Fragrance comparison

Private Ball vs Cuba Shadow

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 130 ratings analysed

Private Ball

Saint Hilaire · 2018

3.899 votes

Rank #52,661 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Cuba Shadow

Cuba Paris · 2018

4.04121 votes

Rank #13,770 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cuba Shadow takes 2 of 4 categories.

Private Ball
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Cuba Shadow
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Private Ball1/4

Cuba Shadow2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Private Ball
Value for money: Cuba Shadow
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cuba Shadow

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Private BallSaint Hilaire

Cuba ShadowCuba Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 47%Had 13%Want 40%

4.04/ 5 · 121 votes

Have 64%Had 17%Want 19%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

11%Love

67%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

27%Love

56%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

121 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillagePrivate Ball

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value72

¤ Price value92

Category winnerCuba ShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery83%

musky65%

warm spicy48%

aromatic30%

citrus100%

fresh spicy91%

aromatic83%

woody74%

green65%

musky56%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, musky and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mint

Heart

LavenderNutmeg

Base

SandalwoodMuskCedar

Top

LemonMintPink PepperGrapefruit

Heart

GingerIso E SuperNutmegJasmine

Base

SandalwoodIncensePatchouliCedarMuskLabdanum

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer83

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night80

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter32

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex0

Women14

Men92

Unisex6

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,661

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2018

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,770

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2018

Reviews11

Category winnerCuba ShadowHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Private Ball by Saint Hilaire opens with a refreshing splash of cool garden mint that immediately energizes your morning routine. As the initial brightness softens, a comforting heart of clean lavender and grated nutmeg unfolds, creating a soothing barbershop warmth. The dry-down settles into creamy sandalwood, dry Vi…

Reviews →

Cuba Shadow by Cuba Paris is a straightforward, wallet-friendly aromatic cologne built around energizing citrus, cool herbs, and crisp woods. It opens with an immediate burst of tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, and cool spearmint, accented by a pinch of crushed pink pepper. As the initial freshness settles on your skin,…

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, Private Ball or Cuba Shadow?

Cuba Shadow takes 2 of 4 categories. Private Ball is rated 3.89/5 from 9 votes; Cuba Shadow is rated 4.04/5 from 121 votes. Choose Private Ball for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Cuba Shadow for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Private Ball or Cuba Shadow?

They last about the same: Private Ball 48/100, Cuba Shadow 48/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Private Ball or Cuba Shadow?

Private Ball projects furthest (Private Ball 58/100, Cuba Shadow 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Private Ball and Cuba Shadow smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, musky and aromatic accords. Common notes include Mint, Nutmeg, Sandalwood and Musk.

Is Private Ball or Cuba Shadow better for summer or winter?

Private Ball suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Private Ball and Cuba Shadow?

Private Ball has top notes of Mint, heart notes of Lavender and Nutmeg, a base of Sandalwood, Musk and Cedar. Cuba Shadow has top notes of Lemon, Mint, Pink Pepper and Grapefruit, heart notes of Ginger, Iso E Super, Nutmeg and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Incense, Patchouli and Cedar.