Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs Al Bashiq

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 235 ratings analysed

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #11,593 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Al Bashiq

Nabeel

4.14177 votes

Rank #3,848 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Al Bashiq takes 6 of 7 categories.

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Al Bashiq
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Dark Desire1/7

Al Bashiq6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark DesireParfums d'Elmar

Al BashiqNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

4.14/ 5 · 177 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

Category winnerAl BashiqRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

10%Like

5%Ok

10%Dislike

7%Hate

58 votes

56%Love

23%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

177 votes

Category winnerAl BashiqMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAl Bashiq

SillageAl Bashiq

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value78

Category winnerAl BashiqBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both amber, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CarrotWormwoodOrange BlossomCardamomYellow Mandarin

Heart2-4 hrs

CuminVioletBulgarian RoseMyrrhCinnamon

Base8-12+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)AmberOlibanumTonka BeanCivetPatchouliCastoreumVirginia Cedar

Top

LeatherIncenseCypressStyraxSaffronCardamomLavenderArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)MyrrhBalsamic NotesEarthy NotesGuaiac WoodOlibanumLabdanumCedar

Base

VetiverAmberTobaccoTolu BalsamBenzoinPatchouliSweet NotesAmbergris

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Myrrh, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber. Durations are only published for Dark Desire, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring68

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring32

Summer14

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerDark DesireMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women6

Date 39%Party 29%Casual 17%Work 15%

Men82

Unisex13

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,593

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#3,848

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerAl BashiqHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Desire by Parfums d'Elmar hits the skin with immediate presence. A vivid burst of yellow mandarin, bitter wormwood, and earthy carrot root quickly cuts through the air. Within minutes, cardamom and warm cinnamon generate a dense, radiant heat. The heart reveals powdery violet petals paired with dark Bulgarian ros…

Reviews →

Al Bashiq by Nabeel delivers a heavy dose of leather, dark resins, and bitter almond. It is a bold, cold weather scent that cuts through freezing air, pairing best with heavy wool coats or leather jackets during winter nights.

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 Desire or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq takes 6 of 7 categories. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; Al Bashiq is rated 4.14/5 from 177 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery character. Wins on versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Al Bashiq for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Dark Desire or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq lasts longest (Al Bashiq 82/100, Dark Desire 79/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq projects furthest (Al Bashiq 75/100, Dark Desire 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Desire and Al Bashiq smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Myrrh, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber.

Is Dark Desire or Al Bashiq better for summer or winter?

For summer, Dark Desire is the stronger pick. For winter, Dark Desire is the stronger pick. Dark Desire suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Desire and Al Bashiq?

Dark Desire has top notes of Carrot, Wormwood, Orange Blossom and Cardamom, heart notes of Cumin, Violet, Bulgarian Rose and Myrrh, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Amber, Olibanum and Tonka Bean. Al Bashiq has top notes of Leather, Incense, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh, Balsamic Notes and Earthy Notes, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Tobacco and Tolu Balsam.