Fragrance comparison

Dawn vs Royal Black

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 27 ratings analysed

2 wins

Dawn

Mar Galliti

3.754 votes

Rank #53,611 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

Royal Black

Arno Sorel

4.2623 votes

Rank #24,942 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dawn takes 2 of 3 categories.

Dawn
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Royal Black
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Dawn2/3

Royal Black1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dawn
Sillage & projection: Dawn
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Royal Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DawnMar Galliti

Royal BlackArno Sorel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 2%Had 0%Want 98%

4.26/ 5 · 23 votes

Have 56%Had 25%Want 19%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

43%Love

48%Like

0%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

23 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityDawn

SillageDawn

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value85

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

citrus84%

fresh spicy77%

herbal69%

earthy61%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

musky84%

warm spicy77%

woody69%

amber61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both aromatic, citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

LimeDillPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Lemon BalmSageChamomileTulsi

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossVetiverCognacLabdanum

Top

OrangeLimeLemonGrapefruit

Heart

SageCinnamonThymePepperCardamom

Base

White MuskSandalwoodOakmossLabdanumAmberCedar

InformationalShared notesLime, Sage, Oakmoss and Labdanum. Durations are only published for Dawn, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night47

Spring67

Summer100

Fall47

Winter27

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

Casual 46%Work 31%Date 15%Party 8%

Men93

Unisex7

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,611

PerfumerZita Gyurokovics

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#24,942

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerRoyal BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mar Galliti Dawn smells like stepping into a cold, misty herb garden right as the sun breaks over the tree line. The initial spray hits with a brisk snap of sour lime, crushed green dill, and a prickle of pink pepper. It is sharp and medicinal for the first three minutes before settling down. As your skin warms the oi…

Reviews →

Royal Black opens with a bright citrus burst, then settles into an aromatic, slightly spicy heart with sage, cardamom and cinnamon. As it dries down, the musk, woods and amber give it a softer, sweeter finish. It reads as an easy everyday men's fragrance with good value appeal. If you like fresh scents with a warmer e…

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, Dawn or Royal Black?

Dawn takes 2 of 3 categories. Dawn is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Royal Black is rated 4.26/5 from 23 votes. Choose Dawn for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Royal Black for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dawn or Royal Black?

Dawn lasts longest (Dawn 90/100, Royal Black 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dawn or Royal Black?

Dawn projects furthest (Dawn 75/100, Royal Black 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dawn and Royal Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Lime, Sage, Oakmoss and Labdanum.

Is Dawn or Royal Black better for summer or winter?

Dawn suits daytime wear; Royal Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dawn and Royal Black?

Dawn has top notes of Lime, Dill and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Lemon Balm, Sage, Chamomile and Tulsi, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Cognac and Labdanum. Royal Black has top notes of Orange, Lime, Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of Sage, Cinnamon, Thyme and Pepper, a base of White Musk, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Labdanum.