Fragrance comparison

Desire for a Woman vs Rosa Bulgara

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 427 ratings analysed

5 wins

Desire for a Woman

Alfred Dunhill

4.19391 votes

Rank #24,240 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Rosa Bulgara

Zara

3.7236 votes

Rank #36,061 FloralRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Desire for a Woman takes 5 of 7 categories.

Desire for a Woman
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Rosa Bulgara
Choose it for a floral and rose character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Desire for a Woman5/7

Rosa Bulgara2/7

Ratings & consensus: Desire for a Woman
Community sentiment: Desire for a Woman
Longevity: Desire for a Woman
Sillage & projection: Desire for a Woman
Value for money: Rosa Bulgara
Versatility: Rosa Bulgara
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Desire for a Woman

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Desire for a WomanAlfred Dunhill

Rosa BulgaraZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 41%Had 59%Want 0%

3.72/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 30%Had 33%Want 38%

Category winnerDesire for a WomanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

41%Like

1%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

391 votes

14%Love

64%Like

3%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerDesire for a WomanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityDesire for a Woman

SillageDesire for a Woman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value63

Category winnerRosa BulgaraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

sweet92%

floral84%

white floral77%

soft spicy69%

woody61%

floral100%

rose86%

woody72%

citrus58%

powdery44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both floral, citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LimeOrangeMagnoliaBrazilian RosewoodBergamotGreen LeavesMyrtle

Heart

LicoriceTiare FlowerFreesiaGardeniaRose

Base

CaramelVanillaSandalwoodAmberMusk

Top

Magnolia

Heart

Rose

Base

Sandalwood

InformationalShared notesMagnolia, Rose and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer17

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night9

Category winnerRosa BulgaraMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,240

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#36,061

PerfumerPuig

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerDesire for a WomanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Desire for a Woman by Alfred Dunhill is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Desire for a Woman was launched in 2001. The nose behind this fragrance is Maurice Roucel. Top notes are Lime, Orange, Magnolia, Brazilian Rosewood, Bergamot, Green Leaves and Myrtle; middle notes are Licorice, Tiare Flower, Freesia, Garden…

Reviews →

Zara's Rosa Bulgara opens with a clean, dewy magnolia note before turning into a fresh, slightly sharp rose. A base of sandalwood gives this floral composition a dry, woody grounding. It is an uncomplicated everyday fragrance that suits casual spring mornings and office environments where you want to smell clean witho…

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 for a Woman or Rosa Bulgara?

Desire for a Woman takes 5 of 7 categories. Desire for a Woman is rated 4.19/5 from 391 votes; Rosa Bulgara is rated 3.72/5 from 36 votes. Choose Desire for a Woman for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Rosa Bulgara for a floral and rose character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Desire for a Woman or Rosa Bulgara?

Desire for a Woman lasts longest (Desire for a Woman 67/100, Rosa Bulgara 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desire for a Woman or Rosa Bulgara?

Desire for a Woman projects furthest (Desire for a Woman 64/100, Rosa Bulgara 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desire for a Woman and Rosa Bulgara smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Magnolia, Rose and Sandalwood.

Is Desire for a Woman or Rosa Bulgara better for summer or winter?

For summer, Rosa Bulgara is the stronger pick. For winter, Desire for a Woman is the stronger pick. Rosa Bulgara suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desire for a Woman and Rosa Bulgara?

Desire for a Woman has top notes of Lime, Orange, Magnolia and Brazilian Rosewood, heart notes of Licorice, Tiare Flower, Freesia and Gardenia, a base of Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Amber. Rosa Bulgara has top notes of Magnolia, heart notes of Rose, a base of Sandalwood.