Fragrance comparison

Dark Fresh vs Playboy Malibu

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 378 ratings analysed

Dark Fresh

Desigual

3.63125 votes

Rank #16,828 CitrusMarine

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Playboy Malibu

Playboy

3.99253 votes

Rank #8,593 GreenWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Playboy Malibu takes 4 of 7 categories.

Dark Fresh
Choose it for a citrus and marine character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Playboy Malibu
Choose it for a green and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Dark Fresh3/7

Playboy Malibu4/7

Ratings & consensus: Playboy Malibu
Community sentiment: Playboy Malibu
Longevity: Dark Fresh
Sillage & projection: Dark Fresh
Value for money: Playboy Malibu
Versatility: Dark Fresh
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Playboy Malibu

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark FreshDesigual

Playboy MalibuPlayboy

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.63/ 5 · 125 votes

Have 58%Had 24%Want 19%

3.99/ 5 · 253 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

Category winnerPlayboy MalibuRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

49%Like

11%Ok

21%Dislike

1%Hate

125 votes

25%Love

60%Like

6%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

253 votes

Category winnerPlayboy MalibuMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityDark Fresh

SillageDark Fresh

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value81

Category winnerPlayboy MalibuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

marine92%

amber84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

floral61%

green100%

woody92%

citrus84%

aromatic77%

fresh69%

powdery61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Sea NotesNeroliCitrusesSpicesGreen Leaves

Heart2-3 hrs

FlowersOrange

Base4-6 hrs

AmberWoodsy NotesVanillaMuskMoss

Top

Granny Smith appleMintGreen LeavesCitrusesLemon VerbenaNeroli

Heart

IrisVirginia CedarJasmineCoriander

Base

SandalwoodMuskTonka BeanCashmere Wood

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Citruses, Green Leaves and Musk. Durations are only published for Dark Fresh, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer93

Fall0

Winter28

Day100

Night32

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter24

Day–

Night–

Category winnerDark FreshMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men77

Unisex19

Women4

Casual 41%Work 23%Party 18%Date 17%

Men93

Unisex6

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,828

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#8,593

PerfumerJohn Gamba

Launched—

Reviews33

Category winnerPlayboy MalibuHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desigual Dark Fresh is a brisk, sweet aromatic fragrance built for everyday warm-weather wear. It kicks off with a sharp rush of sea notes, tart citruses, and bright neroli. You get an immediate wave of salty marine air and crushed green leaves. The alcohol flash fades in two minutes. Soon after, sweet orange juice an…

Reviews →

Playboy Malibu lands with a splash of synthetic freshness that instantly mimics the breezy vibe of a late nineties coastal breeze. The opening hit relies on crisp Granny Smith apple and a sharp, cooling mint note, backed by clean citruses that wake up the senses without smelling like kitchen cleaner. As the scent sett…

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 Fresh or Playboy Malibu?

Playboy Malibu takes 4 of 7 categories. Dark Fresh is rated 3.63/5 from 125 votes; Playboy Malibu is rated 3.99/5 from 253 votes. Choose Dark Fresh for a citrus and marine character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Playboy Malibu for a green and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Dark Fresh or Playboy Malibu?

Dark Fresh lasts longest (Dark Fresh 60/100, Playboy Malibu 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Fresh or Playboy Malibu?

Dark Fresh projects furthest (Dark Fresh 61/100, Playboy Malibu 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Fresh and Playboy Malibu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Neroli, Citruses, Green Leaves and Musk.

Is Dark Fresh or Playboy Malibu better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Dark Fresh and Playboy Malibu?

Dark Fresh has top notes of Sea Notes, Neroli, Citruses and Spices, heart notes of Flowers and Orange, a base of Amber, Woodsy Notes, Vanilla and Musk. Playboy Malibu has top notes of Granny Smith apple, Mint, Green Leaves and Citruses, heart notes of Iris, Virginia Cedar, Jasmine and Coriander, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Tonka Bean and Cashmere Wood.