Fragrance comparison

Bad vs Before Midnight

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 875 ratings analysed

Bad

Diesel

3.59777 votes

Rank #6,990 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Before Midnight

John Galliano

3.6498 votes

Rank #16,361 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.

Bad
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Before Midnight
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Bad4/8

Before Midnight4/8

Ratings & consensus: Bad
Community sentiment: Before Midnight
Longevity: Bad
Sillage & projection: Before Midnight
Value for money: Before Midnight
Versatility: Bad
Note pyramid (duration): Before Midnight
Fragranxe ranking: Bad

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BadDiesel

Before MidnightJohn Galliano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.59/ 5 · 777 votes

Have 55%Had 24%Want 22%

3.64/ 5 · 98 votes

Have 38%Had 23%Want 39%

Category winnerBadRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

41%Like

10%Ok

22%Dislike

4%Hate

777 votes

19%Love

52%Like

2%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

98 votes

Category winnerBefore MidnightMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityBad

SillageBefore Midnight

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value69

Category winnerBefore MidnightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

lavender84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

amber61%

fruity100%

sweet92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

LavenderBergamotCardamomViolet Leaf

Heart1 to 2 hours

CaviarOrris RootSage

Base4 to 6 hours

Woody NotesTobaccoAmbroxanTonka BeanPatchouli

Top15-30 mins

Green AppleWhite PepperCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

PlumViolet LeafLavender

Base5-7+ hrs

Tonka BeanTobaccoAmberWoody Notes

Category winnerBefore MidnightLongest dry-down: 5-7+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer43

Fall100

Winter90

Day96

Night100

Spring70

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day55

Night100

Category winnerBadMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men95

Unisex3

Women1

Men73

Unisex27

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,990

PerfumerAnne Flipo, Carlos Benaïm

Launched—

Reviews134

Overall rank#16,361

PerfumerSophie Labbé

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerBadHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bad by Diesel brings a punchy mix of citrus, fresh lavender, and cool spices that settles into an unusual drydown. The opening greets you with crisp bergamot, sharp cardamom, and violet leaf before revealing an unconventional middle layer featuring savory caviar and earthy sage. As the scent warms on skin, dry tobacco…

Reviews →

Before Midnight by John Galliano hits the air with an immediate burst of crisp green apple, sharp white pepper, and cracked cardamom pods. It feels lively right away. Within fifteen minutes, the brisk spice gives way to dark, stewed plum wrapped in clean lavender and fresh violet leaf. That juicy, dark fruitiness defi…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Dans Ma Bulle Eau de ToiletteCarvenWINNER vs

NefertariAtelier Segall & BaruttiRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Cassilia BlackPacomaRUNNER-UP vs

Celestial FlowerThe Dua BrandWINNER

1 person compared this today

Icy Hard CandyHouse Of SillageRUNNER-UP vs

Un Air d'Amour Pour MadameDorinWINNER

1 person compared this today

PiscesBellaVitaWINNER vs

Montabaco VeranoOrmonde JayneRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Bad or Before Midnight?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Bad is rated 3.59/5 from 777 votes; Before Midnight is rated 3.64/5 from 98 votes. Choose Bad for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Before Midnight for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Bad or Before Midnight?

Bad lasts longest (Bad 66/100, Before Midnight 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bad or Before Midnight?

Before Midnight projects furthest (Before Midnight 67/100, Bad 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bad and Before Midnight smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Lavender, Cardamom, Violet Leaf and Woody Notes.

Is Bad or Before Midnight better for summer or winter?

For summer, Bad is the stronger pick. For winter, Before Midnight is the stronger pick. Bad suits day or night wear; Before Midnight suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bad and Before Midnight?

Bad has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot, Cardamom and Violet Leaf, heart notes of Caviar, Orris Root and Sage, a base of Woody Notes, Tobacco, Ambroxan and Tonka Bean. Before Midnight has top notes of Green Apple, White Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Plum, Violet Leaf and Lavender, a base of Tonka Bean, Tobacco, Amber and Woody Notes.