Fragrance comparison

Marj vs Shadow

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 396 ratings analysed

4 wins

Marj

Ahmed Al Maghribi

4.23374 votes

Rank #125 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

Shadow

Bejar

3.9122 votes

Rank #41,771 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Marj takes 4 of 5 categories.

Marj
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Shadow
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Marj4/5

Shadow1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MarjAhmed Al Maghribi

ShadowBejar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 374 votes

Have 90%Had 10%Want 0%

3.91/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 42%Had 18%Want 40%

Category winnerMarjRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

23%Like

12%Ok

3%Dislike

3%Hate

182 votes

32%Love

55%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

14%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage86

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityMarj

SillageMarj

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value93

Category winnerShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

sweet84%

warm spicy77%

white floral69%

animalic61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

cinnamon77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match58%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HoneyOudPink PepperelemiNutmegBergamotMandarin

Heart

Cashmere WoodSaffronOrange BlossomJasmineCinnamonPatchouliVetiver

Base

AgarwoodLeatherAmberRaspberryAmbergrisOakmossSandalwoodMusk

Top

SaffronCinnamonNutmeg

Heart

Cashmere WoodSandalwoodPatchouli

Base

Sweet NotesAmber

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Cashmere Wood, Saffron and Cinnamon. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring77

Summer41

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring38

Summer8

Fall100

Winter85

Day78

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men26

Unisex67

Women7

Men82

Unisex18

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#125

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews104

Overall rank#41,771

PerfumerRamón Béjar

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMarjHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marj is a bold unisex scent built around honey, saffron, woods and oud, with white florals softening the richer edges. It opens spicy and dense, then settles into a sweet ambery leather-wood drydown with musk and a slightly animalic warmth. It is widely praised for strong projection and very long wear, but the opening…

Reviews →

Shadow by Bejar is a dry, woody scent that centers on sharp saffron and warm cinnamon. It wears best during crisp October afternoons when the cool air tempers its heat. Cashmere wood and patchouli ground the blend, creating a quiet, earthy hum that stays close to the skin without shouting.

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Marj or Shadow?

Marj takes 4 of 5 categories. Marj is rated 4.23/5 from 374 votes; Shadow is rated 3.91/5 from 22 votes. Choose Marj for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Shadow for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Marj or Shadow?

Marj lasts longest (Marj 91/100, Shadow 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Marj or Shadow?

Marj projects furthest (Marj 86/100, Shadow 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Marj and Shadow smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Cashmere Wood, Saffron and Cinnamon.

Is Marj or Shadow better for summer or winter?

Shadow suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Marj and Shadow?

Marj has top notes of Honey, Oud, Pink Pepper and elemi, heart notes of Cashmere Wood, Saffron, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood, Leather, Amber and Raspberry. Shadow has top notes of Saffron, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood and Patchouli, a base of Sweet Notes and Amber.