Fragrance comparison

Checkmate vs Dark Roses

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 355 ratings analysed

5 wins

Checkmate

Mind Games

3.96277 votes

Rank #27,761 RoseFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Dark Roses

Demeter Fragrance

3.7978 votes

Rank #17,186 FruityRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Checkmate takes 5 of 7 categories.

Checkmate
Choose it for a rose and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Dark Roses
Choose it for a fruity and rose character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Checkmate5/7

Dark Roses2/7

Ratings & consensus: Checkmate
Community sentiment: Checkmate
Longevity: Checkmate
Sillage & projection: Checkmate
Value for money: Dark Roses
Versatility: Checkmate
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Dark Roses

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CheckmateMind Games

Dark RosesDemeter Fragrance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 277 votes

Have 33%Had 7%Want 60%

3.79/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 41%Had 10%Want 49%

Category winnerCheckmateRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

31%Like

19%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

277 votes

24%Love

45%Like

18%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

78 votes

Category winnerCheckmateMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityCheckmate

SillageCheckmate

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value71

Category winnerDark RosesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

rose100%

fruity92%

Champagne84%

patchouli77%

floral69%

tobacco61%

fruity100%

rose92%

soft spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

green61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both rose and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ChampagneRed CurrantDavana

Heart

May RoseBulgarian RoseRoseMagnolia

Base

PatchouliTobaccoMoss

Notes

Tea RoseBulgarian RoseRed CurrantDavanaAmberPatchouliHaitian Vetiver

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesRed Currant, Davana, Rose and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Dark Roses, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer69

Fall0

Winter79

Day–

Night–

Spring54

Summer35

Fall100

Winter58

Day100

Night85

Category winnerCheckmateMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men13

Unisex47

Women40

Men0

Unisex24

Women76

Casual 39%Date 27%Work 22%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,761

PerfumerDavid Apel

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,186

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerDark RosesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Checkmate by Mind Games opens with a sharp fizz of champagne paired with tart red currant and green davana. The heart quickly thickens into a dense floral bouquet dominated by Bulgarian rose, May rose, and magnolia. As the sparkling top settles, the fragrance shifts into a dark, grounding base of patchouli, oakmoss, a…

Reviews →

Dark Roses by Demeter Fragrance strips away the polite powder of grandmotherly florals. It bites first. Tart red currant and herbal davana explode immediately in a brisk wash of perfumer alcohol. Give it two minutes. As the sharp carrier spirit evaporates, Bulgarian rose and crisp tea rose take over with dewy, green t…

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, Checkmate or Dark Roses?

Checkmate takes 5 of 7 categories. Checkmate is rated 3.96/5 from 277 votes; Dark Roses is rated 3.79/5 from 78 votes. Choose Checkmate for a rose and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Dark Roses for a fruity and rose character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Checkmate or Dark Roses?

Checkmate lasts longest (Checkmate 74/100, Dark Roses 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Checkmate or Dark Roses?

Checkmate projects furthest (Checkmate 60/100, Dark Roses 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Checkmate and Dark Roses smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share rose and fruity accords. Common notes include Red Currant, Davana, Rose and Patchouli.

Is Checkmate or Dark Roses better for summer or winter?

For summer, Checkmate is the stronger pick. For winter, Checkmate is the stronger pick. Dark Roses suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Checkmate and Dark Roses?

Checkmate has top notes of Champagne, Red Currant and Davana, heart notes of May Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Rose and Magnolia, a base of Patchouli, Tobacco and Moss. Dark Roses features Tea Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Red Currant, Davana and Amber.