Fragrance comparison

Dark Shadows vs Royal Flush

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 13 ratings analysed

Dark Shadows

Panthenol EXTRA

3.577 votes

Rank #52,272 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Royal Flush

Testament London

4.176 votes

Rank #49,977 RoseWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Royal Flush takes 3 of 4 categories.

Dark Shadows
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Royal Flush
Choose it for a rose and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Dark Shadows1/4

Royal Flush3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Royal Flush
Sillage & projection: Royal Flush
Value for money: Dark Shadows
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Royal Flush

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark ShadowsPanthenol EXTRA

Royal FlushTestament London

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.57/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 33%Had 8%Want 58%

4.17/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 7%Want 79%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

57%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

67%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityRoyal Flush

SillageRoyal Flush

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value67

Category winnerDark ShadowsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

vanilla77%

aromatic69%

metallic61%

rose100%

warm spicy91%

oud83%

floral74%

amber65%

citrus56%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Neroli

Heart2-4 hrs

SaffronPepper

Base6-8 hrs

Tonka BeanCedarwoodSandalwoodMusk

Top

Pink PepperSaffronLemonCardamomBergamot

Heart

RoseAgarwoodJasmineNeroliPatchouli

Base

SandalwoodLabdanumTonkaAmberMuskVanillaCedarwood

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Saffron, Cedarwood and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Dark Shadows, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Casual 36%Work 30%Date 22%Party 13%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,272

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#49,977

PerfumerGökhan Şimşek

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerRoyal FlushHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Shadows by Panthenol EXTRA brings an intriguing contrast between crisp citrus and brooding warmth. The opening sparks with sharp neroli. That fleeting floral freshness quickly yields to a dry rush of black pepper and bittersweet saffron. It feels brisk. Soon, the fragrance pivots into its true identity as a warm …

Reviews →

Royal Flush by Testament London opens with a burst of pink pepper and saffron before settling into a dark rose and oud heart. It finishes on a warm base of amber, sandalwood, and vanilla. This fragrance is built for cool autumn nights when you want a rich, spicy scent that hugs the skin for hours.

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, Dark Shadows or Royal Flush?

Royal Flush takes 3 of 4 categories. Dark Shadows is rated 3.57/5 from 7 votes; Royal Flush is rated 4.17/5 from 6 votes. Choose Dark Shadows for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Royal Flush for a rose and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dark Shadows or Royal Flush?

Royal Flush lasts longest (Royal Flush 75/100, Dark Shadows 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Shadows or Royal Flush?

Royal Flush projects furthest (Royal Flush 69/100, Dark Shadows 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dark Shadows and Royal Flush smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Neroli, Saffron, Cedarwood and Sandalwood.

Is Dark Shadows or Royal Flush better for summer or winter?

Dark Shadows suits evening wear; Royal Flush suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Shadows and Royal Flush?

Dark Shadows has top notes of Neroli, heart notes of Saffron and Pepper, a base of Tonka Bean, Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Musk. Royal Flush has top notes of Pink Pepper, Saffron, Lemon and Cardamom, heart notes of Rose, Agarwood, Jasmine and Neroli, a base of Sandalwood, Labdanum, Tonka and Amber.