Fragrance comparison

Dark vs Magic

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 88 ratings analysed

Dark

Desigual

3.5688 votes

Rank #18,815 Warm SpicyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Magic

Exotic Scents

—0 votes

Rank #64,966 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 2 categories split 1–1.

Dark
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Magic
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Wins on note pyramid duration.

Dark1/2

Magic1/2

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): Magic
Fragranxe ranking: Dark

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DarkDesigual

MagicExotic Scents

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 57%Had 23%Want 20%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

woody100%

musky92%

powdery84%

citrus77%

warm spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy 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

Top15-30 mins

Pink PepperTangerineBergamotNutmegHoneyOud

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomCashmere WoodPatchouliCinnamonSaffronJasmineVetiverRose

Base8-10 hrs

Powdery NotesSandalwoodRaspberryAmbroxanAmbretteAgarwoodOakmossLeather

Category winnerMagicLongest dry-down: 8-10 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring26

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day43

Night100

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day44

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

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

Not enough votes yet

Date 37%Party 31%Casual 18%Work 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,815

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#64,966

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Magic by Exotic Scents opens with a bright flash of zesty bergamot, tangy tangerine, and pink pepper before revealing its rich, resinous core. Thick golden honey and woody oud blend seamlessly with nutmeg and warm cinnamon, creating an inviting, spicy and sweet atmosphere that feels deeply comforting on the skin. As 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.

Do Dark and Magic smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Saffron, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Vetiver.

Is Dark or Magic better for summer or winter?

Dark suits evening wear; Magic suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark and Magic?

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. Magic has top notes of Pink Pepper, Tangerine, Bergamot and Nutmeg, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Cashmere Wood, Patchouli and Cinnamon, a base of Powdery Notes, Sandalwood, Raspberry and Ambroxan.