Fragrance comparison

Les Racines Du Mâle vs The Dark Side of V

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 21 ratings analysed

3 wins

Les Racines Du Mâle

Pierre Guillaume Paris

3.506 votes

Rank #61,375 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

72%scent match

Closely related

The Dark Side of V

Wild Drops Parfums

3.8015 votes

Rank #53,442 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Les Racines Du Mâle takes 3 of 4 categories.

Les Racines Du Mâle
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Dark Side of V
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Les Racines Du Mâle3/4

The Dark Side of V1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Les Racines Du Mâle
Sillage & projection: Les Racines Du Mâle
Value for money: Les Racines Du Mâle
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Dark Side of V

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Les Racines Du MâlePierre Guillaume Paris

The Dark Side of VWild Drops Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.50/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 8%Had 5%Want 88%

3.80/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 85%

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

47%Love

20%Like

7%Ok

20%Dislike

7%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityLes Racines Du Mâle

SillageLes Racines Du Mâle

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value25

Category winnerLes Racines Du MâleBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather88%

smoky77%

aromatic65%

earthy53%

animalic42%

woody100%

leather88%

smoky77%

aromatic65%

earthy53%

animalic42%

Scent match72%Closely related · both woody, leather and smoky

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

Notes

VetiverWoolLeatherBirchBirch TarTobaccoGuaiac WoodCypressWoody NotesAmberMossPapyrus

No top / heart / base split published

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

Spring43

Summer71

Fall100

Winter57

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex83

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,375

PerfumerPierre Guillaume

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#53,442

PerfumerAnna Nikishina

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerThe Dark Side of VHigher 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 →

The Dark Side of V is a dry, smoky leather fragrance built around vetiver, birch tar, woods and tobacco. It opens dark and textured, with a charred, slightly animalic feel, then settles into earthy leather and papyrus with a rough, woody finish. This is more niche than crowd-pleasing. It may suit someone who enjoys au…

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 The Dark Side of V?

Les Racines Du Mâle takes 3 of 4 categories. Les Racines Du Mâle is rated 3.50/5 from 6 votes; The Dark Side of V is rated 3.80/5 from 15 votes. Choose Les Racines Du Mâle for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Dark Side of V for a woody and leather character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Les Racines Du Mâle or The Dark Side of V?

Les Racines Du Mâle lasts longest (Les Racines Du Mâle 70/100, The Dark Side of V 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Les Racines Du Mâle or The Dark Side of V?

Les Racines Du Mâle projects furthest (Les Racines Du Mâle 63/100, The Dark Side of V 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Les Racines Du Mâle and The Dark Side of V smell similar?

Closely related: a 72% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, leather and smoky accords. Common notes include Vetiver, Leather, Guaiac Wood and Birch Tar.

Is Les Racines Du Mâle or The Dark Side of V better for summer or winter?

Les Racines Du Mâle suits evening wear; The Dark Side of V suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Les Racines Du Mâle and The Dark Side of V?

Les Racines Du Mâle features Vetiver, Leather, Guaiac Wood, Incense and Birch Tar. The Dark Side of V features Vetiver, Wool, Leather, Birch and Birch Tar.