Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs MGO No. 3

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 65 ratings analysed

4 wins

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #11,593 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

MGO No. 3

MGO Duftanker

4.147 votes

Rank #50,620 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Desire takes 4 of 4 categories.

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
MGO No. 3
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Dark Desire4/4

MGO No. 30/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dark Desire
Sillage & projection: Dark Desire
Value for money: Dark Desire
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

MGO No. 3MGO Duftanker

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

4.14/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 0%Had 6%Want 94%

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

43%Love

29%Like

29%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityDark Desire

SillageDark Desire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value0

Category winnerDark DesireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

amber91%

leather83%

animalic74%

smoky65%

musky56%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both amber and woody

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

CastoreumCivetOlibanumIndian OudNeroliFrangipaniPine TreeBlue Lotus

Heart

AmbergrisAgarwood (Oud)MyrrhHimalayan CedarEgyptian RoseTurkish RoseBlackberryCinnamon

Base

Woody NotesBirch TarBenzoinSandalwoodVanillaMay RoseAmber

InformationalShared notesBulgarian Rose, Myrrh, Cinnamon and Agarwood (Oud). 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

Spring17

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day25

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#50,620

PerfumerHans Georg Staudt

Launched—

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 →

MGO No. 3 is a dark, resinous oud with a clearly animalic edge. Castoreum, civet, birch tar and incense give it a smoky leather feel, while rose, sandalwood and vanilla soften the structure without making it easy or sweet. This looks best suited to experienced wearers who enjoy dense, old-school niche styles. It reads…

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 MGO No. 3?

Dark Desire takes 4 of 4 categories. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; MGO No. 3 is rated 4.14/5 from 7 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose MGO No. 3 for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Desire or MGO No. 3?

Dark Desire lasts longest (Dark Desire 79/100, MGO No. 3 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or MGO No. 3?

Dark Desire projects furthest (Dark Desire 66/100, MGO No. 3 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Desire and MGO No. 3 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and woody accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Myrrh, Cinnamon and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Dark Desire or MGO No. 3 better for summer or winter?

Dark Desire suits evening wear; MGO No. 3 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Desire and MGO No. 3?

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. MGO No. 3 has top notes of Castoreum, Civet, Olibanum and Indian Oud, heart notes of Ambergris, Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh and Himalayan Cedar, a base of Woody Notes, Birch Tar, Benzoin and Sandalwood.