Fragrance comparison

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved vs Rimal

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 410 ratings analysed

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved

Alkemia Perfumes

4.01187 votes

Rank #4,752 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Rimal

The Spirit of Dubai

4.35223 votes

Rank #24,093 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rimal takes 4 of 7 categories.

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Rimal
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved3/7

Rimal4/7

Ratings & consensus: Rimal
Community sentiment: Rimal
Longevity: Rimal
Sillage & projection: Rimal
Value for money: As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved
Versatility: As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved
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

RimalThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.01/ 5 · 187 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

4.35/ 5 · 223 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerRimalRating 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

60%Love

24%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

223 votes

Category winnerRimalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityRimal

SillageRimal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value35

Category winnerAs Dark Things Are Meant To Be LovedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

sweet92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

smoky69%

coffee61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

sweet84%

amber77%

fresh spicy69%

leather61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both warm spicy, amber and sweet

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

SaffronNutmegCinnamonFruitsVanillaWhite FlowersBergamot

Heart

PatchouliSweet NotesIncenseYlang-YlangStyraxRose

Base

SandalwoodCaramelAgarwood (Oud)LeatherAmberVetiverLabdanumMusk

InformationalShared notesIncense, Caramel and Patchouli. 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

Spring86

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAs Dark Things Are Meant To Be LovedMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex68

Women26

Men56

Unisex39

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,752

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews53

Overall rank#24,093

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 →

Rimal by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a heavy burst of saffron, cinnamon, and sharp nutmeg before settling into smoky incense and dark agarwood. As it warms on skin, caramel and labdanum add a resinous sweetness against rugged leather. It fits cold winter nights, formal evening events, and crisp tailored coats where…

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 Rimal?

Rimal takes 4 of 7 categories. As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved is rated 4.01/5 from 187 votes; Rimal is rated 4.35/5 from 223 votes. Choose As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved for a amber and sweet character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Rimal for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved or Rimal?

Rimal lasts longest (Rimal 82/100, 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 Rimal?

Rimal projects furthest (Rimal 75/100, 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 Rimal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and sweet accords. Common notes include Incense, Caramel and Patchouli.

Is As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved or Rimal better for summer or winter?

For summer, As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved is the stronger pick. For winter, Rimal is the stronger pick. As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved and Rimal?

As Dark Things Are Meant To Be Loved features Moroccan Incense, Incense, Coffee, Coconut and Tobacco Leaf. Rimal has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Fruits, heart notes of Patchouli, Sweet Notes, Incense and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Sandalwood, Caramel, Agarwood (Oud) and Leather.