Fragrance comparison

Dark Crude vs 972

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 25 ratings analysed

Dark Crude

Zara

3.5020 votes

Rank #21,635 MarineWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

972

Borbonese

2.405 votes

Rank #65,455 MarineWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Dark Crude
Choose it for a marine and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
972
Choose it for a marine and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Dark Crude2/4

9722/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: 972
Sillage & projection: Dark Crude
Value for money: 972
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Dark Crude

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark CrudeZara

972Borbonese

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 36%Had 34%Want 30%

2.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

30%Like

0%Ok

40%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

0%Love

20%Like

0%Ok

80%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate35

Category winners

Longevity972

SillageDark Crude

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price value100

Category winner972Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

marine100%

woody91%

aromatic83%

citrus74%

powdery65%

salty56%

marine100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

warm spicy77%

soft spicy69%

white floral61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both marine, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Grapefruit

Heart

Sea Notes

Base

Sandalwood

Top

Pink PepperSea NotesGrapefruit

Heart

CarnationJasminePeony

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliWoody Notes

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Sea Notes and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer86

Fall86

Winter0

Day100

Night80

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,635

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#65,455

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDark CrudeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Crude by Zara opens with a sharp, synthetic citrus burst before settling into a marine-woody heart. This 2018 release targets men seeking an affordable aquatic fragrance for daily wear. While it highlights grapefruit and sea notes, it is a utilitarian scent that fits best in casual settings during warmer months w…

Reviews →

972 by Borbonese opens with a salty marine and grapefruit lift, then moves into a softer floral heart of peony, jasmine, and carnation. The dry-down leans woody and lightly patchouli-tinged, with sandalwood smoothing the sharper edges. It reads as a modern woody chypre with a clean, coastal feel rather than a mossy vi…

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 Crude or 972?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Dark Crude is rated 3.50/5 from 20 votes; 972 is rated 2.40/5 from 5 votes. Choose Dark Crude for a marine and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose 972 for a marine and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Crude or 972?

972 lasts longest (972 60/100, Dark Crude 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Crude or 972?

Dark Crude projects furthest (Dark Crude 62/100, 972 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Crude and 972 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share marine, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Sea Notes and Sandalwood.

Is Dark Crude or 972 better for summer or winter?

Dark Crude suits daytime wear; 972 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Crude and 972?

Dark Crude has top notes of Grapefruit, heart notes of Sea Notes, a base of Sandalwood. 972 has top notes of Pink Pepper, Sea Notes and Grapefruit, heart notes of Carnation, Jasmine and Peony, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Woody Notes.