Fragrance comparison

Blonde vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 1,079 ratings analysed

Blonde

Versace

4.101,072 votes

Rank #23,694 White FloralTuberose

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #59,786 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 3 categories split 1–1.

Blonde
Choose it for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Blonde1/3

Shades of Darkness1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Shades of Darkness
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Blonde

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BlondeVersace

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.10/ 5 · 1,072 votes

Have 60%Had 40%Want 0%

3.00/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 6%Had 9%Want 85%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

31%Like

2%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

1,072 votes

14%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

57%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

tuberose91%

animalic83%

yellow floral74%

musky65%

amber56%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GardeniaVioletPitosporumNeroliBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

TuberoseYlang-YlangNarcissusCarnation

Base8-12 hrs

CivetBenzoinMusk

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesViolet, Neroli, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for Blonde, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring92

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Date 41%Party 37%Casual 13%Work 9%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,694

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#59,786

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerBlondeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Versace Blonde does not whisper. It commands attention immediately. Crafted in 1995 by perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer, this powerhouse white floral fragrance centers on an unapologetic explosion of buttery tuberose and humid gardenia. A bright flash of neroli and crisp bergamot cuts through the opening seconds before de…

Reviews →

Shades of Darkness is a dense, vintage-leaning oriental fragrance that moves from sharp galbanum greens to a deep, animalic, and resinous base. Launched in 2015, this composition offers a complex journey for those who appreciate old-school, heavy, and artistic perfumery suitable for cold weather evenings or formal aut…

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, Blonde or Shades of Darkness?

No clear winner: the 3 categories split 1–1. Blonde is rated 4.10/5 from 1,072 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Blonde for a white floral and tuberose character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Shades of Darkness for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Blonde or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Blonde 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Blonde or Shades of Darkness?

Projection is very close: Blonde 72/100, Shades of Darkness 72/100 for sillage.

Do Blonde and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Violet, Neroli, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Blonde or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

Blonde suits evening wear; Shades of Darkness suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Blonde and Shades of Darkness?

Blonde has top notes of Gardenia, Violet, Pitosporum and Neroli, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Narcissus and Carnation, a base of Civet, Benzoin and Musk. Shades of Darkness has top notes of Galbanum, Carnation, Artemisia and Fig Leaf, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Narcissus, Jasmine and Iris, a base of Incense, Tolu Balsam, Civet and Castoreum.