Ustad vs Black Shadow
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
77%scent match
Very similar
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Black Shadow takes 5 of 5 categories.
UstadChoose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Black ShadowChoose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Ustad0/5
Black Shadow5/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Black Shadow
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Black Shadow
- Sillage & projection
- Black Shadow
- Value for money
- Black Shadow
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Black Shadow
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
UstadNabeelBlack ShadowChris AdamsWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.59/ 5 · 17 votes
Have 44%Had 6%Want 50%
4.14/ 5 · 21 votes
Have 35%Had 27%Want 37%
Category winnerBlack ShadowRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate18%Love
41%Like
24%Ok
18%Dislike
0%Hate
17 votes · too few to score
48%Love
33%Like
5%Ok
14%Dislike
0%Hate
21 votes · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityBlack Shadow
SillageBlack Shadow
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerBlack ShadowBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
fresh spicy92%
citrus84%
mossy77%
lavender69%
herbal61%
aromatic100%
fresh spicy92%
citrus84%
herbal77%
lavender69%
woody61%
Scent match77%Very similar · both aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
BergamotLemonBasil
Heart
LavenderCinnamonGeraniumArtemisiaClary SageYlang-Ylang
Base
OakmossMuskCumin
Top15-30 mins
LemonBergamotBasil
Heart2-4 hrs
LavenderGeraniumWormwoodYlang-YlangSageCinnamon
Base5-8 hrs
OakmossMuskCoumarin
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Basil and Lavender. Durations are only published for Black Shadow, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer44
Fall100
Winter89
Day100
Night100
Spring63
Summer75
Fall63
Winter100
Day100
Night89
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#47,171
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews3
Overall rank#22,924
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews5
Category winnerBlack ShadowHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotNabeel Ustad delivers a classical aromatic fougere profile that balances sharp green herbs with warm spices. Bergamot and basil spark the opening, before settling into a soapy lavender and geranium heart. A dry down of cumin, oakmoss, and clean musk makes it a traditional scent for active daytime wear in warm weather.
Reviews →Chris Adams Black Shadow hits the air with a brisk crackle of cold lemon, bergamot rind, and freshly crushed basil. It wastes zero time. That sharp citrus slap immediately wakes up your senses, evoking the brisk sting of traditional aftershave tonic. Within twenty minutes, the initial bite yields to a clean heart of h…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
♛
PrometheuNecalliWINNER
vs
Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
PrometheuNecalliWINNER
vs
Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP
Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
NorthMendittorosaWINNER
BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER
Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Ustad or Black Shadow?
Black Shadow takes 5 of 5 categories. Ustad is rated 3.59/5 from 17 votes; Black Shadow is rated 4.14/5 from 21 votes. Choose Ustad for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Black Shadow for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Ustad or Black Shadow?
They last about the same: Black Shadow 70/100, Ustad 68/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Ustad or Black Shadow?
Black Shadow projects furthest (Black Shadow 63/100, Ustad 57/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Ustad and Black Shadow smell similar?
Very similar: a 77% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Basil and Lavender.
Is Ustad or Black Shadow better for summer or winter?
Ustad suits day or night wear; Black Shadow suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Ustad and Black Shadow?
Ustad has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Basil, heart notes of Lavender, Cinnamon, Geranium and Artemisia, a base of Oakmoss, Musk and Cumin. Black Shadow has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot and Basil, heart notes of Lavender, Geranium, Wormwood and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Musk and Coumarin.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons