Fragrance comparison

Otto Kern Commitment Man vs Shades Blue

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 117 ratings analysed

Otto Kern Commitment Man

Otto Kern

3.4212 votes

Rank #52,132 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Shades Blue

Armaf

3.67105 votes

Rank #14,016 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades Blue takes 4 of 5 categories.

Otto Kern Commitment Man
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Shades Blue
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring.

Otto Kern Commitment Man1/5

Shades Blue4/5

Ratings & consensus: Shades Blue
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Shades Blue
Sillage & projection: Otto Kern Commitment Man
Value for money: Shades Blue
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shades Blue

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Otto Kern Commitment ManOtto Kern

Shades BlueArmaf

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.42/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 28%Had 19%Want 53%

3.67/ 5 · 105 votes

Have 56%Had 19%Want 25%

Category winnerShades BlueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

8%Love

58%Like

8%Ok

17%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

29%Love

35%Like

20%Ok

7%Dislike

10%Hate

105 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityShades Blue

SillageOtto Kern Commitment Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value84

Category winnerShades BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic83%

green65%

fresh spicy48%

woody30%

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

citrus70%

warm spicy60%

earthy50%

Scent match59%Closely related · both aromatic, citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LimeMintGrapefruit

Heart

MartiniCardamomNutmeg

Base

CedarVetiver

Top

GrapefruitCardamomBergamotLemon

Heart

GingerPineRosemaryNutmegMint

Base

VetiverSpicesPatchouliCedarSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMint, Grapefruit, Cardamom and Nutmeg. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer29

Fall71

Winter71

Day100

Night63

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,132

PerfumerVéronique Nyberg

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#14,016

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews22

Category winnerShades BlueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Otto Kern Commitment Man opens with an energetic burst of tart lime, bitter grapefruit, and cool blue mint. As the bright citrus top settles on skin, an unexpected vermouth and martini accord emerges alongside dry nutmeg and warm cardamom, giving the heart a crisp cocktail profile. The foundation stays grounded in cle…

Reviews →

Armaf Shades Blue hits the skin with a sharp blast of sour lemon and bitter grapefruit, a bracing wake-up call that feels clean and highly synthetic. Within ten minutes, the initial citric bite relaxes as herbaceous rosemary and cooling mint emerge, backed by a dry pine note that adds a resinous, forest-like quality. …

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, Otto Kern Commitment Man or Shades Blue?

Shades Blue takes 4 of 5 categories. Otto Kern Commitment Man is rated 3.42/5 from 12 votes; Shades Blue is rated 3.67/5 from 105 votes. Choose Otto Kern Commitment Man for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Shades Blue for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Otto Kern Commitment Man or Shades Blue?

They last about the same: Shades Blue 57/100, Otto Kern Commitment Man 55/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Otto Kern Commitment Man or Shades Blue?

Otto Kern Commitment Man projects furthest (Otto Kern Commitment Man 64/100, Shades Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Otto Kern Commitment Man and Shades Blue smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Mint, Grapefruit, Cardamom and Nutmeg.

Is Otto Kern Commitment Man or Shades Blue better for summer or winter?

Otto Kern Commitment Man suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Otto Kern Commitment Man and Shades Blue?

Otto Kern Commitment Man has top notes of Lime, Mint and Grapefruit, heart notes of Martini, Cardamom and Nutmeg, a base of Cedar and Vetiver. Shades Blue has top notes of Grapefruit, Cardamom, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Ginger, Pine, Rosemary and Nutmeg, a base of Vetiver, Spices, Patchouli and Cedar.