Fragrance comparison

Sylvan Song vs Shades of Darkness

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 31 ratings analysed

Sylvan Song

Grossmith

4.6724 votes

Rank #25,827 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Shades of Darkness

Nimere Parfums

3.007 votes

Rank #62,986 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories.

Sylvan Song
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Shades of Darkness
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Sylvan Song1/3

Shades of Darkness2/3

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: Sylvan Song

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sylvan SongGrossmith

Shades of DarknessNimere Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 27%Had 3%Want 69%

3.00/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 6%Had 9%Want 85%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

14%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

57%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityShades of Darkness

SillageShades of Darkness

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

white floral84%

rose77%

warm spicy69%

yellow floral61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

green77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Bergamot

Heart2 to 4 hours

JasmineRoseYlang-Ylang

Base6 to 10+ hours

PatchouliVetiverBenzoinIncenseTonka BeanMuskGuaiac Wood

Top

GalbanumCarnationArtemisiaFig LeafBlack currant leafBergamotNutmegSaffron

Heart

Ylang-YlangNarcissusJasmineIrisTobaccoChampacaVioletNeroli

Base

IncenseTolu BalsamCivetCastoreumAmbergrisCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Sylvan Song, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex55

Women27

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,827

PerfumerCeline Guivarch

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#62,986

PerfumerNikolay Eremin

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerSylvan SongHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sylvan Song by Grossmith delivers a classic floral woody profile centered on rich textures and deep resinous woods. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of bergamot that quickly softens into an opulent bouquet of jasmine, rose, and creamy ylang-ylang. As the florals settle, an earthy base of patchouli, guaiac wood, …

Reviews →

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 →

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

JeansMahoganyRUNNER-UP vs

Viva La Juicy So IntenseJuicy CoutureWINNER

1 person compared this today

Bad Boy Cobalt Parfum ElectriqueCarolina HerreraWINNER vs

Shiyaaka Shadow Khadlaj Perfumes for menKhadlaj PerfumesRUNNER-UP

2 people compared this today

Tiara Lux EditionHouse Of SillageRUNNER-UP vs

Knize Ten Golden EditionKnizeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Liyali Al HilmiyaNabeelWINNER vs

On ElJesus Del PozoRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Sylvan Song or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness takes 2 of 3 categories. Sylvan Song is rated 4.67/5 from 24 votes; Shades of Darkness is rated 3.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Sylvan Song for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Shades of Darkness for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Sylvan Song or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness lasts longest (Shades of Darkness 87/100, Sylvan Song 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sylvan Song or Shades of Darkness?

Shades of Darkness projects furthest (Shades of Darkness 72/100, Sylvan Song 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sylvan Song and Shades of Darkness smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver.

Is Sylvan Song or Shades of Darkness better for summer or winter?

Sylvan Song suits day or night wear; Shades of Darkness suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sylvan Song and Shades of Darkness?

Sylvan Song has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Rose and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Patchouli, Vetiver, Benzoin and Incense. 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.