Fragrance comparison

Acqua vs Belle Epoque

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 44 ratings analysed

Acqua

Paolo Gigli

4.0633 votes

Rank #36,963 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Belle Epoque

Knize

4.5511 votes

Rank #37,538 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Belle Epoque takes 3 of 5 categories.

Acqua
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Belle Epoque
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Acqua2/5

Belle Epoque3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AcquaPaolo Gigli

Belle EpoqueKnize

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 33 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

4.55/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 16%Had 8%Want 76%

Category winnerBelle EpoqueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

61%Like

12%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

33 votes

64%Love

27%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityBelle Epoque

SillageAcqua

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value50

Category winnerBelle EpoqueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet88%

fresh77%

floral65%

ozonic53%

white floral42%

woody100%

fruity92%

sweet84%

powdery77%

warm spicy69%

floral61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both fruity, sweet and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-40 mins

PineappleMelonPeachBig StrawberryGranny Smith appleGrapesMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

OrchidFreesiaLilyLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base5-7+ hrs

MuskVirginia CedarSandalwood

Top

ApricotPeachPineappleGingerMirabelle PlumBlack CurrantMandarin Orange

Heart

LotusMangoVioletRoseTuberoseYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotrope

Base

SandalwoodVetiverVanillaPalisander RosewoodAmbergrisCacao PodPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Lily-of-the-Valley. Durations are only published for Acqua, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer78

Fall67

Winter22

Day100

Night32

Spring100

Summer100

Fall40

Winter40

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex43

Women43

Casual 37%Work 29%Date 19%Party 14%

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,963

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#37,538

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAcquaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Acqua by Paolo Gigli greets you with an exuberant splash of chilled fruit. The honeydew melon hits immediately. Tart green apple and golden pineapple follow right behind, backed by a gentle burst of mandarin orange. It smells bright, crisp, and thirst-quenching. Within thirty minutes, that sunny fruit punch relaxes on…

Reviews →

Belle Epoque by Knize is an intricate floral fruity fragrance that leans into a rich, layered composition. Upon application, it presents a bright mix of apricot, pineapple, and black currant. As it warms on the skin, a massive bouquet of jasmine, tuberose, and ylang-ylang emerges, grounded by a long-lasting base of sa…

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, Acqua or Belle Epoque?

Belle Epoque takes 3 of 5 categories. Acqua is rated 4.06/5 from 33 votes; Belle Epoque is rated 4.55/5 from 11 votes. Choose Acqua for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Belle Epoque for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Acqua or Belle Epoque?

Belle Epoque lasts longest (Belle Epoque 65/100, Acqua 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Acqua or Belle Epoque?

Acqua projects furthest (Acqua 70/100, Belle Epoque 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Acqua and Belle Epoque smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, sweet and floral accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Lily-of-the-Valley.

Is Acqua or Belle Epoque better for summer or winter?

Acqua suits daytime wear; Belle Epoque suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua and Belle Epoque?

Acqua has top notes of Pineapple, Melon, Peach and Big Strawberry, heart notes of Orchid, Freesia, Lily and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, Virginia Cedar and Sandalwood. Belle Epoque has top notes of Apricot, Peach, Pineapple and Ginger, heart notes of Lotus, Mango, Violet and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla and Palisander Rosewood.