Fragrance comparison

Shades Blue vs Summer 12.0

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 117 ratings analysed

3 wins

Shades Blue

Armaf

3.67105 votes

Rank #14,000 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Summer 12.0

Zara

4.0012 votes

Rank #39,076 AquaticCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades Blue takes 3 of 5 categories.

Shades Blue
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Summer 12.0
Choose it for a aquatic and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Shades Blue3/5

Summer 12.02/5

Ratings & consensus: Summer 12.0
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Summer 12.0
Sillage & projection: Shades Blue
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

Shades BlueArmaf

Summer 12.0Zara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 105 votes

Have 56%Had 19%Want 25%

4.00/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

Category winnerSummer 12.0Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

35%Like

20%Ok

7%Dislike

10%Hate

105 votes

25%Love

50%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage38

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevitySummer 12.0

SillageShades Blue

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value83

Category winnerShades BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

citrus70%

warm spicy60%

earthy50%

aquatic100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

green77%

fresh69%

vanilla61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both aromatic and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GrapefruitCardamomBergamotLemon

Heart

GingerPineRosemaryNutmegMint

Base

VetiverSpicesPatchouliCedarSandalwood

Top

CardamomAppleBergamotGrapefruitMint

Heart

PetitgrainWatery NotesRosemaryVetiver

Base

Tonka BeanMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Cardamom, Bergamot and Rosemary. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Spring44

Summer100

Fall33

Winter22

Day100

Night38

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

Men30

Unisex60

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,000

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews22

Overall rank#39,076

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerShades BlueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Summer 12.0 by Zara opens with a fast burst of tart grapefruit, sharp bergamot, and a cool snap of mint. Green apple and spicy cardamom sit right behind the citrus, creating a crisp, energetic top layer that feels made for bright daylight. As the sharp opening quietens, watery notes merge with herbal petitgrain and d…

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, Shades Blue or Summer 12.0?

Shades Blue takes 3 of 5 categories. Shades Blue is rated 3.67/5 from 105 votes; Summer 12.0 is rated 4.00/5 from 12 votes. Choose Shades Blue for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Summer 12.0 for a aquatic and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Shades Blue or Summer 12.0?

They last about the same: Summer 12.0 58/100, Shades Blue 57/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Shades Blue or Summer 12.0?

Shades Blue projects furthest (Shades Blue 50/100, Summer 12.0 38/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shades Blue and Summer 12.0 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and citrus accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Cardamom, Bergamot and Rosemary.

Is Shades Blue or Summer 12.0 better for summer or winter?

Summer 12.0 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shades Blue and Summer 12.0?

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. Summer 12.0 has top notes of Cardamom, Apple, Bergamot and Grapefruit, heart notes of Petitgrain, Watery Notes, Rosemary and Vetiver, a base of Tonka Bean, Musk and Cedar.