Fragrance comparison

Shi vs Velvet Vanilla

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 19 ratings analysed

Shi

Papa James

4.205 votes

Rank #52,908 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Velvet Vanilla

Rituals

3.6814 votes

Rank #21,888 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Velvet Vanilla takes 3 of 4 categories.

Shi
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Velvet Vanilla
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Shi1/4

Velvet Vanilla3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Velvet Vanilla
Sillage & projection: Velvet Vanilla
Value for money: Shi
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Velvet Vanilla

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ShiPapa James

Velvet VanillaRituals

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 70%Had 0%Want 30%

3.68/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 86%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

80%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

0%Love

50%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityVelvet Vanilla

SillageVelvet Vanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value50

Category winnerShiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

woody92%

citrus84%

white floral77%

sweet69%

powdery61%

vanilla100%

amber92%

patchouli84%

balsamic77%

animalic69%

woody61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Violet LeavesRaspberryBergamotApricotLemonApplePear

Heart2-4 hrs

TuberoseJasmineFreesiaRose

Base6-8 hrs

SandalwoodPatchouliAmbergrisVanillaCypressMusk

Top

FreesiaBergamot

Heart

AmbergrisJasmine

Base

VanillaPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Jasmine, Freesia and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Shi, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall67

Winter67

Day100

Night47

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Casual 36%Work 31%Date 20%Party 12%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,908

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#21,888

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerVelvet VanillaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shi by Papa James launches with a crisp snap of violet leaves, tart bergamot, and juicy apricot. The initial alcohol rush fades within three minutes. Then, a lush heart of tuberose, white jasmine, and freesia takes over without feeling heavy. You get clean sweetness rather than sticky syrup. As it settles onto skin, c…

Reviews →

Velvet Vanilla by Rituals is a warm, resinous scent that balances soft floral top notes with a deep, gourmand base. It opens with bright freesia and bergamot before settling into a rich heart of jasmine and ambergris. As it dries, the vanilla and patchouli create a cozy, skin-hugging finish. It works well as a daily f…

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, Shi or Velvet Vanilla?

Velvet Vanilla takes 3 of 4 categories. Shi is rated 4.20/5 from 5 votes; Velvet Vanilla is rated 3.68/5 from 14 votes. Choose Shi for a fruity and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Velvet Vanilla for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Shi or Velvet Vanilla?

Velvet Vanilla lasts longest (Velvet Vanilla 78/100, Shi 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shi or Velvet Vanilla?

Velvet Vanilla projects furthest (Velvet Vanilla 66/100, Shi 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shi and Velvet Vanilla smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Jasmine, Freesia and Patchouli.

Is Shi or Velvet Vanilla better for summer or winter?

Shi suits daytime wear; Velvet Vanilla suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shi and Velvet Vanilla?

Shi has top notes of Violet Leaves, Raspberry, Bergamot and Apricot, heart notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Freesia and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Ambergris and Vanilla. Velvet Vanilla has top notes of Freesia and Bergamot, heart notes of Ambergris and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla and Patchouli.