Fragrance comparison

Cuba Shadow vs Private Ball

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 130 ratings analysed

2 wins

Cuba Shadow

Cuba Paris · 2018

4.04121 votes

Rank #13,782 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Private Ball

Saint Hilaire · 2018

3.899 votes

Rank #52,691 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cuba Shadow takes 2 of 4 categories.

Cuba Shadow
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Private Ball
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Cuba Shadow2/4

Private Ball1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Private Ball
Value for money: Cuba Shadow
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cuba Shadow

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cuba ShadowCuba Paris

Private BallSaint Hilaire

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 121 votes

Have 64%Had 17%Want 19%

3.89/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 47%Had 13%Want 40%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

56%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

121 votes

11%Love

67%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillagePrivate Ball

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value92

¤ Price value72

Category winnerCuba ShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh spicy91%

aromatic83%

woody74%

green65%

musky56%

woody100%

powdery83%

musky65%

warm spicy48%

aromatic30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, musky and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonMintPink PepperGrapefruit

Heart

GingerIso E SuperNutmegJasmine

Base

SandalwoodIncensePatchouliCedarMuskLabdanum

Top

Mint

Heart

LavenderNutmeg

Base

SandalwoodMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesMint, Nutmeg, Sandalwood and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter32

Day–

Night–

Spring83

Summer83

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night80

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men92

Unisex6

Women2

Men86

Unisex0

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,782

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2018

Reviews11

Overall rank#52,691

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2018

Reviews0

Category winnerCuba ShadowHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cuba Shadow by Cuba Paris is a straightforward, wallet-friendly aromatic cologne built around energizing citrus, cool herbs, and crisp woods. It opens with an immediate burst of tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, and cool spearmint, accented by a pinch of crushed pink pepper. As the initial freshness settles on your skin,…

Reviews →

Private Ball by Saint Hilaire opens with a refreshing splash of cool garden mint that immediately energizes your morning routine. As the initial brightness softens, a comforting heart of clean lavender and grated nutmeg unfolds, creating a soothing barbershop warmth. The dry-down settles into creamy sandalwood, dry Vi…

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, Cuba Shadow or Private Ball?

Cuba Shadow takes 2 of 4 categories. Cuba Shadow is rated 4.04/5 from 121 votes; Private Ball is rated 3.89/5 from 9 votes. Choose Cuba Shadow for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Private Ball for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cuba Shadow or Private Ball?

They last about the same: Cuba Shadow 48/100, Private Ball 48/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Cuba Shadow or Private Ball?

Private Ball projects furthest (Private Ball 58/100, Cuba Shadow 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cuba Shadow and Private Ball smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, musky and aromatic accords. Common notes include Mint, Nutmeg, Sandalwood and Cedar.

Is Cuba Shadow or Private Ball better for summer or winter?

Private Ball suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cuba Shadow and Private Ball?

Cuba Shadow has top notes of Lemon, Mint, Pink Pepper and Grapefruit, heart notes of Ginger, Iso E Super, Nutmeg and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Incense, Patchouli and Cedar. Private Ball has top notes of Mint, heart notes of Lavender and Nutmeg, a base of Sandalwood, Musk and Cedar.