Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs Secret Dreams

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 86 ratings analysed

4 wins

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #11,593 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Secret Dreams

Anna Zworykina Perfumes

4.1428 votes

Rank #44,787 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Desire takes 4 of 7 categories.

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Secret Dreams
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Dark Desire4/7

Secret Dreams3/7

Ratings & consensus: Dark Desire
Community sentiment: Secret Dreams
Longevity: Dark Desire
Sillage & projection: Dark Desire
Value for money: Secret Dreams
Versatility: Secret Dreams
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

Secret DreamsAnna Zworykina Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

4.14/ 5 · 28 votes

Have 18%Had 13%Want 69%

Category winnerDark DesireRating 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

46%Love

32%Like

11%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

28 votes

Category winnerSecret DreamsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityDark Desire

SillageDark Desire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value38

Category winnerSecret DreamsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

tobacco77%

sweet69%

aromatic61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, warm spicy 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

Notes

TobaccoMyrrhCastoreumCuminImmortelleJuniperBlack PepperTuberoseGingerSaffronClovesCinnamon

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCumin, Myrrh, Cinnamon and Castoreum. 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

Spring43

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night43

Category winnerSecret DreamsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women6

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

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,593

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#44,787

PerfumerAnna Zworykina

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 →

Secret Dreams by Anna Zworykina Perfumes is a dense, warm spicy natural fragrance designed for seekers of complex, botanical landscapes. The opening hits with a sharp burst of black pepper and wormwood, backed by the dry, medicinal warmth of cumin and saffron. As the blend settles, a heavy heart of tobacco, myrrh, and…

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 Secret Dreams?

Dark Desire takes 4 of 7 categories. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; Secret Dreams is rated 4.14/5 from 28 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Secret Dreams for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Desire or Secret Dreams?

They last about the same: Dark Desire 79/100, Secret Dreams 78/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or Secret Dreams?

Dark Desire projects furthest (Dark Desire 66/100, Secret Dreams 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Desire and Secret Dreams smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Cumin, Myrrh, Cinnamon and Castoreum.

Is Dark Desire or Secret Dreams better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Dark Desire and Secret Dreams?

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. Secret Dreams features Tobacco, Myrrh, Castoreum, Cumin and Immortelle.