Fragrance comparison

Deep Dark Vanilla vs First Cut

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 339 ratings analysed

Deep Dark Vanilla

DS&Durga · 2023

3.07281 votes

Rank #16,305 GreenVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

First Cut

St. Clair Scents

4.6458 votes

Rank #26,993 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First Cut takes 4 of 7 categories.

Deep Dark Vanilla
Choose it for a green and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
First Cut
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Deep Dark Vanilla3/7

First Cut4/7

Ratings & consensus: First Cut
Community sentiment: First Cut
Longevity: Deep Dark Vanilla
Sillage & projection: Deep Dark Vanilla
Value for money: First Cut
Versatility: First Cut
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Deep Dark Vanilla

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Deep Dark VanillaDS&Durga

First CutSt. Clair Scents

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.07/ 5 · 281 votes

Have 23%Had 9%Want 68%

4.64/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 29%Had 4%Want 67%

Category winnerFirst CutRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

30%Like

17%Ok

28%Dislike

11%Hate

281 votes

67%Love

29%Like

3%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

58 votes

Category winnerFirst CutMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate52

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate91

Category winners

LongevityDeep Dark Vanilla

SillageDeep Dark Vanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value61

Category winnerFirst CutBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

vanilla91%

fresh spicy83%

woody74%

sweet65%

herbal56%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic86%

green72%

herbal58%

rose44%

sweet30%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, green and herbal

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CabreuvaOrchidPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

Vanilla LeavesVineCypress

Base6-8+ hrs

Dark PatchouliHayVanilla Absolute

Top

Tomato LeafBasilBergamotRosemaryYuzu

Heart

Rose GeraniumImmortelleRose de MaiLavender

Base

HayOakmossVanilla AbsoluteTobacco

InformationalShared notesHay and Vanilla Absolute. Durations are only published for Deep Dark Vanilla, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring44

Summer13

Fall0

Winter100

Day69

Night100

Spring100

Summer61

Fall72

Winter6

Day100

Night20

Category winnerFirst CutMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men26

Unisex64

Women10

Casual 39%Date 32%Work 18%Party 11%

Men0

Unisex83

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,305

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2023

Reviews61

Overall rank#26,993

PerfumerDiane St.Clair

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDeep Dark VanillaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Deep Dark Vanilla by DS&Durga turns classic bakery scents completely upside down. Do not expect frosting here. Instead, the first mist hits with astringent cabreuva wood, green orchid, and crushed pink pepper. As your skin warms the liquid, bitter vanilla leaves, wild vine, and resinous cypress needles build an earthy…

Reviews →

First Cut by St. Clair Scents captures the brisk, sunny feeling of walking through a freshly mowed summer field in northern New England. It opens with an invigorating burst of crushed green tomato leaf, garden basil, and tart bergamot that feels like stepping into a morning vegetable garden. As it warms on the skin, s…

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, Deep Dark Vanilla or First Cut?

First Cut takes 4 of 7 categories. Deep Dark Vanilla is rated 3.07/5 from 281 votes; First Cut is rated 4.64/5 from 58 votes. Choose Deep Dark Vanilla for a green and vanilla character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose First Cut for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Deep Dark Vanilla or First Cut?

They last about the same: Deep Dark Vanilla 61/100, First Cut 59/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Deep Dark Vanilla or First Cut?

Projection is very close: Deep Dark Vanilla 48/100, First Cut 46/100 for sillage.

Do Deep Dark Vanilla and First Cut smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, green and herbal accords. Common notes include Hay and Vanilla Absolute.

Is Deep Dark Vanilla or First Cut better for summer or winter?

For summer, First Cut is the stronger pick. For winter, Deep Dark Vanilla is the stronger pick. Deep Dark Vanilla suits evening wear; First Cut suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Deep Dark Vanilla and First Cut?

Deep Dark Vanilla has top notes of Cabreuva, Orchid and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Vanilla Leaves, Vine and Cypress, a base of Dark Patchouli, Hay and Vanilla Absolute. First Cut has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Basil, Bergamot and Rosemary, heart notes of Rose Geranium, Immortelle, Rose de Mai and Lavender, a base of Hay, Oakmoss, Vanilla Absolute and Tobacco.