Fragrance comparison

VE ± Velvet vs Shades Blue

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 169 ratings analysed

VE ± Velvet

UERMI · 2014

3.5664 votes

Rank #31,865 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Shades Blue

Armaf

3.67105 votes

Rank #12,806 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shades Blue takes 4 of 7 categories.

VE ± Velvet
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Shades Blue
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

VE ± Velvet2/7

Shades Blue4/7

Ratings & consensus: Shades Blue
Community sentiment: Shades Blue
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: VE ± Velvet
Value for money: Shades Blue
Versatility: VE ± Velvet
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shades Blue

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

VE ± VelvetUERMI

Shades BlueArmaf

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 38%Had 20%Want 42%

3.67/ 5 · 105 votes

Have 56%Had 19%Want 25%

Category winnerShades BlueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

50%Like

5%Ok

28%Dislike

0%Hate

64 votes

29%Love

35%Like

20%Ok

7%Dislike

10%Hate

105 votes

Category winnerShades BlueMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageVE ± Velvet

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value84

Category winnerShades BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody90%

green80%

earthy70%

citrus60%

warm spicy50%

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

citrus70%

warm spicy60%

earthy50%

Scent match65%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

VetiverelemiCedarMintLemonPatchouliCardamom

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GrapefruitCardamomBergamotLemon

Heart

GingerPineRosemaryNutmegMint

Base

VetiverSpicesPatchouliCedarSandalwood

InformationalShared notesVetiver, Cedar, Mint and Lemon. Durations are only published for VE ± Velvet, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall94

Winter31

Day100

Night35

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Category winnerVE ± VelvetMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men43

Unisex57

Women0

Work 40%Casual 34%Date 17%Party 9%

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,865

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched2014

Reviews2

Overall rank#12,806

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews22

Category winnerShades BlueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The first spray gives a sharp shock of sour lemon and brisk crushed mint. It wakes you up immediately. Within two minutes, the initial alcohol vapor clears to reveal sticky elemi resin, lending a warm pine sap sweetness that prevents the citrus from turning sour or medicinal. Then the vetiver emerges. It is earthy, ro…

Reviews →

Armaf Shades Blue hits the skin with a sharp blast of sour lemon and bitter grapefruit, a bracing wake-up call that feels clean and highly synthetic. Within ten minutes, the initial citric bite relaxes as herbaceous rosemary and cooling mint emerge, backed by a dry pine note that adds a resinous, forest-like quality. …

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, VE ± Velvet or Shades Blue?

Shades Blue takes 4 of 7 categories. VE ± Velvet is rated 3.56/5 from 64 votes; Shades Blue is rated 3.67/5 from 105 votes. Choose VE ± Velvet for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Shades Blue for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, VE ± Velvet or Shades Blue?

They last about the same: VE ± Velvet 57/100, Shades Blue 57/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, VE ± Velvet or Shades Blue?

VE ± Velvet projects furthest (VE ± Velvet 57/100, Shades Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do VE ± Velvet and Shades Blue smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Vetiver, Cedar, Mint and Lemon.

Is VE ± Velvet or Shades Blue better for summer or winter?

For summer, VE ± Velvet is the stronger pick. For winter, Shades Blue is the stronger pick. VE ± Velvet suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in VE ± Velvet and Shades Blue?

VE ± Velvet features Vetiver, elemi, Cedar, Mint and Lemon. Shades Blue has top notes of Grapefruit, Cardamom, Bergamot and Lemon, heart notes of Ginger, Pine, Rosemary and Nutmeg, a base of Vetiver, Spices, Patchouli and Cedar.