Fragrance comparison

By the Fireplace vs Dark Stellar

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 27,372 ratings analysed

1 wins

By the Fireplace

Maison Martin Margiela · 2015

4.0927,372 votes

Rank #612 WoodyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

73%scent match

Closely related

Dark Stellar

House of Fragrances

—0 votes

Rank #72,902 WoodyBalsamic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

By the Fireplace takes 1 of 1 categories.

By the Fireplace
Choose it for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Dark Stellar
Choose it for a woody and balsamic character.

By the Fireplace1/1

Dark Stellar0/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: By the Fireplace

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

By the FireplaceMaison Martin Margiela

Dark StellarHouse of Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 27,372 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

53%Love

28%Like

9%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

23,268 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

vanilla92%

balsamic84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

powdery61%

woody100%

balsamic92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

white floral69%

vanilla61%

Scent match73%Closely related · both woody, balsamic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ClovesPink PepperOrange Blossom

Heart

ChestnutGuaiac WoodJuniper

Base

VanillaPeru BalsamCashmeran

Top15-30 mins

Orange BlossomPink PepperClove

Heart3-4 hrs

Guaiac WoodChestnutJuniper

Base8-10+ hrs

Peru BalsamVanilla

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Orange Blossom, Chestnut and Guaiac Wood. Durations are only published for Dark Stellar, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring10

Summer6

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day29

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex60

Women11

Not enough votes yet

Date 41%Party 26%Casual 22%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#612

PerfumerMarie Salamagne

Launched2015

Reviews1,679

Overall rank#72,902

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBy the FireplaceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

By the Fireplace by Maison Martin Margiela centers on a bold, photorealistic woody-spicy profile that mimics the smell of burning logs and roasted chestnuts. This cozy, resinous fragrance is designed for cold winter weather, providing an intimate, warm experience on the skin. Its composition balances smoky intensity w…

Reviews →

Dark Stellar opens with an assertive flash of spicy pink pepper and clove, cut by a crisp flicker of orange blossom. The opening feels lively and sharp. Once the initial alcohol lifts, the scent settles into a smoky core of roasted chestnut, guaiac wood, and aromatic juniper needles. The base anchors deep into sweet v…

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.

Do By the Fireplace and Dark Stellar smell similar?

Closely related: a 73% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, balsamic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom, Chestnut and Guaiac Wood.

Is By the Fireplace or Dark Stellar better for summer or winter?

Dark Stellar suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in By the Fireplace and Dark Stellar?

By the Fireplace has top notes of Cloves, Pink Pepper and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Chestnut, Guaiac Wood and Juniper, a base of Vanilla, Peru Balsam and Cashmeran. Dark Stellar has top notes of Orange Blossom, Pink Pepper and Clove, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Chestnut and Juniper, a base of Peru Balsam and Vanilla.