Fragrance comparison

Desire Black vs Navy Black

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 830 ratings analysed

4 wins

Desire Black

Alfred Dunhill

3.85314 votes

Rank #26,830 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

Navy Black

Zara

3.58516 votes

Rank #7,878 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Desire Black takes 4 of 7 categories.

Desire Black
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Navy Black
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Desire Black4/7

Navy Black3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Desire BlackAlfred Dunhill

Navy BlackZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.85/ 5 · 314 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

3.58/ 5 · 516 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerDesire BlackRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

42%Like

11%Ok

16%Dislike

1%Hate

314 votes

17%Love

57%Like

21%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

463 votes

Category winnerNavy BlackMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityDesire Black

SillageDesire Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value83

Category winnerNavy BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

aromatic88%

woody77%

citrus65%

warm spicy53%

amber42%

citrus100%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy65%

woody48%

earthy30%

Scent match65%Closely related · both aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black PepperBergamotGrapefruit

Heart

CypressSaffronRose

Base

VetiverOlibanumAmber

Top

Bergamot

Heart

Grapefruit

Base

Vetiver

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Grapefruit and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring85

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Category winnerDesire BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men97

Unisex3

Women0

Men95

Unisex4

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,830

PerfumerIrina Burlakova

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,878

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews52

Category winnerNavy BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desire Black by Alfred Dunhill is a Oriental Fougere fragrance for men. Desire Black was launched in 2014. The nose behind this fragrance is Irina Burlakova. Top notes are Black Pepper, Bergamot and Grapefruit; middle notes are Cypress, Saffron and Rose; base notes are Vetiver, Olibanum and Amber.

Reviews →

Navy Black is a fresh, dry blue scent built around bitter grapefruit, bergamot and vetiver. It opens crisp and citrusy, then settles into a clean, woody, slightly soapy style that many wearers find easy, office-safe and casually polished. The trade-off is performance. It is widely liked for the price, but it usually w…

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, Desire Black or Navy Black?

Desire Black takes 4 of 7 categories. Desire Black is rated 3.85/5 from 314 votes; Navy Black is rated 3.58/5 from 516 votes. Choose Desire Black for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Navy Black for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Desire Black or Navy Black?

Desire Black lasts longest (Desire Black 64/100, Navy Black 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desire Black or Navy Black?

Desire Black projects furthest (Desire Black 60/100, Navy Black 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desire Black and Navy Black smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Grapefruit and Vetiver.

Is Desire Black or Navy Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, Desire Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Desire Black is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desire Black and Navy Black?

Desire Black has top notes of Black Pepper, Bergamot and Grapefruit, heart notes of Cypress, Saffron and Rose, a base of Vetiver, Olibanum and Amber. Navy Black has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Grapefruit, a base of Vetiver.