Fragrance comparison

Magma vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 45 ratings analysed

Magma

Andrea Maack

3.8238 votes

Rank #20,869 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #58,714 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

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

Magma1/3

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: Magma

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MagmaAndrea Maack

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 38 votes

Have 37%Had 4%Want 59%

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

39%Love

32%Like

11%Ok

8%Dislike

11%Hate

38 votes

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

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy91%

fresh spicy83%

rose74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Madagascar PepperIncenseLemon

Heart

MyrrhRoseSaffron

Base

SuedeTonka BeanPatchouli

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesIncense and Saffron. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer18

Fall88

Winter100

Day63

Night100

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men39

Unisex48

Women13

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,869

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#58,714

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMagmaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Andrea Maack Magma captures the mineral grit of Icelandic volcanic plains by pitting cold, zesty lemon oil against smoky resins. It transitions from a bracing cracked-pepper opening into a dry, velvety suede base. This unisex blend suits enthusiasts seeking an unconventional, earthy fragrance for chilly autumn days or…

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, Magma or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Magma is rated 3.82/5 from 38 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Magma for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, 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, Magma or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Magma 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Magma or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Magma 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Magma and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense and Saffron.

Is Magma or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Magma and Shades of Darkness?

Magma has top notes of Madagascar Pepper, Incense and Lemon, heart notes of Myrrh, Rose and Saffron, a base of Suede, Tonka Bean and Patchouli. 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.