Fragrance comparison

Shades of Darkness vs Whip (1953)

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 8 ratings analysed

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #63,819 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Whip (1953)

Le Galion

4.001 votes

Rank #61,658 AromaticEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Whip (1953)
Choose it for a aromatic and earthy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer.

Shades of Darkness2/3

Whip (1953)1/3

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: Whip (1953)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Whip (1953)Le Galion

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 6%Had 9%Want 85%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 17%Had 17%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

57%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value75

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

earthy92%

woody84%

citrus77%

violet69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

Top15 to 30 minutes

CitrusesCalabrian bergamotTarragonLavenderCardamom

Heart1 to 2 hours

JasmineVioletIrisGalbanum

Base2 to 3 hours

OakmossVetiverPatchouliLeather

InformationalShared notesGalbanum, Bergamot, Jasmine and Iris. Durations are only published for Whip (1953), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#63,819

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#61,658

PerfumerPaul Vacher

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerWhip (1953)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Whip (1953) by Le Galion is a classic aromatic chypre designed around crisp freshness and dry herbal textures. Composed by Paul Vacher, it opens with a bright flash of Calabrian bergamot, mixed citruses, tarragon, and lavender, producing an immediate barbershop briskness. The heart reveals bitter green galbanum alongs…

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 of Darkness or Whip (1953)?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes; Whip (1953) is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Shades of Darkness for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Whip (1953) for a aromatic and earthy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer.

Which lasts longer, Shades of Darkness or Whip (1953)?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Whip (1953) 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shades of Darkness or Whip (1953)?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Whip (1953) 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shades of Darkness and Whip (1953) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Galbanum, Bergamot, Jasmine and Iris.

Is Shades of Darkness or Whip (1953) better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Shades of Darkness and Whip (1953)?

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. Whip (1953) has top notes of Citruses, Calabrian bergamot, Tarragon and Lavender, heart notes of Jasmine, Violet, Iris and Galbanum, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Patchouli and Leather.