Fragrance comparison

Book of Shadows vs Clean Slate

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 116 ratings analysed

Book of Shadows

Alkemia Perfumes

3.5691 votes

Rank #10,113 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Clean Slate

Seven Gates

4.2025 votes

Rank #20,589 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Clean Slate takes 4 of 7 categories.

Book of Shadows
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Clean Slate
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Book of Shadows2/7

Clean Slate4/7

Ratings & consensus: Clean Slate
Community sentiment: Clean Slate
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Clean Slate
Value for money: Book of Shadows
Versatility: Clean Slate
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Book of Shadows

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Book of ShadowsAlkemia Perfumes

Clean SlateSeven Gates

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 91 votes

Have 23%Had 7%Want 70%

4.20/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 16%Had 2%Want 82%

Category winnerClean SlateRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

38%Like

18%Ok

11%Dislike

5%Hate

66 votes

64%Love

16%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

12%Hate

25 votes

Category winnerClean SlateMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageClean Slate

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value74

¤ Price value63

Category winnerBook of ShadowsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky90%

amber80%

animalic70%

balsamic60%

aromatic50%

woody100%

leather83%

aromatic65%

smoky48%

warm spicy30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both leather, smoky and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LeatherIncenseInkPaper

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AbsintheInkIncenseNutmegCinnamonBlue Lavender

Heart

BirchVetiverGuaiac WoodWhiskey

Base

PapyrusLeatherCastoreumPatchouli

InformationalShared notesLeather, Incense and Ink. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring10

Summer14

Fall100

Winter76

Day100

Night–

Spring73

Summer27

Fall64

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Category winnerClean SlateMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men26

Unisex65

Women9

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,113

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews33

Overall rank#20,589

PerfumerEmilie Bouge

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerBook of ShadowsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Book of Shadows by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Clean Slate by Seven Gates is a dry woody fragrance that cuts through damp weather with a sharp, botanical edge. Developed by perfumer Emilie Bouge in 2024, it layers bitter absinthe and cold incense over a dark base of vetiver and smoky birch. It is built for someone looking for a quiet, introspective scent that thri…

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, Book of Shadows or Clean Slate?

Clean Slate takes 4 of 7 categories. Book of Shadows is rated 3.56/5 from 91 votes; Clean Slate is rated 4.20/5 from 25 votes. Choose Book of Shadows for a leather and smoky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Clean Slate for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Book of Shadows or Clean Slate?

They last about the same: Book of Shadows 78/100, Clean Slate 78/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Book of Shadows or Clean Slate?

Clean Slate projects furthest (Clean Slate 73/100, Book of Shadows 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Book of Shadows and Clean Slate smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share leather, smoky and aromatic accords. Common notes include Leather, Incense and Ink.

Is Book of Shadows or Clean Slate better for summer or winter?

For summer, Clean Slate is the stronger pick. For winter, Clean Slate is the stronger pick. Book of Shadows suits daytime wear; Clean Slate suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Book of Shadows and Clean Slate?

Book of Shadows features Leather, Incense, Ink and Paper. Clean Slate has top notes of Absinthe, Ink, Incense and Nutmeg, heart notes of Birch, Vetiver, Guaiac Wood and Whiskey, a base of Papyrus, Leather, Castoreum and Patchouli.