Fragrance comparison

Velvet Vanilla vs Shi

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 19 ratings analysed

3 wins

Velvet Vanilla

Rituals

3.6814 votes

Rank #21,883 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Shi

Papa James

4.205 votes

Rank #52,906 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Velvet Vanilla takes 3 of 4 categories.

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.
Shi
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Velvet Vanilla3/4

Shi1/4

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

Velvet VanillaRituals

ShiPapa James

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.68/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 86%

4.20/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 70%Had 0%Want 30%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

50%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

80%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityVelvet Vanilla

SillageVelvet Vanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value81

Category winnerShiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

amber92%

patchouli84%

balsamic77%

animalic69%

woody61%

fruity100%

woody92%

citrus84%

white floral77%

sweet69%

powdery61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

FreesiaBergamot

Heart

AmbergrisJasmine

Base

VanillaPatchouli

Top20-30 mins

Violet LeavesRaspberryBergamotApricotLemonApplePear

Heart2-4 hrs

TuberoseJasmineFreesiaRose

Base6-8 hrs

SandalwoodPatchouliAmbergrisVanillaCypressMusk

InformationalShared notesFreesia, Bergamot, Ambergris and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Shi, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall67

Winter67

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

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

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,883

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#52,906

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVelvet VanillaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

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 →

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, Velvet Vanilla or Shi?

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

Which lasts longer, Velvet Vanilla or Shi?

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

Which projects more, Velvet Vanilla or Shi?

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

Do Velvet Vanilla and Shi smell similar?

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

Is Velvet Vanilla or Shi better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Velvet Vanilla and Shi?

Velvet Vanilla has top notes of Freesia and Bergamot, heart notes of Ambergris and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla and Patchouli. 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.