Fragrance comparison

Novel vs Shaman Gothic

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 67 ratings analysed

3 wins

Novel

ALT. Fragrances

4.5221 votes

Rank #19,275 WoodyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Shaman Gothic

Arno Sorel

3.8546 votes

Rank #27,225 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Novel takes 3 of 5 categories.

Novel
Choose it for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Shaman Gothic
Choose it for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Novel3/5

Shaman Gothic2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NovelALT. Fragrances

Shaman GothicArno Sorel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.52/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 46%Had 1%Want 53%

3.85/ 5 · 46 votes

Have 30%Had 20%Want 50%

Category winnerNovelRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

38%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

17%Love

67%Like

2%Ok

9%Dislike

4%Hate

46 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityNovel

SillageShaman Gothic

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value88

Category winnerShaman GothicBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

vanilla83%

powdery65%

fresh spicy48%

sweet30%

warm spicy100%

cinnamon91%

citrus83%

vanilla74%

aromatic65%

woody56%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both vanilla and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Vanilla

Heart

CedarPepper

Base

Woody NotesTonka Bean

Top

LemonGrapefruitOrange

Heart

CinnamonPepperCalamus

Base

Tonka BeanVanillaCedarVetiver

InformationalShared notesVanilla, Cedar, Pepper and Tonka Bean. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring8

Summer0

Fall100

Winter92

Day73

Night100

Spring65

Summer24

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night88

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex78

Women6

Men88

Unisex13

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#19,275

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#27,225

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerNovelHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Novel by ALT. Fragrances is a Oriental Vanilla fragrance for women and men. Top note is Vanilla; middle notes are Cedar and Pepper; base notes are Woody Notes and Tonka Bean.

Reviews →

Shaman Gothic opens with bright citrus, then turns warm and spicy with a clear cinnamon lift over soft vanilla, cedar, and vetiver. It reads like an easy woody spicy scent with a slightly sweet edge. For shoppers, the appeal is the fresh-spicy opening and approachable dry-down. The main caution is wear, which usually …

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, Novel or Shaman Gothic?

Novel takes 3 of 5 categories. Novel is rated 4.52/5 from 21 votes; Shaman Gothic is rated 3.85/5 from 46 votes. Choose Novel for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Shaman Gothic for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Novel or Shaman Gothic?

Novel lasts longest (Novel 64/100, Shaman Gothic 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Novel or Shaman Gothic?

Projection is very close: Shaman Gothic 61/100, Novel 60/100 for sillage.

Do Novel and Shaman Gothic smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla and woody accords. Common notes include Vanilla, Cedar, Pepper and Tonka Bean.

Is Novel or Shaman Gothic better for summer or winter?

Novel suits evening wear; Shaman Gothic suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Novel and Shaman Gothic?

Novel has top notes of Vanilla, heart notes of Cedar and Pepper, a base of Woody Notes and Tonka Bean. Shaman Gothic has top notes of Lemon, Grapefruit and Orange, heart notes of Cinnamon, Pepper and Calamus, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Cedar and Vetiver.