Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs Kew Garden

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 61 ratings analysed

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #11,593 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

Kew Garden

Salas · 2023

4.673 votes

Rank #45,092 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Kew Garden
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Dark Desire2/4

Kew Garden2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark DesireParfums d'Elmar

Kew GardenSalas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityDark Desire

SillageKew Garden

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value40

Category winnerKew GardenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

amber61%

Scent match65%Closely related · both fresh spicy, woody and amber

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

GrapefruitBergamotGreen NotesWormwood

Heart

LavenderCardamomCuminNutmegSaffronVioletCinnamonRose

Base

LeatherAgarwood (Oud)AmberResinsCedarPatchouliTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesWormwood, Cardamom, Cumin and Violet. 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

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women6

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

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,593

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#45,092

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched2023

Reviews0

Category winnerDark DesireHigher 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 →

Kew Garden by Salas is a heavy, resinous woody perfume built around dark woods and kitchen spices. It opens with bitter green wormwood and tangy grapefruit before settling into a warm core of nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon. The deep drydown brings out dry cedarwood, smoky agarwood oud, and worn leather sweetened by am…

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 Kew Garden?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; Kew Garden is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Kew Garden for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Desire or Kew Garden?

Dark Desire lasts longest (Dark Desire 79/100, Kew Garden 76/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or Kew Garden?

Kew Garden projects furthest (Kew Garden 70/100, Dark Desire 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Desire and Kew Garden smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Wormwood, Cardamom, Cumin and Violet.

Is Dark Desire or Kew Garden better for summer or winter?

Dark Desire suits evening wear; Kew Garden suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Desire and Kew Garden?

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. Kew Garden has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Green Notes and Wormwood, heart notes of Lavender, Cardamom, Cumin and Nutmeg, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud), Amber and Resins.