Fragrance comparison

Racing Yellow vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 14 Oct 2026 10 ratings analysed

Racing Yellow

Sergio Scaglietti

4.333 votes

Rank #51,236 VanillaGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #59,578 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Racing Yellow
Choose it for a vanilla and green character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Racing Yellow1/3

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: Racing Yellow

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Racing YellowSergio Scaglietti

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 58%Had 8%Want 33%

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

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

green92%

ozonic84%

sweet77%

fresh69%

amber61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both green and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Ozonic notes

Heart

Fig LeafFig

Base

VanillaMyrrh

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesFig Leaf. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer100

Fall33

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,236

PerfumerSimone Scaglietti

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#59,578

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerRacing YellowHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Racing Yellow by Sergio Scaglietti presents a bright, unconventional pairing of ozonic notes and earthy fig. Launched in 2017, this scent captures the contrast of a coastal Mediterranean breeze and the sweet, resinous warmth of a traditional tart. It is a versatile choice for anyone seeking a fresh, fruit-forward comp…

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, Racing Yellow or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Racing Yellow is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Racing Yellow for a vanilla and green character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, 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, Racing Yellow or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Racing Yellow 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Racing Yellow or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Racing Yellow 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Racing Yellow and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share green and amber accords. Common notes include Fig Leaf.

Is Racing Yellow or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Racing Yellow and Shades of Darkness?

Racing Yellow has top notes of Ozonic notes, heart notes of Fig Leaf and Fig, a base of Vanilla and Myrrh. 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.