Fragrance comparison

Dark vs Al Bashiq

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 265 ratings analysed

Dark

Desigual

3.5688 votes

Rank #18,815 Warm SpicyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

7 wins

Al Bashiq

Nabeel

4.14177 votes

Rank #3,831 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Al Bashiq takes 7 of 7 categories.

Dark
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Best in winter, evening wear.
Al Bashiq
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Dark0/7

Al Bashiq7/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DarkDesigual

Al BashiqNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 57%Had 23%Want 20%

4.14/ 5 · 177 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

Category winnerAl BashiqRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

49%Like

2%Ok

27%Dislike

2%Hate

88 votes

56%Love

23%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

177 votes

Category winnerAl BashiqMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAl Bashiq

SillageAl Bashiq

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value78

Category winnerAl BashiqBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronCinnamonGingerBlack PepperNutmeg

Heart2-3 hrs

VetiverOrange BlossomPatchouliDriftwood

Base5-7 hrs

Black Vanilla HuskTonka BeanOakmossAmberTobaccoMusk

Top

LeatherIncenseCypressStyraxSaffronCardamomLavenderArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)MyrrhBalsamic NotesEarthy NotesGuaiac WoodOlibanumLabdanumCedar

Base

VetiverAmberTobaccoTolu BalsamBenzoinPatchouliSweet NotesAmbergris

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber. Durations are only published for Dark, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day43

Night100

Spring32

Summer14

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAl BashiqMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Date 31%Casual 29%Party 24%Work 16%

Men82

Unisex13

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,815

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#3,831

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerAl BashiqHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desigual Dark is a warm, spicy oriental fragrance built around cozy sweetness and kitchen spices. It wastes no time. You get a direct punch of fiery cinnamon, zesty ginger, and pungent black pepper right after spraying. Within twenty minutes, the sharp kitchen spices calm down into an earthy heart of driftwood, orange…

Reviews →

Al Bashiq by Nabeel delivers a heavy dose of leather, dark resins, and bitter almond. It is a bold, cold weather scent that cuts through freezing air, pairing best with heavy wool coats or leather jackets during winter nights.

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, Dark or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq takes 7 of 7 categories. Dark is rated 3.56/5 from 88 votes; Al Bashiq is rated 4.14/5 from 177 votes. Choose Dark for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Al Bashiq for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Dark or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq lasts longest (Al Bashiq 82/100, Dark 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq projects furthest (Al Bashiq 75/100, Dark 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark and Al Bashiq smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Saffron, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber.

Is Dark or Al Bashiq better for summer or winter?

For summer, Al Bashiq is the stronger pick. For winter, Dark is the stronger pick. Dark suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark and Al Bashiq?

Dark has top notes of Saffron, Cinnamon, Ginger and Black Pepper, heart notes of Vetiver, Orange Blossom, Patchouli and Driftwood, a base of Black Vanilla Husk, Tonka Bean, Oakmoss and Amber. Al Bashiq has top notes of Leather, Incense, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh, Balsamic Notes and Earthy Notes, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Tobacco and Tolu Balsam.