Fragrance comparison

Spirit vs Dark Santal

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 42 ratings analysed

Spirit

Max Philip

3.5511 votes

Rank #57,159 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Dark Santal

Arabian Wind

3.7431 votes

Rank #49,688 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dark Santal takes 5 of 5 categories.

Spirit
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Dark Santal
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Spirit0/5

Dark Santal5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SpiritMax Philip

Dark SantalArabian Wind

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.55/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 23%Had 10%Want 67%

3.74/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 38%Had 16%Want 46%

Category winnerDark SantalRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

9%Love

73%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

18%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

32%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

13%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage35

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityDark Santal

SillageDark Santal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value59

Category winnerDark SantalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber90%

smoky80%

balsamic70%

iris60%

powdery50%

woody100%

powdery83%

violet65%

iris48%

warm spicy30%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and iris

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

IncenseIris

Heart

CedarSandalwood

Base

Dry WoodAmbergris

Top

IrisCarrotCypriol Oil or NagarmothaLeather

Heart

SandalwoodFig NectarViolet

Base

CedarDry WoodAmber

InformationalShared notesIris, Cedar, Sandalwood and Dry Wood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer20

Fall100

Winter40

Day100

Night100

Spring85

Summer85

Fall100

Winter62

Day100

Night53

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men14

Unisex71

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,159

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#49,688

PerfumerGuillaume Cresp

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDark SantalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Spirit is a dry, smoky wood fragrance built around incense, iris, cedar and sandalwood. It opens cool and slightly powdery, then settles into a smooth ambery wood trail with a quiet animalic touch. It reads unisex, though the drier woody side may feel more masculine to some wearers. With soft to moderate projection, i…

Reviews →

Dark Santal opens dry and woody with powdery iris, violet and a slightly earthy cypriol edge. As it settles, sandalwood and fig nectar soften the structure, while cedar, amber and dry woods keep it smooth rather than sweet. It reads firmly unisex, with a polished, modern style that may suit cooler days, evenings, or a…

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, Spirit or Dark Santal?

Dark Santal takes 5 of 5 categories. Spirit is rated 3.55/5 from 11 votes; Dark Santal is rated 3.74/5 from 31 votes. Choose Spirit for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Dark Santal for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Spirit or Dark Santal?

Dark Santal lasts longest (Dark Santal 71/100, Spirit 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Spirit or Dark Santal?

Dark Santal projects furthest (Dark Santal 59/100, Spirit 35/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Spirit and Dark Santal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and iris accords. Common notes include Iris, Cedar, Sandalwood and Dry Wood.

Is Spirit or Dark Santal better for summer or winter?

Spirit suits day or night wear; Dark Santal suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Spirit and Dark Santal?

Spirit has top notes of Incense and Iris, heart notes of Cedar and Sandalwood, a base of Dry Wood and Ambergris. Dark Santal has top notes of Iris, Carrot, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Leather, heart notes of Sandalwood, Fig Nectar and Violet, a base of Cedar, Dry Wood and Amber.