Fragrance comparison

Dark Crude vs Cristal for Men

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 21 ratings analysed

2 wins

Dark Crude

Zara

3.5020 votes

Rank #21,635 MarineWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Cristal for Men

Nino Touma

4.001 votes

Rank #54,267 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Crude takes 2 of 3 categories.

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

Dark Crude2/3

Cristal for Men1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Cristal for Men
Sillage & projection: Dark Crude
Value for money: Not scored
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

Cristal for MenNino Touma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 36%Had 34%Want 30%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 8%Had 0%Want 92%

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

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

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityCristal for Men

SillageDark Crude

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

marine100%

woody91%

aromatic83%

citrus74%

powdery65%

salty56%

woody100%

aromatic92%

powdery84%

earthy77%

lavender69%

patchouli61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Grapefruit

Heart

Sea Notes

Base

Sandalwood

Top

Mandarin OrangeSea NotesGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

WalnutLavenderCedarCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Base

SandalwoodMuskPatchouli

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

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,635

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#54,267

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Nino Touma Cristal for Men, composed by perfumer Chris Maurice in 2015, pairs vibrant citrus with an unusual nutty woodiness. The opening blasts brisk mandarin orange, bergamot, and salty sea notes that immediately feel bright and invigorating for daytime wear. As the initial splash calms, a distinctive heart of dry w…

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 Cristal for Men?

Dark Crude takes 2 of 3 categories. Dark Crude is rated 3.50/5 from 20 votes; Cristal for Men is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Dark Crude for a marine and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cristal for Men for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Crude or Cristal for Men?

Cristal for Men lasts longest (Cristal for Men 100/100, Dark Crude 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Crude or Cristal for Men?

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

Do Dark Crude and Cristal for Men smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and powdery accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Sea Notes and Sandalwood.

Is Dark Crude or Cristal for Men better for summer or winter?

Dark Crude suits daytime wear; Cristal for Men suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Crude and Cristal for Men?

Dark Crude has top notes of Grapefruit, heart notes of Sea Notes, a base of Sandalwood. Cristal for Men has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Sea Notes, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Walnut, Lavender, Cedar and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, a base of Sandalwood, Musk and Patchouli.