Fragrance comparison

Shades Of Lust vs Black Forest Elixir

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 106 ratings analysed

Shades Of Lust

Zara

3.4953 votes

Rank #18,610 FruityWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Black Forest Elixir

Al Ambra

4.2453 votes

Rank #5,380 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Forest Elixir takes 5 of 5 categories.

Shades Of Lust
Choose it for a fruity and white floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Black Forest Elixir
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Shades Of Lust0/5

Black Forest Elixir5/5

Ratings & consensus: Black Forest Elixir
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Black Forest Elixir
Sillage & projection: Black Forest Elixir
Value for money: Black Forest Elixir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Forest Elixir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Shades Of LustZara

Black Forest ElixirAl Ambra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.49/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 44%Had 6%Want 50%

4.24/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 20%Had 5%Want 74%

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

21%Love

40%Like

17%Ok

13%Dislike

9%Hate

53 votes

44%Love

50%Like

6%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityBlack Forest Elixir

SillageBlack Forest Elixir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value84

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

white floral88%

sweet77%

musky65%

powdery53%

citrus42%

citrus100%

musky92%

aldehydic84%

white floral77%

woody69%

fresh61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both white floral, musky and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

White Peach

Heart

Orange Blossom

Base

Musk

Top

AldehydesMandarin OrangeWhite PeachBergamot

Heart

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyAmbretteVetiverMahonia

Base

AmbroxanVanillaMuskAkigalawoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesWhite Peach, Orange Blossom and Musk. 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

Summer76

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night55

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter25

Day100

Night57

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex6

Women91

Men27

Unisex45

Women27

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,610

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#5,380

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerBlack Forest ElixirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Zara Shades Of Lust opens with an intense spray of white peach that carries a crisp, slightly sharp fruitiness. The heart quickly unfolds with fresh orange blossom, softening the initial fruit pop into a lush white floral profile. As hours pass, the scent settles into a dense base of powdery musk that adds warmth and …

Reviews →

Black Forest Elixir is a bright, clean aldehydic floral musk with a juicy peach and citrus lift. It opens sparkly and soapy-fresh, then settles into orange blossom and soft white florals over musky ambroxan, with a touch of vanilla and woods. It is often described as polished and airy, but it can lean more feminine on…

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 Of Lust or Black Forest Elixir?

Black Forest Elixir takes 5 of 5 categories. Shades Of Lust is rated 3.49/5 from 53 votes; Black Forest Elixir is rated 4.24/5 from 53 votes. Choose Shades Of Lust for a fruity and white floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Black Forest Elixir for a citrus and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Shades Of Lust or Black Forest Elixir?

Black Forest Elixir lasts longest (Black Forest Elixir 84/100, Shades Of Lust 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shades Of Lust or Black Forest Elixir?

Black Forest Elixir projects furthest (Black Forest Elixir 76/100, Shades Of Lust 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shades Of Lust and Black Forest Elixir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, musky and citrus accords. Common notes include White Peach, Orange Blossom and Musk.

Is Shades Of Lust or Black Forest Elixir better for summer or winter?

Shades Of Lust suits daytime wear; Black Forest Elixir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shades Of Lust and Black Forest Elixir?

Shades Of Lust has top notes of White Peach, heart notes of Orange Blossom, a base of Musk. Black Forest Elixir has top notes of Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange, White Peach and Bergamot, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Ambrette and Vetiver, a base of Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musk and Akigalawood.