Fragrance comparison

Dark Secret vs Malafemmena

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 22 ratings analysed

3 wins

Dark Secret

Mykonos

4.0813 votes

Rank #35,150 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Malafemmena

Mansfield

4.119 votes

Rank #57,048 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Secret takes 3 of 4 categories.

Dark Secret
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Malafemmena
Choose it for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Dark Secret3/4

Malafemmena1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark SecretMykonos

MalafemmenaMansfield

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.08/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 55%Had 20%Want 25%

4.11/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 12%Had 4%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

8%Like

31%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

33%Love

44%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityDark Secret

SillageMalafemmena

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value50

Category winnerDark SecretBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

cherry84%

amber77%

cinnamon69%

fresh spicy61%

warm spicy100%

cinnamon88%

vanilla77%

amber65%

metallic53%

leather42%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both warm spicy, cinnamon and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black CherrySaffronBergamot

Heart

PralineCinnamonMarigoldNutmegJasmine

Base

SandalwoodTonka BeanAmberMusk

Notes

CinnamonSaffronTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Cinnamon and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Malafemmena, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring13

Summer13

Fall50

Winter100

Day13

Night100

Spring33

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex62

Women38

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#35,150

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#57,048

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDark SecretHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Secret is a warm spicy cherry scent with a sweet, grown-up gourmand feel. It opens on black cherry, saffron, and bergamot, then settles into cinnamon, praline, amber, and soft woods. On skin, it usually reads bold, cozy, and evening-friendly. Reviews point to a long-lasting wear with a woody dry-down, so it suit…

Reviews →

Malafemmena by Mansfield is an unapologetically rich spicy amber built around fiery cinnamon, leathery saffron, and sweet tonka bean. The first spray delivers an aggressive burst of spice. It feels hot and peppery on the nose. Within fifteen minutes, the initial bite softens into smooth vanilla and warm amber resin, c…

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 Secret or Malafemmena?

Dark Secret takes 3 of 4 categories. Dark Secret is rated 4.08/5 from 13 votes; Malafemmena is rated 4.11/5 from 9 votes. Choose Dark Secret for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Malafemmena for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Secret or Malafemmena?

Dark Secret lasts longest (Dark Secret 78/100, Malafemmena 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Secret or Malafemmena?

Malafemmena projects furthest (Malafemmena 71/100, Dark Secret 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Secret and Malafemmena smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, cinnamon and amber accords. Common notes include Saffron, Cinnamon and Tonka Bean.

Is Dark Secret or Malafemmena better for summer or winter?

Dark Secret suits evening wear; Malafemmena suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Secret and Malafemmena?

Dark Secret has top notes of Black Cherry, Saffron and Bergamot, heart notes of Praline, Cinnamon, Marigold and Nutmeg, a base of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Amber and Musk. Malafemmena features Cinnamon, Saffron and Tonka Bean.