Fragrance comparison

Dark Mirage vs The Penthouse

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 66 ratings analysed

3 wins

Dark Mirage

Zara

3.5262 votes

Rank #16,254 CacaoWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

The Penthouse

Henry Jacques

4.254 votes

Rank #39,871 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Mirage takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Dark Mirage3/4

The Penthouse1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Penthouse
Sillage & projection: Dark Mirage
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

The PenthouseHenry Jacques

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.52/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 57%Had 5%Want 39%

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

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

50%Love

25%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 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

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityThe Penthouse

SillageDark Mirage

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value42

Category winnerDark MirageBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

cacao100%

warm spicy90%

vanilla80%

sweet70%

fresh spicy60%

amber50%

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

amber77%

vanilla69%

aromatic61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both warm spicy, fresh spicy 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

Bitter OrangeNutmegCinnamon LeafPink PepperCypressCocoaBergamot

Heart

ClovesCedarwoodPatchouliPepperGeraniumJasmine

Base

BenzoinSandalwoodTonka BeanVanillaOudCumin

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

Spring40

Summer20

Fall100

Winter80

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men63

Unisex33

Women3

Men40

Unisex60

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#39,871

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

The Penthouse by Henry Jacques opens with a crisp burst of bitter orange, pink pepper, and sharp nutmeg before settling into a deep, woody interior. As the top notes fade, a dense spine of cedarwood, patchouli, and warm cloves takes control, giving the fragrance a rich, structural weight on skin. The dry-down brings o…

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 The Penthouse?

Dark Mirage takes 3 of 4 categories. Dark Mirage is rated 3.52/5 from 62 votes; The Penthouse is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes. Choose Dark Mirage for a cacao and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose The Penthouse for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Mirage or The Penthouse?

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

Which projects more, Dark Mirage or The Penthouse?

Dark Mirage projects furthest (Dark Mirage 53/100, The Penthouse 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Mirage and The Penthouse smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, fresh spicy and vanilla accords. Common notes include Cocoa and Tonka Bean.

Is Dark Mirage or The Penthouse better for summer or winter?

Dark Mirage suits day or night wear; The Penthouse suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Mirage and The Penthouse?

Dark Mirage has top notes of Cocoa, heart notes of Ginger, a base of Tonka Bean. The Penthouse has top notes of Bitter Orange, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Leaf and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Cloves, Cedarwood, Patchouli and Pepper, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.