Fragrance comparison

Book of Shadows vs Squid

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 3,515 ratings analysed

Book of Shadows

Alkemia Perfumes

3.5691 votes

Rank #10,113 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Squid

Zoologist Perfumes

3.893,424 votes

Rank #1,159 AmberBalsamic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Squid takes 4 of 7 categories.

Book of Shadows
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Squid
Choose it for a amber and balsamic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Book of Shadows3/7

Squid4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Book of ShadowsAlkemia Perfumes

SquidZoologist Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 91 votes

Have 23%Had 7%Want 70%

3.89/ 5 · 3,424 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerSquidRating 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

44%Love

29%Like

11%Ok

11%Dislike

4%Hate

2,680 votes

Category winnerSquidMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBook of Shadows

SillageSquid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value74

¤ Price value49

Category winnerBook of ShadowsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky90%

amber80%

animalic70%

balsamic60%

aromatic50%

amber100%

balsamic90%

aromatic80%

woody70%

salty60%

smoky50%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both amber, balsamic and smoky

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

IncenseAmyl SalicylatePink Pepper

Heart

InkSea SaltOpoponax

Base

AmbergrisBenzoinMusk

InformationalShared notesIncense 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–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter76

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBook of ShadowsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men26

Unisex65

Women9

Men35

Unisex61

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,113

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews33

Overall rank#1,159

PerfumerCeline Barel

Launched—

Reviews530

Category winnerSquidHigher 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 →

Squid is a salty, inky ambergris style scent with incense at the core. It opens cleaner and lighter than the name suggests, then turns darker, brinier and more resinous as it settles. On skin, it often feels mysterious, warm and slightly alien rather than fresh blue aquatic. Sample first if you are sensitive to marin…

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 Squid?

Squid takes 4 of 7 categories. Book of Shadows is rated 3.56/5 from 91 votes; Squid is rated 3.89/5 from 3,424 votes. Choose Book of Shadows for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Squid for a amber and balsamic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Book of Shadows or Squid?

They last about the same: Book of Shadows 78/100, Squid 77/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Book of Shadows or Squid?

Projection is very close: Squid 63/100, Book of Shadows 62/100 for sillage.

Do Book of Shadows and Squid smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, balsamic and smoky accords. Common notes include Incense and Ink.

Is Book of Shadows or Squid better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Book of Shadows and Squid?

Book of Shadows features Leather, Incense, Ink and Paper. Squid has top notes of Incense, Amyl Salicylate and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Ink, Sea Salt and Opoponax, a base of Ambergris, Benzoin and Musk.