Fragrance comparison

K Max vs Love At Your Darkest

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 990 ratings analysed

5 wins

K Max

Natura

4.30865 votes

Rank #24,193 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Love At Your Darkest

Gucci

3.75125 votes

Rank #17,017 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

K Max takes 5 of 7 categories.

K Max
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Love At Your Darkest
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

K Max5/7

Love At Your Darkest2/7

Ratings & consensus: K Max
Community sentiment: K Max
Longevity: K Max
Sillage & projection: K Max
Value for money: K Max
Versatility: Love At Your Darkest
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Love At Your Darkest

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

K MaxNatura

Love At Your DarkestGucci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 865 votes

Have 83%Had 18%Want 0%

3.75/ 5 · 125 votes

Have 28%Had 4%Want 67%

Category winnerK MaxRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

33%Like

8%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

865 votes

34%Love

32%Like

16%Ok

13%Dislike

6%Hate

125 votes

Category winnerK MaxMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityK Max

SillageK Max

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value19

Category winnerK MaxBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

aromatic91%

woody83%

citrus74%

fresh65%

green56%

fresh spicy100%

woody83%

amber65%

warm spicy48%

aromatic30%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

MintBlack PepperWatery NotesCitrusesGingerPink PepperGrapefruitStorax

Heart

OlibanumLeatherJuniperLavenderVioletCardamom

Base

Amber XtremeVetiverCedarPatchouliMuskBreu-BrancoSandalwoodCashmeran

Top15 to 30 minutes

Black Pepper

Heart1 to 2 hours

Olibanum

Base3 to 5 hours

Cedar

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Olibanum and Cedar. Durations are only published for Love At Your Darkest, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer74

Fall0

Winter65

Day–

Night–

Spring85

Summer47

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night100

Category winnerLove At Your DarkestMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men97

Unisex2

Women0

Men46

Unisex46

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,193

PerfumerJean-Christophe Hérault, Nicolas Beaulieu, Verônica Kato

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#17,017

PerfumerAlberto Morillas

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerLove At Your DarkestHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

K Max by Natura offers a bold, masculine profile that highlights mint and spicy black pepper before settling into a deep, woody base. It functions well as a versatile choice for modern men who need a scent that carries them from professional office environments through to evening social outings, balancing fresh aromat…

Reviews →

Love At Your Darkest by Gucci is a minimalist woody spicy fragrance from The Alchemist's Garden collection. Despite a dramatic title, the composition is surprisingly transparent, airy, and restrained on the skin. It opens with an immediate burst of dry black pepper that feels brisk rather than heavy. As the initial sp…

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, K Max or Love At Your Darkest?

K Max takes 5 of 7 categories. K Max is rated 4.30/5 from 865 votes; Love At Your Darkest is rated 3.75/5 from 125 votes. Choose K Max for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Love At Your Darkest for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, K Max or Love At Your Darkest?

K Max lasts longest (K Max 71/100, Love At Your Darkest 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, K Max or Love At Your Darkest?

K Max projects furthest (K Max 56/100, Love At Your Darkest 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do K Max and Love At Your Darkest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Olibanum and Cedar.

Is K Max or Love At Your Darkest better for summer or winter?

For summer, K Max is the stronger pick. For winter, Love At Your Darkest is the stronger pick. Love At Your Darkest suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in K Max and Love At Your Darkest?

K Max has top notes of Mint, Black Pepper, Watery Notes and Citruses, heart notes of Olibanum, Leather, Juniper and Lavender, a base of Amber Xtreme, Vetiver, Cedar and Patchouli. Love At Your Darkest has top notes of Black Pepper, heart notes of Olibanum, a base of Cedar.