Fragrance comparison

Ice vs After Dark

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 26 ratings analysed

Ice

Van Gils

3.4314 votes

Rank #25,057 AromaticMarine

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

After Dark

Maryaj

4.1712 votes

Rank #35,213 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

After Dark takes 5 of 6 categories.

Ice
Choose it for a aromatic and marine character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
After Dark
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Ice1/6

After Dark5/6

Ratings & consensus: After Dark
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: After Dark
Sillage & projection: After Dark
Value for money: After Dark
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): After Dark
Fragranxe ranking: Ice

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IceVan Gils

After DarkMaryaj

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.43/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 47%Had 16%Want 37%

4.17/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 48%Had 6%Want 45%

Category winnerAfter DarkRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

43%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

7%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

42%Love

42%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate61

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAfter Dark

SillageAfter Dark

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value79

Category winnerAfter DarkBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

marine92%

green84%

herbal77%

warm spicy69%

fresh spicy61%

aromatic100%

woody90%

fresh spicy80%

earthy70%

green60%

lavender50%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, green and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Sea NotesMint

Heart1-2 hrs

Ammophila (beach grass)GingerJuniper

Base2-3 hrs

MuskPatchouliAmbergris

Top15-30 mins

BasilRosemaryLemon Verbena

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderCorianderMintJuniper

Base4-6 hrs

VetiverCedarPatchouliBalsam FirOakmossMusk

Category winnerAfter DarkLongest dry-down: 4-6 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer70

Fall40

Winter0

Day100

Night30

Spring67

Summer0

Fall33

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex0

Women20

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,057

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#35,213

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerIceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Van Gils Ice opens with a cooling blast of spearmint, salty sea water, and crisp coastal winds. As the brisk marine greeting settles, an unusual heart of wild beach grass, crushed juniper berries, and sharp ginger takes over, giving the scent a green, breezy edge reminiscent of walking along a sandy shoreline in early…

Reviews →

Maryaj After Dark delivers an unapologetic blast of vintage barbershop swagger built for daily rotation. You get an immediate jolt of crisp rosemary, sweet basil, and tangy lemon verbena right off the nozzle. It smells sharp and green. Soon, a clean heart of French lavender, crushed coriander, and cool spearmint smoot…

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, Ice or After Dark?

After Dark takes 5 of 6 categories. Ice is rated 3.43/5 from 14 votes; After Dark is rated 4.17/5 from 12 votes. Choose Ice for a aromatic and marine character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose After Dark for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Ice or After Dark?

After Dark lasts longest (After Dark 64/100, Ice 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ice or After Dark?

Projection is very close: After Dark 65/100, Ice 63/100 for sillage.

Do Ice and After Dark smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, green and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Mint, Juniper, Musk and Patchouli.

Is Ice or After Dark better for summer or winter?

Ice suits daytime wear; After Dark suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ice and After Dark?

Ice has top notes of Sea Notes and Mint, heart notes of Ammophila (beach grass), Ginger and Juniper, a base of Musk, Patchouli and Ambergris. After Dark has top notes of Basil, Rosemary and Lemon Verbena, heart notes of Lavender, Coriander, Mint and Juniper, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli and Balsam Fir.