Fragrance comparison

Absolute vs Desirade

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 247 ratings analysed

Absolute

Asghar Adam Ali

4.673 votes

Rank #47,653 WoodySmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Desirade

Aubusson

3.84244 votes

Rank #8,348 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Absolute
Choose it for a woody and smoky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Desirade
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Absolute2/4

Desirade2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbsoluteAsghar Adam Ali

DesiradeAubusson

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 57%Had 0%Want 43%

3.84/ 5 · 244 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

34%Love

51%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

207 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityAbsolute

SillageAbsolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value85

Category winnerDesiradeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

smoky92%

warm spicy84%

leather77%

aromatic69%

soft spicy61%

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

white floral77%

floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperLavenderCorianderCardamomSaffronBergamotMandarinOrange

Heart

LeatherIncenseVioletOrange BlossomBrown sugarPineappleCashmeranJasmine

Base

Guaiac WoodOudPatchouliSandalwoodLabdanumBenzoinAmberMusk

Top

Madagascar Ylang-YlangAldehydesPineappleCorianderBergamot

Heart

Chinese OsmanthusTuberoseCassiaJasmineOrange BlossomVioletRose

Base

SandalwoodSomalian OpoponaxPlumVanillaMuskPatchouliRaspberry

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Bergamot, Violet and Orange Blossom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night50

Spring86

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex12

Women88

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,653

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#8,348

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerDesiradeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Absolute is a smoky, woody leather fragrance with a bright citrus and spice opening, then a darker heart of incense, violet, cashmeran and sweetened leather. It starts lively, but the overall character leans warm, resinous and textured. The wear looks best suited to people who enjoy bold woody scents with some sweetne…

Reviews →

Desirade by Aubusson is a dense, fruity, and floral composition for women, launched in 1990. It centers on an intense combination of Madagascar ylang-ylang, pineapple, and tuberose, supported by a warm, resinous base of opoponax and sandalwood. This fragrance offers a bold, retro profile that performs best in cooler w…

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, Absolute or Desirade?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Absolute is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes; Desirade is rated 3.84/5 from 244 votes. Choose Absolute for a woody and smoky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Desirade for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Absolute or Desirade?

Absolute lasts longest (Absolute 87/100, Desirade 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Absolute or Desirade?

Absolute projects furthest (Absolute 75/100, Desirade 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Absolute and Desirade smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Coriander, Bergamot, Violet and Orange Blossom.

Is Absolute or Desirade better for summer or winter?

Absolute suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Absolute and Desirade?

Absolute has top notes of Pink Pepper, Lavender, Coriander and Cardamom, heart notes of Leather, Incense, Violet and Orange Blossom, a base of Guaiac Wood, Oud, Patchouli and Sandalwood. Desirade has top notes of Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, Aldehydes, Pineapple and Coriander, heart notes of Chinese Osmanthus, Tuberose, Cassia and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Somalian Opoponax, Plum and Vanilla.