Fragrance comparison

916 vs Esencia

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 23 ratings analysed

3 wins

916

Borbonese

3.005 votes

Rank #71,183 Soft SpicyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

Esencia

Atelier Vesper

3.9418 votes

Rank #52,884 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

916 takes 3 of 4 categories.

916
Choose it for a soft spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Esencia
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

9163/4

Esencia1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: 916
Sillage & projection: 916
Value for money: 916
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esencia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

916Borbonese

EsenciaAtelier Vesper

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

3.94/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 36%Had 5%Want 59%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

40%Like

20%Ok

40%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

44%Love

22%Like

22%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

Longevity916

Sillage916

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value31

Category winner916Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

soft spicy100%

iris92%

warm spicy84%

musky77%

powdery69%

violet61%

woody100%

aromatic91%

amber83%

warm spicy74%

fresh spicy65%

earthy56%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperGingerBergamot

Heart

IrisPeonyRose

Base

AmbroxanSandalwood

Top

CardamomCuminNutmegPink PepperBergamot

Heart

LabdanumHayIris

Base

VetiverSandalwoodAmbroxanLeatherCedar

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Bergamot, Iris and Ambroxan. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night33

Spring71

Summer29

Fall100

Winter57

Day100

Night43

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Men43

Unisex57

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#71,183

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#52,884

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEsenciaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Borbonese 916 is a soft spicy iris scent with a bright ginger and bergamot opening, then a powdery floral heart of iris, peony, and rose. The drydown looks clean and modern rather than heavy, with ambroxan and sandalwood giving it a musky woody base. It may suit someone who likes polished, contemporary florals with a …

Reviews →

Esencia by Atelier Vesper opens with a sharp burst of cardamom, cumin, and bergamot before settling into a warm core of sun-bleached hay and powdery iris. As the initial spice softens, smoky labdanum brings an earthy, resinous weight that bridges the bright top notes to a grounding base of cedar, vetiver, and subtle l…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, 916 or Esencia?

916 takes 3 of 4 categories. 916 is rated 3.00/5 from 5 votes; Esencia is rated 3.94/5 from 18 votes. Choose 916 for a soft spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Esencia for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, 916 or Esencia?

916 lasts longest (916 60/100, Esencia 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 916 or Esencia?

916 projects furthest (916 50/100, Esencia 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 916 and Esencia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Iris and Ambroxan.

Is 916 or Esencia better for summer or winter?

916 suits daytime wear; Esencia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 916 and Esencia?

916 has top notes of Pink Pepper, Ginger and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Peony and Rose, a base of Ambroxan and Sandalwood. Esencia has top notes of Cardamom, Cumin, Nutmeg and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Labdanum, Hay and Iris, a base of Vetiver, Sandalwood, Ambroxan and Leather.