnerPlaymakerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

herbal77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic86%

warm spicy72%

patchouli58%

herbal44%

ozonic30%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, aromatic and warm spicy

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

Top

Violet LeavesPepperBergamotGrapefruit

Heart

NutmegSageGeranium

Base

PatchouliAgarwoodOpoponaxStyraxAmber

InformationalShared notesPepper, Geranium, Styrax and Patchouli. 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

Spring60

Summer80

Fall80

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Men78

Unisex22

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,553

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#63,280

PerfumerAmandine Clerc-Marie

Launched2023

Reviews0

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 →

Crusita Playmaker opens with an invigorating splash of tart grapefruit and sparkling bergamot, sharpened by cracked black pepper and green, ozonic violet leaves. As the brisk citrus top fades, the scent transitions into a dry, aromatic heart of herbal sage, clean geranium petals, and warm culinary nutmeg. The deep dry…

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 Playmaker?

Playmaker takes 3 of 4 categories. Around Midnight is rated 4.17/5 from 71 votes; Playmaker is rated 3.44/5 from 9 votes. Choose Around Midnight for a amber and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Playmaker for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Around Midnight or Playmaker?

Playmaker lasts longest (Playmaker 71/100, Around Midnight 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Around Midnight or Playmaker?

Projection is very close: Playmaker 61/100, Around Midnight 59/100 for sillage.

Do Around Midnight and Playmaker smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pepper, Geranium, Styrax and Patchouli.

Is Around Midnight or Playmaker better for summer or winter?

Around Midnight suits evening wear; Playmaker suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Around Midnight and Playmaker?

Around Midnight has top notes of Pepper, Chamomile and Geranium, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of French labdanum, Cedar, Styrax and Patchouli. Playmaker has top notes of Violet Leaves, Pepper, Bergamot and Grapefruit, heart notes of Nutmeg, Sage and Geranium, a base of Patchouli, Agarwood, Opoponax and Styrax.