Fragrance comparison

Dark vs Malabar Pepper

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 20 ratings analysed

Dark

Sapphire Studios

3.006 votes

Rank #63,912 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Malabar Pepper

Locherber Milano

3.7114 votes

Rank #50,093 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malabar Pepper takes 4 of 4 categories.

Dark
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Malabar Pepper
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Dark0/4

Malabar Pepper4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DarkSapphire Studios

Malabar PepperLocherber Milano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 18%Had 4%Want 78%

3.71/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 53%Had 0%Want 47%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

33%Like

17%Ok

0%Dislike

33%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

7%Love

71%Like

7%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityMalabar Pepper

SillageMalabar Pepper

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value50

Category winnerMalabar PepperBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

floral84%

sweet77%

yellow floral69%

citrus61%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic86%

warm spicy72%

woody58%

citrus44%

herbal30%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, woody and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotOrange

Heart

OrchidYlang-YlangBlack PepperNutmeg

Base

PatchouliVetiverMusk

Top

GingerCinnamonOrangeBergamot

Heart

Black PepperGeraniumNutmegElemi resinMyrtle

Base

CypressVetiverCedarPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Orange, Black Pepper and Nutmeg. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer20

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night100

Spring50

Summer13

Fall100

Winter75

Day100

Night80

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex33

Women17

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#63,912

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#50,093

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMalabar PepperHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark opens with a bright orange and bergamot lift, then quickly settles into a woodier, spiced floral heart with black pepper, orchid and nutmeg. The drydown leans musky, earthy and slightly sweet, with patchouli and vetiver giving it a forest-like feel. It reads unisex overall, though the woody spice can come across …

Reviews →

Locherber Milano Malabar Pepper opens with a prickly surge of black pepper, sharp ginger, and cold bergamot. The citrus dies down quickly, leaving a dry, aromatic heart of nutmeg, elemi resin, and green geranium on skin. As it warms through the afternoon, cypress wood and earthy vetiver anchor the spice, keeping the b…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Dark or Malabar Pepper?

Malabar Pepper takes 4 of 4 categories. Dark is rated 3.00/5 from 6 votes; Malabar Pepper is rated 3.71/5 from 14 votes. Choose Dark for a woody and fresh spicy character. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Malabar Pepper for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark or Malabar Pepper?

Malabar Pepper lasts longest (Malabar Pepper 67/100, Dark 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark or Malabar Pepper?

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

Do Dark and Malabar Pepper smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Orange, Black Pepper and Nutmeg.

Is Dark or Malabar Pepper better for summer or winter?

Dark suits day or night wear; Malabar Pepper suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark and Malabar Pepper?

Dark has top notes of Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Orchid, Ylang-Ylang, Black Pepper and Nutmeg, a base of Patchouli, Vetiver and Musk. Malabar Pepper has top notes of Ginger, Cinnamon, Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Black Pepper, Geranium, Nutmeg and Elemi resin, a base of Cypress, Vetiver, Cedar and Patchouli.