Fragrance comparison

Dark vs VIII Eight

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 89 ratings analysed

4 wins

Dark

Desigual

3.5688 votes

Rank #18,815 Warm SpicyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

VIII Eight

Azalea Parfums

4.001 votes

Rank #59,840 AmberFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark takes 4 of 4 categories.

Dark
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
VIII Eight
Choose it for a amber and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Dark4/4

VIII Eight0/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dark
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

VIII EightAzalea Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 57%Had 23%Want 20%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

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

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityDark

SillageDark

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value50

Category winnerDarkBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

amber100%

fresh spicy88%

herbal77%

woody65%

musky53%

powdery42%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both amber, fresh spicy and woody

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

ArtemisiaStyraxBergamotLavenderCinnamonNutmegAppleGrapefruit

Heart

LabdanumGeraniumAgarwoodTobaccoOudLily-of-the-ValleyCashmeranJasmine

Base

BenzoinAmberLeatherGuaiac WoodSandalwoodTonka BeanVanillaMusk

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Nutmeg, Tonka Bean 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

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

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,815

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#59,840

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 →

VIII Eight reads as a warm amber woody scent with a spicy, herbal opening and a darker, resinous core. Saffron, cardamom, lavender and citrus brighten the top before tobacco, oud, leather and vanilla settle in. It looks best suited to someone who enjoys textured, slightly old-school orientals with a dry woody base ra…

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 VIII Eight?

Dark takes 4 of 4 categories. Dark is rated 3.56/5 from 88 votes; VIII Eight is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Dark for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose VIII Eight for a amber and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark or VIII Eight?

Dark lasts longest (Dark 65/100, VIII Eight 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark or VIII Eight?

Dark projects furthest (Dark 61/100, VIII Eight 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark and VIII Eight smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Tonka Bean and Amber.

Is Dark or VIII Eight better for summer or winter?

Dark suits evening wear; VIII Eight suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark and VIII Eight?

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. VIII Eight has top notes of Artemisia, Styrax, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Labdanum, Geranium, Agarwood and Tobacco, a base of Benzoin, Amber, Leather and Guaiac Wood.