Fragrance comparison

Dark vs English Cologne

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 96 ratings analysed

3 wins

Dark

Desigual

3.5688 votes

Rank #18,815 Warm SpicyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

English Cologne

Rasei Fort

4.508 votes

Rank #30,368 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark takes 3 of 4 categories.

Dark
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
English Cologne
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Dark3/4

English Cologne1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DarkDesigual

English CologneRasei Fort

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 57%Had 23%Want 20%

4.50/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 24%Had 3%Want 73%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

63%Love

25%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityEnglish Cologne

SillageDark

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value21

Category winnerDarkBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

animalic69%

earthy61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and warm spicy

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

Orange BlossomEucalyptusCinnamonNutmegCassisClove

Heart

Black TeaBirch TarLavenderJasmineTobaccoRose

Base

Balsamic NotesCedarwoodOakmossVetiverAmberCivet

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Nutmeg, Vetiver and Orange Blossom. 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

Spring75

Summer100

Fall75

Winter75

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

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

Men43

Unisex29

Women29

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,815

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#30,368

PerfumerRasei Fort

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerDarkHigher 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 →

English Cologne by Rasei Fort is a bold oriental floral that opens with eucalyptus and warm spices. It settles into a complex middle of black tea, tobacco, and birch tar. This unisex composition offers a distinctive, resinous profile ideal for cooler weather, appealing to those who appreciate artisanal, long-lasting f…

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 English Cologne?

Dark takes 3 of 4 categories. Dark is rated 3.56/5 from 88 votes; English Cologne is rated 4.50/5 from 8 votes. Choose Dark for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose English Cologne for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark or English Cologne?

English Cologne lasts longest (English Cologne 68/100, Dark 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark or English Cologne?

Dark projects furthest (Dark 61/100, English Cologne 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark and English Cologne smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vetiver and Orange Blossom.

Is Dark or English Cologne better for summer or winter?

Dark suits evening wear; English Cologne suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark and English Cologne?

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. English Cologne has top notes of Orange Blossom, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, heart notes of Black Tea, Birch Tar, Lavender and Jasmine, a base of Balsamic Notes, Cedarwood, Oakmoss and Vetiver.