Fragrance comparison

Dark Mirage vs Bastion 23

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 63 ratings analysed

Dark Mirage

Zara

3.5262 votes

Rank #16,254 CacaoWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Bastion 23

MABRA PARFUMS

4.001 votes

Rank #58,780 SweetWoody

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.
Bastion 23
Choose it for a sweet and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Dark Mirage2/4

Bastion 232/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Bastion 23
Sillage & projection: Bastion 23
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

Bastion 23MABRA PARFUMS

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.52/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 57%Had 5%Want 39%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 50%Had 0%Want 50%

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

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBastion 23

SillageBastion 23

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value25

Category winnerDark MirageBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

cacao100%

warm spicy90%

vanilla80%

sweet70%

fresh spicy60%

amber50%

sweet100%

woody92%

white floral84%

citrus77%

vanilla69%

powdery61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both sweet and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Cocoa

Heart

Ginger

Base

Tonka Bean

Top

Orange BlossomSweet OrangePalo SantoCocoaMuskPlum

Heart

Tonka BeanVanillaJasmineCedarHoneyIris

Base

Oud

InformationalShared notesCocoa 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

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men63

Unisex33

Women3

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#58,780

PerfumerBrahim Mohamed

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 →

Perfumer Brahim Mohamed constructs Bastion 23 around a heavy contrast between bright florals and dark resins. The opening hits skin with sweet orange blossom, dark cocoa powder, and juicy plum, while palo santo adds an immediate smoky undercurrent. It feels thick and warm with a distinctly oriental style right out of …

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 Bastion 23?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Dark Mirage is rated 3.52/5 from 62 votes; Bastion 23 is rated 4.00/5 from 1 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 Bastion 23 for a sweet and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Dark Mirage or Bastion 23?

Bastion 23 lasts longest (Bastion 23 100/100, Dark Mirage 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Mirage or Bastion 23?

Bastion 23 projects furthest (Bastion 23 100/100, Dark Mirage 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Mirage and Bastion 23 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and vanilla accords. Common notes include Cocoa and Tonka Bean.

Is Dark Mirage or Bastion 23 better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Dark Mirage and Bastion 23?

Dark Mirage has top notes of Cocoa, heart notes of Ginger, a base of Tonka Bean. Bastion 23 has top notes of Orange Blossom, Sweet Orange, Palo Santo and Cocoa, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Jasmine and Cedar, a base of Oud.