Fragrance comparison

Cholon Social vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 9 ratings analysed

Cholon Social

VENUE

4.002 votes

Rank #59,445 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #59,739 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Cholon Social
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Cholon Social1/3

Shades of Darkness2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cholon SocialVENUE

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 8%Had 0%Want 92%

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

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

musky84%

sweet77%

fruity69%

amber61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

GingerFigFig TreeCherryRumNutmeg

Heart3-4 hrs

Red TeaTobaccoIncense

Base7-9 hrs

AmbroxanMuskGaiac WoodBenzoin

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Tobacco, Incense and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Cholon Social, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Date 35%Casual 26%Party 21%Work 18%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#59,445

PerfumerFabienne Bourhis

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#59,739

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerCholon SocialHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cholon Social by VENUE strikes an immediate balance between spiced fruit and smoky warmth. The opening hits with sharp fresh ginger, dark sweet cherry, and a splash of golden rum that feels alive on skin. Within twenty minutes, the initial boozy punch eases into earthy red tea leaves, dry tobacco, and slow-burning inc…

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, Cholon Social or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Cholon Social is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Cholon Social for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Shades of Darkness for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cholon Social or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Cholon Social 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cholon Social or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Cholon Social 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cholon Social and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Tobacco, Incense and Benzoin.

Is Cholon Social or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Cholon Social and Shades of Darkness?

Cholon Social has top notes of Ginger, Fig, Fig Tree and Cherry, heart notes of Red Tea, Tobacco and Incense, a base of Ambroxan, Musk, Gaiac Wood and Benzoin. 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.