Fragrance comparison

Mousse Arashiyama vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 160 ratings analysed

Mousse Arashiyama

Le Jardin Retrouve

3.64153 votes

Rank #14,019 WoodyFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #63,819 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Mousse Arashiyama
Choose it for a woody and fresh character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Mousse Arashiyama1/3

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: Mousse Arashiyama

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mousse ArashiyamaLe Jardin Retrouve

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.64/ 5 · 153 votes

Have 26%Had 7%Want 67%

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

33%Love

30%Like

13%Ok

17%Dislike

7%Hate

153 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

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh92%

green84%

aquatic77%

amber69%

mossy61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both woody, amber and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

IncenseMastic or LentisqueBergamot

Heart2 to 4 hours

Fig LeafWater NotesFig

Base4 to 7 hours

MossVetiverCedar

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesIncense, Bergamot, Fig Leaf and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Mousse Arashiyama, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer70

Fall59

Winter15

Day100

Night30

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex75

Women12

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,019

PerfumerMaxence Moutte

Launched—

Reviews22

Overall rank#63,819

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMousse ArashiyamaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mousse Arashiyama by Le Jardin Retrouve presents an unusual aromatic green profile that contrasts cool dampness with dry smoke. The opening delivers bright bergamot paired with resinous mastic and a distinct hit of incense. As the initial freshness settles, crisp fig leaf and watery notes emerge alongside the soft swe…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Mousse Arashiyama or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Mousse Arashiyama is rated 3.64/5 from 153 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Mousse Arashiyama for a woody and fresh character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime 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, Mousse Arashiyama or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Mousse Arashiyama 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mousse Arashiyama or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Mousse Arashiyama 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mousse Arashiyama and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and green accords. Common notes include Incense, Bergamot, Fig Leaf and Vetiver.

Is Mousse Arashiyama or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

Mousse Arashiyama suits daytime wear; Shades of Darkness suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mousse Arashiyama and Shades of Darkness?

Mousse Arashiyama has top notes of Incense, Mastic or Lentisque and Bergamot, heart notes of Fig Leaf, Water Notes and Fig, a base of Moss, Vetiver and Cedar. 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.