Fragrance comparison

Dark Mirage vs 969

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 69 ratings analysed

Dark Mirage

Zara

3.5262 votes

Rank #16,254 CacaoWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

66%scent match

Closely related

969

Borbonese

3.577 votes

Rank #58,255 CacaoWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Dark Mirage
Choose it for a cacao and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
969
Choose it for a cacao and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Dark Mirage2/4

9692/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: 969
Sillage & projection: 969
Value for money: Dark Mirage
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Dark Mirage

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark MirageZara

969Borbonese

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.52/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 57%Had 5%Want 39%

3.57/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 13%Had 0%Want 87%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

19%Love

38%Like

34%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

47 votes

29%Love

29%Like

14%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

Longevity969

Sillage969

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value50

Category winnerDark MirageBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

cacao100%

warm spicy90%

vanilla80%

sweet70%

fresh spicy60%

amber50%

cacao100%

warm spicy92%

sweet84%

amber77%

leather69%

vanilla61%

Scent match66%Closely related · both cacao, warm spicy and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Cocoa

Heart

Ginger

Base

Tonka Bean

Top

Sweet OrangeBergamotTea Leaf

Heart

CocoaGingerIris

Base

Tonka BeanCashmere WoodLeather

InformationalShared notesCocoa, Ginger and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring96

Summer71

Fall100

Winter46

Day100

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men63

Unisex33

Women3

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#58,255

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDark MirageHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Zara Dark Mirage brings a clean yet warm perspective to casual autumn wear. It balances a crisp ginger opening with the creaminess of tonka bean and a soft touch of cocoa. This makes it an easy choice for cooler afternoons when you want something approachable but noticeable.

Reviews →

Borbonese 969 is a cocoa-amber leather scent with a soft citrus opening and a warm, spiced core. Tea leaf and iris keep the sweetness from feeling heavy, while tonka, cashmere wood, and leather give the dry-down a smooth, slightly plush finish. It reads more polished than loud. If you like gourmand touches but want so…

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 Mirage or 969?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Dark Mirage is rated 3.52/5 from 62 votes; 969 is rated 3.57/5 from 7 votes. Choose Dark Mirage for a cacao and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose 969 for a cacao and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Mirage or 969?

969 lasts longest (969 80/100, Dark Mirage 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Mirage or 969?

969 projects furthest (969 63/100, Dark Mirage 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Mirage and 969 smell similar?

Closely related: a 66% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share cacao, warm spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Cocoa, Ginger and Tonka Bean.

Is Dark Mirage or 969 better for summer or winter?

Dark Mirage suits day or night wear; 969 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Mirage and 969?

Dark Mirage has top notes of Cocoa, heart notes of Ginger, a base of Tonka Bean. 969 has top notes of Sweet Orange, Bergamot and Tea Leaf, heart notes of Cocoa, Ginger and Iris, a base of Tonka Bean, Cashmere Wood and Leather.