Fragrance comparison

Shades Blue vs VE ± Velvet

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 169 ratings analysed

4 wins

Shades Blue

Armaf

3.67105 votes

Rank #12,807 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

VE ± Velvet

UERMI · 2014

3.5664 votes

Rank #31,871 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades Blue takes 4 of 7 categories.

Shades Blue
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
VE ± Velvet
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Shades Blue4/7

VE ± Velvet2/7

Ratings & consensus: Shades Blue
Community sentiment: Shades Blue
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: VE ± Velvet
Value for money: Shades Blue
Versatility: VE ± Velvet
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

VE ± VelvetUERMI

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 105 votes

Have 56%Had 19%Want 25%

3.56/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 38%Had 20%Want 42%

Category winnerShades BlueRating 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

17%Love

50%Like

5%Ok

28%Dislike

0%Hate

64 votes

Category winnerShades BlueMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageVE ± Velvet

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value31

Category winnerShades BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

citrus70%

warm spicy60%

earthy50%

aromatic100%

woody90%

green80%

earthy70%

citrus60%

warm spicy50%

Scent match65%Closely related · both woody, 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

Notes

VetiverelemiCedarMintLemonPatchouliCardamom

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Lemon, Mint and Vetiver. Durations are only published for VE ± Velvet, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer50

Fall94

Winter31

Day100

Night35

Category winnerVE ± VelvetMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

Men43

Unisex57

Women0

Work 40%Casual 34%Date 17%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,807

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews22

Overall rank#31,871

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched2014

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 →

The first spray gives a sharp shock of sour lemon and brisk crushed mint. It wakes you up immediately. Within two minutes, the initial alcohol vapor clears to reveal sticky elemi resin, lending a warm pine sap sweetness that prevents the citrus from turning sour or medicinal. Then the vetiver emerges. It is earthy, ro…

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, Shades Blue or VE ± Velvet?

Shades Blue takes 4 of 7 categories. Shades Blue is rated 3.67/5 from 105 votes; VE ± Velvet is rated 3.56/5 from 64 votes. Choose Shades Blue for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose VE ± Velvet for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Shades Blue or VE ± Velvet?

They last about the same: Shades Blue 57/100, VE ± Velvet 57/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Shades Blue or VE ± Velvet?

VE ± Velvet projects furthest (VE ± Velvet 57/100, Shades Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shades Blue and VE ± Velvet smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and citrus accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Lemon, Mint and Vetiver.

Is Shades Blue or VE ± Velvet better for summer or winter?

For summer, VE ± Velvet is the stronger pick. For winter, Shades Blue is the stronger pick. VE ± Velvet suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shades Blue and VE ± Velvet?

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. VE ± Velvet features Vetiver, elemi, Cedar, Mint and Lemon.