Fragrance comparison

Dark vs Meydan

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 559 ratings analysed

Dark

Desigual

3.5688 votes

Rank #18,815 Warm SpicyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Meydan

The Spirit of Dubai

4.48471 votes

Rank #23,372 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Meydan takes 5 of 7 categories.

Dark
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Meydan
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Dark2/7

Meydan5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DarkDesigual

MeydanThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 57%Had 23%Want 20%

4.48/ 5 · 471 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerMeydanRating 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

69%Love

19%Like

5%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

471 votes

Category winnerMeydanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityMeydan

SillageMeydan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value38

Category winnerDarkBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

woody100%

leather92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and fresh 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

SaffronLavenderCypressStyraxCardamomNutmegBergamotArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)TobaccoGeraniumCedarCashmeranLily-of-the-ValleyLabdanumJasmine

Base

LeatherPatchouliVetiverMuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Nutmeg, Vetiver and Patchouli. 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

Spring65

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMeydanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

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

Men82

Unisex17

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,815

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#23,372

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 →

Meydan opens with a sharp burst of green cypress, bitter artemisia, and medicinal saffron that immediately signals an uncompromising Arabian leather scent. As the top notes quiet down, dark tobacco and smoky agarwood emerge alongside a spicy geranium heart. The base settles into a heavy, dark leather wrapped in patcho…

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 Meydan?

Meydan takes 5 of 7 categories. Dark is rated 3.56/5 from 88 votes; Meydan is rated 4.48/5 from 471 votes. Choose Dark for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Meydan for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Dark or Meydan?

Meydan lasts longest (Meydan 88/100, Dark 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark or Meydan?

Meydan projects furthest (Meydan 80/100, Dark 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark and Meydan smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Saffron, Nutmeg, Vetiver and Patchouli.

Is Dark or Meydan better for summer or winter?

For summer, Meydan 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 Meydan?

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. Meydan has top notes of Saffron, Lavender, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Tobacco, Geranium and Cedar, a base of Leather, Patchouli, Vetiver and Musk.