Fragrance comparison

Live vs Dark

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 203 ratings analysed

5 wins

Live

Van Gils

4.4132 votes

Rank #13,460 OudCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Dark

Neandertal

3.63171 votes

Rank #9,411 AromaticAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Live takes 5 of 7 categories.

Live
Choose it for a oud and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Dark
Choose it for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Live5/7

Dark2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

LiveVan Gils

DarkNeandertal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

3.63/ 5 · 171 votes

Have 13%Had 4%Want 83%

Category winnerLiveRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

28%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

30%Love

36%Like

9%Ok

16%Dislike

9%Hate

171 votes

Category winnerLiveMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityDark

SillageLive

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value40

Category winnerLiveBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

oud100%

citrus92%

leather84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

patchouli61%

aromatic100%

amber92%

fresh spicy84%

leather77%

smoky69%

marine61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both leather and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

OrangeGrapefruit

Heart2-3 hrs

PatchouliVetiver

Base6-8+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)LeatherVanilla

Top

Tomato LeafGrapefruitPink PepperGingerPine

Heart

SeaweedIncenseCarawayGeranium

Base

LeatherAgarwood (Oud)PatchouliAmberLabdanumVetiverSandalwoodTobacco

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Patchouli, Vetiver and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Live, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring88

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerLiveMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Men48

Unisex48

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,460

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#9,411

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews31

Category winnerDarkHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Van Gils Live brings a crisp, masculine edge that balances brisk fruit with deep woods. It kicks off with a bright splash of orange and bitter grapefruit that wakes up the senses immediately. As the citrus settles, earthy patchouli and dry vetiver step forward, adding clean grit and a grounded tone. The scent finally …

Reviews →

Neandertal Dark starts with a bitter shock of green tomato leaf, crushed pine needles, and pungent grapefruit rind. The opening feels raw and vegetal, spiked by ginger and pink pepper before sinking into murky seaweed, dry caraway, and cool church incense. Heavy base notes anchor the long drydown on skin. You get roug…

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, Live or Dark?

Live takes 5 of 7 categories. Live is rated 4.41/5 from 32 votes; Dark is rated 3.63/5 from 171 votes. Choose Live for a oud and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Dark for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Live or Dark?

Dark lasts longest (Dark 71/100, Live 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Live or Dark?

Projection is very close: Live 64/100, Dark 63/100 for sillage.

Do Live and Dark smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share leather and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Patchouli, Vetiver and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Live or Dark better for summer or winter?

For summer, Live is the stronger pick. For winter, Live is the stronger pick. Live suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Live and Dark?

Live has top notes of Orange and Grapefruit, heart notes of Patchouli and Vetiver, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Leather and Vanilla. Dark has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Grapefruit, Pink Pepper and Ginger, heart notes of Seaweed, Incense, Caraway and Geranium, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud), Patchouli and Amber.