Fragrance comparison

Les Racines Du Mâle vs Heart Of Darkness

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 71 ratings analysed

Les Racines Du Mâle

Pierre Guillaume Paris

3.506 votes

Rank #61,375 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Heart Of Darkness

Timothy Han Edition Perfumes

3.7665 votes

Rank #10,607 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Heart Of Darkness takes 3 of 4 categories.

Les Racines Du Mâle
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Heart Of Darkness
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Les Racines Du Mâle1/4

Heart Of Darkness3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Heart Of Darkness
Sillage & projection: Les Racines Du Mâle
Value for money: Heart Of Darkness
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Heart Of Darkness

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Les Racines Du MâlePierre Guillaume Paris

Heart Of DarknessTimothy Han Edition Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 8%Had 5%Want 88%

3.76/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 11%Had 6%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

39%Love

26%Like

19%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityHeart Of Darkness

SillageLes Racines Du Mâle

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value56

Category winnerHeart Of DarknessBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather88%

smoky77%

aromatic65%

earthy53%

animalic42%

woody100%

leather91%

earthy83%

powdery74%

mossy65%

smoky56%

Scent match55%Closely related · both woody, leather and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

VetiverLeatherGuaiac WoodIncenseBirch Tar

No top / heart / base split published

Top

African VioletOzonic notesJasmineGalbanumYlang-Ylang

Heart

Birch TarCoalSandalwoodLeatherGuaiac WoodVetiverCedar

Base

OakmossPatchouliAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesVetiver, Leather, Guaiac Wood and Birch Tar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring55

Summer36

Fall100

Winter91

Day62

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men39

Unisex50

Women11

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,375

PerfumerPierre Guillaume

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#10,607

PerfumerTimothy Han

Launched—

Reviews24

Category winnerHeart Of DarknessHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

This vetiver-forward scent leans heavily into smoky, leathery territory. The opening hits with a sharp, medicinal blast of birch tar and dense incense before settling into a warm, mineral-rich earthiness. It is a dry, challenging fragrance built for cool weather, suited best for those who appreciate rugged, non-sweet …

Reviews →

Heart Of Darkness opens green, fresh and slightly ozonic before moving into dry woods, leather, smoke and moss. It smells rugged and unusual, with a dark, expensive-leaning character rather than an easy crowd-pleaser. The dry-down brings patchouli, amber and musk, which can feel earthier and more intimate on skin. Bes…

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, Les Racines Du Mâle or Heart Of Darkness?

Heart Of Darkness takes 3 of 4 categories. Les Racines Du Mâle is rated 3.50/5 from 6 votes; Heart Of Darkness is rated 3.76/5 from 65 votes. Choose Les Racines Du Mâle for a woody and leather character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Heart Of Darkness for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Les Racines Du Mâle or Heart Of Darkness?

Heart Of Darkness lasts longest (Heart Of Darkness 73/100, Les Racines Du Mâle 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Les Racines Du Mâle or Heart Of Darkness?

Projection is very close: Les Racines Du Mâle 63/100, Heart Of Darkness 61/100 for sillage.

Do Les Racines Du Mâle and Heart Of Darkness smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, leather and earthy accords. Common notes include Vetiver, Leather, Guaiac Wood and Birch Tar.

Is Les Racines Du Mâle or Heart Of Darkness better for summer or winter?

Les Racines Du Mâle suits evening wear; Heart Of Darkness suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Les Racines Du Mâle and Heart Of Darkness?

Les Racines Du Mâle features Vetiver, Leather, Guaiac Wood, Incense and Birch Tar. Heart Of Darkness has top notes of African Violet, Ozonic notes, Jasmine and Galbanum, heart notes of Birch Tar, Coal, Sandalwood and Leather, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Amber and Musk.