Fragrance comparison

Acqua vs Calyx

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 1,044 ratings analysed

Acqua

Paolo Gigli

4.0633 votes

Rank #36,963 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Calyx

Prescriptives

3.991,011 votes

Rank #25,170 FruityTropical

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Calyx takes 5 of 8 categories.

Acqua
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Calyx
Choose it for a fruity and tropical character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Acqua3/8

Calyx5/8

Ratings & consensus: Calyx
Community sentiment: Acqua
Longevity: Calyx
Sillage & projection: Acqua
Value for money: Calyx
Versatility: Acqua
Note pyramid (duration): Calyx
Fragranxe ranking: Calyx

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AcquaPaolo Gigli

CalyxPrescriptives

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 33 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

3.99/ 5 · 1,011 votes

Have 45%Had 55%Want 0%

Category winnerCalyxRating 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

37%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

1,011 votes

Category winnerAcquaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityCalyx

SillageAcqua

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value59

Category winnerCalyxBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet88%

fresh77%

floral65%

ozonic53%

white floral42%

fruity100%

tropical92%

fresh84%

sweet77%

citrus69%

aromatic61%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both fruity, sweet and fresh

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

Top20-30 mins

PassionfruitGuavaMangoGrapefruitPeachApricotBergamotCassia

Heart2-4 hrs

Lily-of-the-ValleyMelonMarigoldNeroliFreesiaCyclamenLilyOrris Root

Base6-8 hrs

OakmossMuskCedarVetiverSandalwood

Category winnerCalyxLongest dry-down: 6-8 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer78

Fall67

Winter22

Day100

Night32

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day100

Night32

Category winnerAcquaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex43

Women43

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

Men1

Unisex21

Women78

Casual 40%Work 33%Date 14%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,963

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#25,170

PerfumerSophia Grojsman

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCalyxHigher 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 →

Prescriptives Calyx is a juicy, tart explosion of green fruit and wet moss. Sophia Grojsman created this in 1987, and it still feels remarkably modern. You get an instant spray of tart grapefruit, juicy guava, and green mango that smells like slicing fresh tropical fruit on a damp cutting board. It skips sticky sugar.…

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 Calyx?

Calyx takes 5 of 8 categories. Acqua is rated 4.06/5 from 33 votes; Calyx is rated 3.99/5 from 1,011 votes. Choose Acqua for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Calyx for a fruity and tropical character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Acqua or Calyx?

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

Which projects more, Acqua or Calyx?

Acqua projects furthest (Acqua 70/100, Calyx 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Acqua and Calyx smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, sweet and fresh accords. Common notes include Melon, Peach, Freesia and Lily.

Is Acqua or Calyx better for summer or winter?

For summer, Acqua is the stronger pick. For winter, Acqua is the stronger pick. Acqua suits daytime wear; Calyx suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua and Calyx?

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. Calyx has top notes of Passionfruit, Guava, Mango and Grapefruit, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Melon, Marigold and Neroli, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Cedar and Vetiver.