Fragrance comparison

The Shadow vs Circe

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 21 ratings analysed

4 wins

The Shadow

FA Paris Niche

4.5917 votes

Rank #20,469 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

77%scent match

Very similar

Circe

Mazzolari

4.254 votes

Rank #58,891 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Shadow takes 4 of 4 categories.

The Shadow
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Circe
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

The Shadow4/4

Circe0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The ShadowFA Paris Niche

CirceMazzolari

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.59/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 35%Had 3%Want 62%

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 24%Had 0%Want 76%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

41%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

75%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate90

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityThe Shadow

SillageThe Shadow

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value25

Category winnerThe ShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

oud84%

rose77%

leather69%

fresh spicy61%

amber100%

warm spicy91%

smoky83%

rose74%

leather65%

fresh spicy56%

Scent match77%Very similar · both amber, warm spicy and rose

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

RoseRaspberryGeranium

Heart

SaffronBirchAmber

Base

OudBenzoin

Top

GeraniumSaffronRose Petals

Heart

BirchTurkish RoseIncense

Base

BenzoinOudAmber

InformationalShared notesRose, Geranium, Saffron and Birch. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring30

Summer10

Fall60

Winter100

Day40

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,469

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#58,891

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerThe ShadowHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Shadow by FA Paris Niche is a rich, smoky rose and oud fragrance that delivers dark Middle Eastern flair without overwhelming your nose. It opens with a burst of tart, sweet raspberry, fresh geranium, and velvety red rose petals before settling into a warm core of golden amber, spicy saffron, and charred birch woo…

Reviews →

Circe by Mazzolari is a warm rose, saffron and smoke fragrance with an ambered oud base. The opening feels spicy and slightly aromatic, then the Turkish rose and incense bring a darker, textured heart. It should suit someone who likes rose fragrances with warmth, resin and a leathery smoky edge. With limited wear feed…

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

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Eau de BruxellesLibertin Louison Technique IndiscreteRUNNER-UP vs

Private ClubJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

PatchouliJouriRUNNER-UP vs

al03biehl parfumkunstwerkeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, The Shadow or Circe?

The Shadow takes 4 of 4 categories. The Shadow is rated 4.59/5 from 17 votes; Circe is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes. Choose The Shadow for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Circe for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, The Shadow or Circe?

The Shadow lasts longest (The Shadow 84/100, Circe 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Shadow or Circe?

The Shadow projects furthest (The Shadow 82/100, Circe 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Shadow and Circe smell similar?

Very similar: a 77% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and rose accords. Common notes include Rose, Geranium, Saffron and Birch.

Is The Shadow or Circe better for summer or winter?

The Shadow suits evening wear; Circe suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Shadow and Circe?

The Shadow has top notes of Rose, Raspberry and Geranium, heart notes of Saffron, Birch and Amber, a base of Oud and Benzoin. Circe has top notes of Geranium, Saffron and Rose Petals, heart notes of Birch, Turkish Rose and Incense, a base of Benzoin, Oud and Amber.