Fragrance comparison

Il Mercante di Sogni vs Shadow II pour Homme

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 86 ratings analysed

Il Mercante di Sogni

DFG1924

4.4416 votes

Rank #33,374 WoodyPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Shadow II pour Homme

Ajmal

3.7770 votes

Rank #16,853 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shadow II pour Homme takes 3 of 5 categories.

Il Mercante di Sogni
Choose it for a woody and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Shadow II pour Homme
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Il Mercante di Sogni2/5

Shadow II pour Homme3/5

Ratings & consensus: Il Mercante di Sogni
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Shadow II pour Homme
Sillage & projection: Il Mercante di Sogni
Value for money: Shadow II pour Homme
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shadow II pour Homme

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Il Mercante di SogniDFG1924

Shadow II pour HommeAjmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.44/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 27%Had 9%Want 64%

3.77/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 43%Had 28%Want 29%

Category winnerIl Mercante di SogniRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

25%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

26%Love

35%Like

30%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

57 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityShadow II pour Homme

SillageIl Mercante di Sogni

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value76

Category winnerShadow II pour HommeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

patchouli86%

powdery72%

amber58%

musky44%

warm spicy30%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

white floral77%

citrus69%

musky61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Musk

Heart3-5 hrs

CedarPatchouli

Base6-8+ hrs

Amber

Top

SaffronBergamot

Heart

Orange BlossomVetiverCedar

Base

AmberMuskPatchouli

InformationalShared notesMusk, Cedar, Patchouli and Amber. Durations are only published for Il Mercante di Sogni, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer57

Fall100

Winter57

Day100

Night79

Spring90

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men43

Unisex29

Women29

Work 33%Casual 30%Date 23%Party 14%

Men84

Unisex9

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,374

PerfumerRoberto Dario

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#16,853

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerShadow II pour HommeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

DFG1924 Il Mercante di Sogni delivers a calm, meditative woody experience centered on clean musk, dry cedarwood, and earthy patchouli. It opens with an airy musk that feels like freshly washed linen warmed by the sun. Within twenty minutes, chipped Virginia cedar and herbal patchouli step forward, cutting through any …

Reviews →

Ajmal Shadow II pour Homme is a saffron and bergamot opening that quickly turns into a warm, woody amber with a clean, slightly floral lift from orange blossom. As it dries down, vetiver, cedar and patchouli add a drier, earthier edge over musk. It reads unisex on paper, but many wearers find it leans more masculine a…

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, Il Mercante di Sogni or Shadow II pour Homme?

Shadow II pour Homme takes 3 of 5 categories. Il Mercante di Sogni is rated 4.44/5 from 16 votes; Shadow II pour Homme is rated 3.77/5 from 70 votes. Choose Il Mercante di Sogni for a woody and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Shadow II pour Homme for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Il Mercante di Sogni or Shadow II pour Homme?

They last about the same: Shadow II pour Homme 63/100, Il Mercante di Sogni 62/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Il Mercante di Sogni or Shadow II pour Homme?

Il Mercante di Sogni projects furthest (Il Mercante di Sogni 60/100, Shadow II pour Homme 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Il Mercante di Sogni and Shadow II pour Homme smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Musk, Cedar, Patchouli and Amber.

Is Il Mercante di Sogni or Shadow II pour Homme better for summer or winter?

Il Mercante di Sogni suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Il Mercante di Sogni and Shadow II pour Homme?

Il Mercante di Sogni has top notes of Musk, heart notes of Cedar and Patchouli, a base of Amber. Shadow II pour Homme has top notes of Saffron and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Vetiver and Cedar, a base of Amber, Musk and Patchouli.