Fragrance comparison

Dark Velvet vs Violette Hay

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 176 ratings analysed

2 wins

Dark Velvet

Isabelle Ariana Parfums

2.504 votes

Rank #69,302 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Violette Hay

Marissa Zappas

4.19172 votes

Rank #10,351 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Velvet takes 2 of 3 categories.

Dark Velvet
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Violette Hay
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Dark Velvet2/3

Violette Hay1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark VelvetIsabelle Ariana Parfums

Violette HayMarissa Zappas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 0%Had 18%Want 82%

4.19/ 5 · 172 votes

Have 25%Had 4%Want 70%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

50%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

44%Love

36%Like

15%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

172 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate38

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage36

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityDark Velvet

SillageDark Velvet

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value52

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky83%

animalic65%

amber48%

musky30%

powdery100%

musky90%

green80%

violet70%

leather60%

herbal50%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both leather and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CorianderCarrot Seeds

Heart

SaffronRoseJasmine

Base

LeatherCastoreumLabdanumSandalwoodMusk

Top15 to 30 minutes

Carrot SeedsCoriander

Heart1 to 2 hours

VioletApricotSaffron

Base2 to 4 hours

HaySuedeMusk

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Carrot Seeds, Saffron and Musk. Durations are only published for Violette Hay, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer25

Fall25

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring100

Summer66

Fall89

Winter32

Day100

Night32

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex33

Women33

Men2

Unisex42

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#69,302

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#10,351

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews42

Category winnerViolette HayHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Velvet by Isabelle Ariana Parfums presents an intense mix of birch-tar smoky leather, earthy carrot seeds, and warm labdanum. A spicy burst of coriander and saffron opens the scent before revealing a dark heart of rose and jasmine. Castoreum and sandalwood create an unyielding, animalic dry down built for cold wi…

Reviews →

Violette Hay by Marissa Zappas is an earthy, pastel floral fragrance that pairs soft violet petals with sun-cured hay and supple suede. The opening brings an earthy crunch of carrot seeds alongside mildly aromatic coriander. Soon, a delicate violet note emerges, rounded out by hints of velvety apricot and bittersweet …

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 Velvet or Violette Hay?

Dark Velvet takes 2 of 3 categories. Dark Velvet is rated 2.50/5 from 4 votes; Violette Hay is rated 4.19/5 from 172 votes. Choose Dark Velvet for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Violette Hay for a powdery and musky character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Velvet or Violette Hay?

Dark Velvet lasts longest (Dark Velvet 100/100, Violette Hay 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Velvet or Violette Hay?

Dark Velvet projects furthest (Dark Velvet 75/100, Violette Hay 36/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Velvet and Violette Hay smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share leather and musky accords. Common notes include Coriander, Carrot Seeds, Saffron and Musk.

Is Dark Velvet or Violette Hay better for summer or winter?

Dark Velvet suits evening wear; Violette Hay suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Velvet and Violette Hay?

Dark Velvet has top notes of Coriander and Carrot Seeds, heart notes of Saffron, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Castoreum, Labdanum and Sandalwood. Violette Hay has top notes of Carrot Seeds and Coriander, heart notes of Violet, Apricot and Saffron, a base of Hay, Suede and Musk.