Fragrance comparison

Rose du Desert vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 80 ratings analysed

Rose du Desert

Houbigant

3.9273 votes

Rank #28,201 PowderyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #58,651 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Rose du Desert
Choose it for a powdery and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Rose du Desert1/3

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: Rose du Desert

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Rose du DesertHoubigant

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.92/ 5 · 73 votes

Have 29%Had 9%Want 62%

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

36%Love

32%Like

25%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

73 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

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

citrus92%

woody84%

amber77%

rose69%

violet61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both amber, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Lemon BlossomYuzuBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseIrisVioletVanilla

Base6-8+ hrs

AmbergrisCedarPatchouliMusk

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Iris, Violet and Ambergris. Durations are only published for Rose du Desert, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring44

Summer7

Fall100

Winter89

Day100

Night92

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men24

Unisex35

Women41

Date 40%Work 23%Casual 20%Party 17%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,201

PerfumerAntoine Lie, Luca Maffei

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#58,651

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerRose du DesertHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Rose du Desert by Houbigant takes the idea of a desert bloom and strips away any sticky, cloying syrup. The citrus hits immediately. Tart yuzu, bergamot, and lemon blossom create a sharp, invigorating initial burst before giving way to something far softer. Within twenty minutes, the fragrance shifts into a dry, velve…

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, Rose du Desert or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Rose du Desert is rated 3.92/5 from 73 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Rose du Desert for a powdery and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, 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, Rose du Desert or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Rose du Desert 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Rose du Desert or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Rose du Desert 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Rose du Desert and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Iris, Violet and Ambergris.

Is Rose du Desert or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

Rose du Desert suits daytime wear; Shades of Darkness suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Rose du Desert and Shades of Darkness?

Rose du Desert has top notes of Lemon Blossom, Yuzu and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose, Iris, Violet and Vanilla, a base of Ambergris, Cedar, Patchouli and Musk. 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.