Fragrance comparison

Desire for a Woman vs Vanitas

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 3,101 ratings analysed

6 wins

Desire for a Woman

Alfred Dunhill

4.19391 votes

Rank #24,325 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Vanitas

Versace

3.852,710 votes

Rank #26,721 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Desire for a Woman takes 6 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.
Vanitas
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Desire for a Woman6/7

Vanitas1/7

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: Vanitas
Versatility: Desire for a Woman
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

VanitasVersace

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 391 votes

Have 41%Had 59%Want 0%

3.85/ 5 · 2,710 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

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

27%Love

51%Like

4%Ok

18%Dislike

1%Hate

2,710 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityDesire for a Woman

SillageDesire for a Woman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value54

Category winnerVanitasBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

sweet92%

floral84%

white floral77%

soft spicy69%

woody61%

white floral100%

floral92%

citrus84%

sweet77%

woody69%

vanilla61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both citrus, white floral and floral

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

Top15-30 mins

Lime

Heart2-4 hrs

Tiare FlowerFreesia

Base5-7 hrs

Virginia CedarTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesLime, Tiare Flower and Freesia. Durations are only published for Vanitas, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter31

Day100

Night26

Category winnerDesire for a WomanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

Men1

Unisex4

Women95

Work 39%Casual 34%Date 17%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,325

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,721

PerfumerDora Baghriche

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Versace Vanitas centers on a bright wash of zesty lime paired with clean tropical petals. The first spray releases a tart, sunlit citrus that cuts through morning air without any sugary stickiness. Within twenty minutes, creamy tiare flower and dewy freesia soften the edges into a pristine, white-petaled floral bouque…

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 Vanitas?

Desire for a Woman takes 6 of 7 categories. Desire for a Woman is rated 4.19/5 from 391 votes; Vanitas is rated 3.85/5 from 2,710 votes. Choose Desire for a Woman for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Vanitas for a white floral and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Desire for a Woman or Vanitas?

Desire for a Woman lasts longest (Desire for a Woman 67/100, Vanitas 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desire for a Woman or Vanitas?

Desire for a Woman projects furthest (Desire for a Woman 64/100, Vanitas 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desire for a Woman and Vanitas smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, white floral and floral accords. Common notes include Lime, Tiare Flower and Freesia.

Is Desire for a Woman or Vanitas better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Desire for a Woman and Vanitas?

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. Vanitas has top notes of Lime, heart notes of Tiare Flower and Freesia, a base of Virginia Cedar and Tonka Bean.