Fragrance comparison

Dark Roses vs Mary McFadden

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 84 ratings analysed

Dark Roses

Demeter Fragrance

3.7978 votes

Rank #17,186 FruityRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Mary McFadden

4.836 votes

Rank #29,163 RoseFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mary McFadden takes 3 of 5 categories.

Dark Roses
Choose it for a fruity and rose character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Mary McFadden
Choose it for a rose and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear.

Dark Roses2/5

Mary McFadden3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark RosesDemeter Fragrance

Mary McFaddenMary McFadden

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.79/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 41%Had 10%Want 49%

4.83/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 27%Had 9%Want 64%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

45%Like

18%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

78 votes

83%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate96

Category winners

LongevityMary McFadden

SillageMary McFadden

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value50

Category winnerDark RosesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

rose92%

soft spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

green61%

rose100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

amber69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both rose and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Tea RoseBulgarian RoseRed CurrantDavanaAmberPatchouliHaitian Vetiver

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

CorianderHyacinthDavanaBergamot

Heart3-5 hrs

Moroccan RoseEgyptian RoseBulgarian RoseCarnationYlang-YlangJasmine

Base8-12 hrs

SandalowoodAmberMuskLabdanumMyrhhPatchouli

Category winnerMary McFaddenLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring54

Summer35

Fall100

Winter58

Day100

Night85

Spring33

Summer33

Fall67

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex24

Women76

Casual 39%Date 27%Work 22%Party 12%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 44%Party 34%Work 13%Casual 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,186

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#29,163

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerDark RosesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Roses by Demeter Fragrance strips away the polite powder of grandmotherly florals. It bites first. Tart red currant and herbal davana explode immediately in a brisk wash of perfumer alcohol. Give it two minutes. As the sharp carrier spirit evaporates, Bulgarian rose and crisp tea rose take over with dewy, green t…

Reviews →

Mary McFadden is a rich, spicy vintage floriental released in 1979 that celebrates dramatic texture. The opening hits with a sharp burst of green hyacinth, pungent herbal coriander, and tart bergamot that quickly commands your attention. Within twenty minutes, that brisk green edge softens into an opulent floral heart…

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 Roses or Mary McFadden?

Mary McFadden takes 3 of 5 categories. Dark Roses is rated 3.79/5 from 78 votes; Mary McFadden is rated 4.83/5 from 6 votes. Choose Dark Roses for a fruity and rose character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Mary McFadden for a rose and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Roses or Mary McFadden?

Mary McFadden lasts longest (Mary McFadden 80/100, Dark Roses 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Roses or Mary McFadden?

Mary McFadden projects furthest (Mary McFadden 88/100, Dark Roses 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Roses and Mary McFadden smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share rose and amber accords. Common notes include Bulgarian Rose, Davana, Amber and Patchouli.

Is Dark Roses or Mary McFadden better for summer or winter?

Dark Roses suits daytime wear; Mary McFadden suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Roses and Mary McFadden?

Dark Roses features Tea Rose, Bulgarian Rose, Red Currant, Davana and Amber. Mary McFadden has top notes of Coriander, Hyacinth, Davana and Bergamot, heart notes of Moroccan Rose, Egyptian Rose, Bulgarian Rose and Carnation, a base of Sandalowood, Amber, Musk and Labdanum.