Fragrance comparison

Paris Izmir vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 154 ratings analysed

Paris Izmir

Carven

4.19147 votes

Rank #10,390 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #59,241 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Paris Izmir
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Paris Izmir1/3

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: Paris Izmir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Paris IzmirCarven

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 147 votes

Have 40%Had 14%Want 45%

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

41%Love

45%Like

5%Ok

7%Dislike

1%Hate

147 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

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

rose77%

floral69%

balsamic61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

FreesiaBergamot

Heart

RoseMyrrh

Base

SandalwoodBenzoinPatchouli

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesBergamot and Benzoin. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring30

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex34

Women60

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,390

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#59,241

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerParis IzmirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paris Izmir opens with a crisp flash of bergamot and freesia before revealing a dense heart of Turkish rose and smoky myrrh. Rich benzoin and earthy patchouli settle into the base, creating a cozy honeyed warmth. It suits cool October afternoons when you want a rich floral sweater scent.

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Paris Izmir or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Paris Izmir is rated 4.19/5 from 147 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Paris Izmir for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Shades of Darkness for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Paris Izmir or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Paris Izmir 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Paris Izmir or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Paris Izmir 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Paris Izmir and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot and Benzoin.

Is Paris Izmir or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Paris Izmir and Shades of Darkness?

Paris Izmir has top notes of Freesia and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose and Myrrh, a base of Sandalwood, Benzoin and Patchouli. 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.