Fragrance comparison

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 201 ratings analysed

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved

Alkemia Perfumes

4.01187 votes

Rank #4,752 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #46,673 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 3 of 5 categories.

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved2/5

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute3/5

Ratings & consensus: As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Sillage & projection: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be LovedAlkemia Perfumes

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.01/ 5 · 187 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerAs Dark Things Are Meant To Be LovedRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

35%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

164 votes

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

SillageAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

sweet92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

smoky69%

coffee61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both sweet and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Moroccan IncenseIncenseCoffeeCoconutTobacco LeafTonka BeanCaramelRussian LeatherOpiumTeaBlack AmberPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesIncense and Coconut. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring14

Summer16

Fall100

Winter95

Day36

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex68

Women26

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,752

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews53

Overall rank#46,673

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAs Dark Things Are Meant To Be LovedHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved was launched in 2019. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 3 of 5 categories. As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved is rated 4.01/5 from 187 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute lasts longest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute projects furthest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense and Coconut.

Is As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved suits evening wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved features Moroccan Incense, Incense, Coffee, Coconut and Tobacco Leaf. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.