Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs Violette Kew

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 222 ratings analysed

5 wins

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #14,300 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Violette Kew

Le Jardin Retrouve

3.61164 votes

Rank #10,748 VioletPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Desire takes 5 of 8 categories.

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Violette Kew
Choose it for a violet and powdery character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Dark Desire5/8

Violette Kew3/8

Ratings & consensus: Dark Desire
Community sentiment: Dark Desire
Longevity: Dark Desire
Sillage & projection: Dark Desire
Value for money: Violette Kew
Versatility: Violette Kew
Note pyramid (duration): Dark Desire
Fragranxe ranking: Violette Kew

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark DesireParfums d'Elmar

Violette KewLe Jardin Retrouve

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

3.61/ 5 · 164 votes

Have 25%Had 4%Want 70%

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

33%Love

29%Like

15%Ok

13%Dislike

10%Hate

164 votes

Category winnerDark DesireMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityDark Desire

SillageDark Desire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value53

Category winnerViolette KewBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

violet100%

powdery91%

fresh spicy83%

woody74%

warm spicy65%

floral56%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both powdery, fresh 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

Top30 to 45 minutes

VioletCardamom

Heart2 to 3 hours

—

Base3 to 5 hours

CuminSandalwood

Category winnerDark DesireLongest dry-down: 8-12+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring68

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring100

Summer58

Fall91

Winter60

Day100

Night56

Category winnerViolette KewMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women6

Men0

Unisex55

Women45

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,300

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#10,748

PerfumerMaxence Moutte

Launched—

Reviews36

Category winnerViolette KewHigher 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 →

Violette Kew by Le Jardin Retrouve is a floral woody musk fragrance that flips traditional powdery floral expectations on their head. Launched in 2024 and created by perfumer Maxence Moutte, the scent centers on sweet violet accented by cool, fresh spicy cardamom in the opening. As the initial sweetness settles, the v…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Dark Desire or Violette Kew?

Dark Desire takes 5 of 8 categories. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; Violette Kew is rated 3.61/5 from 164 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Violette Kew for a violet and powdery character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Desire or Violette Kew?

Dark Desire lasts longest (Dark Desire 79/100, Violette Kew 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or Violette Kew?

Dark Desire projects furthest (Dark Desire 66/100, Violette Kew 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Desire and Violette Kew smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Cumin and Violet.

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

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

What are the notes in Dark Desire and Violette Kew?

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. Violette Kew has top notes of Violet and Cardamom, a base of Cumin and Sandalwood.