Fragrance comparison

Desert Dawn vs Derby

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 930 ratings analysed

Desert Dawn

Byredo

3.69781 votes

Rank #5,443 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Derby

Roberto Ugolini

4.18149 votes

Rank #7,191 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Derby takes 4 of 5 categories.

Desert Dawn
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Derby
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Desert Dawn1/5

Derby4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Desert DawnByredo

DerbyRoberto Ugolini

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.69/ 5 · 781 votes

Have 28%Had 8%Want 65%

4.18/ 5 · 149 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

Category winnerDerbyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

39%Like

21%Ok

10%Dislike

4%Hate

628 votes

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityDerby

SillageDerby

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value57

Category winnerDerbyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery83%

musky65%

warm spicy48%

aromatic30%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

herbal69%

powdery61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Rose PetalsCardamom

Heart

SandalwoodCedarwoodCarrot Seeds

Base

MuskPapyrusSilkVetiver

Top

ArtemisiaCardamomBasil

Heart

CinnamonJasmineCarawayPimentoMyrrhBark

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliCedarwoodVetiverBirchMusk

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter67

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men13

Unisex65

Women22

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,443

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews157

Overall rank#7,191

PerfumerCristian Calabro, Maurizio Cerizza

Launched—

Reviews52

Category winnerDesert DawnHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desert Dawn from Byredo offers a woody, spicy composition that rests on a base of silk musk and vetiver. It is a modern, gender-neutral fragrance released in 2024. The scent focuses on a minimalist sandalwood structure, punctuated by rose petals and cardamom. Perfect for those who prefer an intimate, skin-scent profil…

Reviews →

Derby by Roberto Ugolini is a striking woody spicy fragrance that highlights a complex herbal opening. Notes of artemisia, cardamom, and basil set a sharp, masculine stage. As it settles, cinnamon and myrrh bring warmth to the heart, while a base of cedarwood and vetiver ensures a long-lasting, sophisticated presence.…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Desert Dawn or Derby?

Derby takes 4 of 5 categories. Desert Dawn is rated 3.69/5 from 781 votes; Derby is rated 4.18/5 from 149 votes. Choose Desert Dawn for a woody and powdery character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Derby for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Desert Dawn or Derby?

Derby lasts longest (Derby 81/100, Desert Dawn 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desert Dawn or Derby?

Derby projects furthest (Derby 75/100, Desert Dawn 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desert Dawn and Derby smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Musk.

Is Desert Dawn or Derby better for summer or winter?

Derby suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desert Dawn and Derby?

Desert Dawn has top notes of Rose Petals and Cardamom, heart notes of Sandalwood, Cedarwood and Carrot Seeds, a base of Musk, Papyrus, Silk and Vetiver. Derby has top notes of Artemisia, Cardamom and Basil, heart notes of Cinnamon, Jasmine, Caraway and Pimento, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Cedarwood and Vetiver.