Fragrance comparison

Dalai Lama vs Black Shadow

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 39 ratings analysed

Dalai Lama

Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

3.7218 votes

Rank #45,198 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Black Shadow

Chris Adams

4.1421 votes

Rank #21,118 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Shadow takes 4 of 6 categories.

Dalai Lama
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Black Shadow
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Dalai Lama2/6

Black Shadow4/6

Ratings & consensus: Black Shadow
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Shadow
Sillage & projection: Dalai Lama
Value for money: Black Shadow
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Dalai Lama
Fragranxe ranking: Black Shadow

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dalai LamaParfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

Black ShadowChris Adams

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.72/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 35%Had 25%Want 40%

4.14/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 35%Had 27%Want 37%

Category winnerBlack ShadowRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

56%Like

11%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

48%Love

33%Like

5%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityBlack Shadow

SillageDalai Lama

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value88

Category winnerBlack ShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

green77%

soft spicy69%

fresh61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

herbal77%

lavender69%

woody61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and herbal

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

TeaSagePepperLemonOakmossGeranium

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

LemonBergamotBasil

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderGeraniumWormwoodYlang-YlangSageCinnamon

Base5-8 hrs

OakmossMuskCoumarin

Category winnerDalai LamaLongest dry-down: 6-8 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer100

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night41

Spring63

Summer75

Fall63

Winter100

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Casual 37%Work 35%Date 19%Party 9%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 43%Work 37%Date 11%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,198

PerfumerChristian Louis

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#21,118

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerBlack ShadowHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dalai Lama by Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque trades bright sunshine for contemplative mountain air. It does not hit you with sweet confectionary citrus. Instead, the opening bursts with brisk, bitter lemon rinds steeped alongside earthy herbal sage and steamy black tea leaves. Sharp black pepper creates a prickly,…

Reviews →

Chris Adams Black Shadow hits the air with a brisk crackle of cold lemon, bergamot rind, and freshly crushed basil. It wastes zero time. That sharp citrus slap immediately wakes up your senses, evoking the brisk sting of traditional aftershave tonic. Within twenty minutes, the initial bite yields to a clean heart of h…

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, Dalai Lama or Black Shadow?

Black Shadow takes 4 of 6 categories. Dalai Lama is rated 3.72/5 from 18 votes; Black Shadow is rated 4.14/5 from 21 votes. Choose Dalai Lama for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Black Shadow for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dalai Lama or Black Shadow?

Black Shadow lasts longest (Black Shadow 70/100, Dalai Lama 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dalai Lama or Black Shadow?

Dalai Lama projects furthest (Dalai Lama 67/100, Black Shadow 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dalai Lama and Black Shadow smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and herbal accords. Common notes include Sage, Lemon, Oakmoss and Geranium.

Is Dalai Lama or Black Shadow better for summer or winter?

Dalai Lama suits daytime wear; Black Shadow suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dalai Lama and Black Shadow?

Dalai Lama features Tea, Sage, Pepper, Lemon and Oakmoss. Black Shadow has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot and Basil, heart notes of Lavender, Geranium, Wormwood and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Musk and Coumarin.