Fragrance comparison

Mayfair vs Shem

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 525 ratings analysed

Mayfair

Boadicea the Victorious

4.4478 votes

Rank #4,401 AnimalicWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Shem

Nishane

4.06447 votes

Rank #1,955 AromaticRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Mayfair
Choose it for a animalic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Shem
Choose it for a aromatic and rose character. Wins on longevity, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Mayfair3/7

Shem3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MayfairBoadicea the Victorious

ShemNishane

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.44/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.06/ 5 · 447 votes

Have 46%Had 9%Want 46%

Category winnerMayfairRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

64%Love

24%Like

3%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

78 votes

52%Love

21%Like

13%Ok

9%Dislike

5%Hate

447 votes

Category winnerMayfairMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityShem

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value29

¤ Price value23

Category winnerMayfairBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

animalic100%

woody92%

leather84%

musky77%

warm spicy69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

rose92%

woody84%

earthy77%

leather69%

floral61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BeeswaxBirchClovesCardamom

Heart

LeatherTurkish RoseOrange BlossomJasmine

Base

CivetAgarwood (Oud)SandalwoodAmberCedarPatchouliVetiverCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Top

Turkish RoseGeraniumCardamom

Heart

Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaOsmanthusAmber

Base

LeatherVetiverelemi

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Leather, Turkish Rose and Amber. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer15

Fall88

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring60

Summer20

Fall97

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerShemMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex19

Women6

Men51

Unisex43

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,401

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#1,955

PerfumerLucas Sieuzac

Launched—

Reviews69

Category winnerShemHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mayfair by Boadicea the Victorious opens with a sharp burst of bitter cypriol oil, green cardamom, and dry birch bark. As the top notes clear, dense golden beeswax coats a raw heart of dark leather, Turkish rose, and pungent civet. The dry-down settles into smoky agarwood, sandalwood, and warm amber that stays thick o…

Reviews →

Shem by Nishane is a heavy oriental floral fragrance built around a sharp contrast of dark Turkish rose, bitter cypriol oil, and rugged leather. Formulated as an extrait de parfum by Lucas Sieuzac, it opens with a medicinal burst of cardamom and geranium before settling into a warm base of amber, vetiver, and elemi. D…

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, Mayfair or Shem?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Mayfair is rated 4.44/5 from 78 votes; Shem is rated 4.06/5 from 447 votes. Choose Mayfair for a animalic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Shem for a aromatic and rose character. Wins on longevity, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Mayfair or Shem?

Shem lasts longest (Shem 88/100, Mayfair 84/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mayfair or Shem?

Projection is very close: Mayfair 77/100, Shem 77/100 for sillage.

Do Mayfair and Shem smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and leather accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Leather, Turkish Rose and Amber.

Is Mayfair or Shem better for summer or winter?

For summer, Shem is the stronger pick. For winter, Mayfair is the stronger pick. Mayfair suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mayfair and Shem?

Mayfair has top notes of Beeswax, Birch, Cloves and Cardamom, heart notes of Leather, Turkish Rose, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Civet, Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood and Amber. Shem has top notes of Turkish Rose, Geranium and Cardamom, heart notes of Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Osmanthus and Amber, a base of Leather, Vetiver and elemi.