Fragrance comparison

No. 1 Imperial For Men vs Dark Fresh

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 147 ratings analysed

No. 1 Imperial For Men

Clive Christian

3.6822 votes

Rank #40,952 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Dark Fresh

Desigual

3.63125 votes

Rank #16,397 CitrusMarine

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 6 categories split 3–3.

No. 1 Imperial For Men
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Dark Fresh
Choose it for a citrus and marine character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

No. 1 Imperial For Men3/6

Dark Fresh3/6

Ratings & consensus: Dark Fresh
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: No. 1 Imperial For Men
Sillage & projection: No. 1 Imperial For Men
Value for money: Dark Fresh
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): No. 1 Imperial For Men
Fragranxe ranking: Dark Fresh

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

No. 1 Imperial For MenClive Christian

Dark FreshDesigual

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.68/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 20%Had 3%Want 77%

3.63/ 5 · 125 votes

Have 58%Had 24%Want 19%

Category winnerDark FreshRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

32%Like

9%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

18%Love

49%Like

11%Ok

21%Dislike

1%Hate

125 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityNo. 1 Imperial For Men

SillageNo. 1 Imperial For Men

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value14

¤ Price value78

Category winnerDark FreshBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

musky86%

warm spicy72%

citrus58%

powdery44%

fresh30%

citrus100%

marine92%

amber84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

floral61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Citruses

Heart2 to 3 hours

Spices

Base5 to 8 hours

Woodsy NotesMusk

Top15-30 mins

Sea NotesNeroliCitrusesSpicesGreen Leaves

Heart2-3 hrs

FlowersOrange

Base4-6 hrs

AmberWoodsy NotesVanillaMuskMoss

Category winnerNo. 1 Imperial For MenLongest dry-down: 5 to 8 hours

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer100

Fall80

Winter60

Day100

Night60

Spring100

Summer93

Fall0

Winter28

Day100

Night84

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex0

Women20

Men77

Unisex19

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,952

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,397

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerDark FreshHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

No. 1 Imperial For Men by Clive Christian delivers a focused woody spicy scent profile built on a crisp citrus start and a solid wood and musk base. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of fresh citruses that cuts through the air like clean zest. As the initial brightness settles, warm spices surface to add depth, h…

Reviews →

Desigual Dark Fresh is a brisk, sweet aromatic fragrance built for everyday warm-weather wear. It kicks off with a sharp rush of sea notes, tart citruses, and bright neroli. You get an immediate wave of salty marine air and crushed green leaves. The alcohol flash fades in two minutes. Soon after, sweet orange juice an…

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, No. 1 Imperial For Men or Dark Fresh?

No clear winner: the 6 categories split 3–3. No. 1 Imperial For Men is rated 3.68/5 from 22 votes; Dark Fresh is rated 3.63/5 from 125 votes. Choose No. 1 Imperial For Men for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Dark Fresh for a citrus and marine character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, No. 1 Imperial For Men or Dark Fresh?

No. 1 Imperial For Men lasts longest (No. 1 Imperial For Men 70/100, Dark Fresh 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, No. 1 Imperial For Men or Dark Fresh?

No. 1 Imperial For Men projects furthest (No. 1 Imperial For Men 64/100, Dark Fresh 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do No. 1 Imperial For Men and Dark Fresh smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Citruses, Spices, Woodsy Notes and Musk.

Is No. 1 Imperial For Men or Dark Fresh better for summer or winter?

No. 1 Imperial For Men suits daytime wear; Dark Fresh suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in No. 1 Imperial For Men and Dark Fresh?

No. 1 Imperial For Men has top notes of Citruses, heart notes of Spices, a base of Woodsy Notes and Musk. Dark Fresh has top notes of Sea Notes, Neroli, Citruses and Spices, heart notes of Flowers and Orange, a base of Amber, Woodsy Notes, Vanilla and Musk.