Fragrance comparison

Akaster vs Essence

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 473 ratings analysed

Akaster

Parfums de Marly

3.82428 votes

Rank #7,231 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Essence

The Woods Collection

4.2245 votes

Rank #27,154 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essence takes 4 of 7 categories.

Akaster
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Essence
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Akaster3/7

Essence4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AkasterParfums de Marly

EssenceThe Woods Collection

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.82/ 5 · 428 votes

Have 38%Had 12%Want 50%

4.22/ 5 · 45 votes

Have 48%Had 8%Want 44%

Category winnerEssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

32%Like

10%Ok

14%Dislike

6%Hate

428 votes

58%Love

24%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

7%Hate

45 votes

Category winnerEssenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityAkaster

SillageAkaster

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value69

Category winnerEssenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

rose84%

oud77%

woody69%

musky61%

woody100%

oud90%

warm spicy80%

leather70%

fresh spicy60%

aromatic50%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, oud and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CypressLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Bulgarian RoseAfrican Geranium

Base7-10+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)MuskCardamom

Top

CypressSaffronBergamotCardamom

Heart

Bulgarian RoseNutmegJasmine

Base

AgarwoodOudLeatherCedarwoodSandalwoodAmberVanillaTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesCypress, Bulgarian Rose and Cardamom. Durations are only published for Akaster, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring56

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring52

Summer20

Fall100

Winter96

Day48

Night100

Category winnerEssenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex34

Women8

Date 40%Work 25%Party 19%Casual 16%

Men78

Unisex19

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,231

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews66

Overall rank#27,154

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAkasterHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums de Marly Akaster pairs crisp cypress needle greenery with deep Bulgarian rose and smooth agarwood. It opens with an unexpected bite of tart lemon. That sharp green burst fades quickly. Within fifteen minutes, African geranium and velvet red rose petals take over the projection bubble, backed by warm cardamom s…

Reviews →

The Woods Collection Essence opens with a sharp burst of fresh cypress, bitter bergamot, and warm cardamom before settling into a dense heart of dark Bulgarian rose. Heavy base notes of oud, leather, and cedarwood ground the blend, giving it a smoky woodiness built for cold November evenings and formal winter gatherin…

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, Akaster or Essence?

Essence takes 4 of 7 categories. Akaster is rated 3.82/5 from 428 votes; Essence is rated 4.22/5 from 45 votes. Choose Akaster for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Essence for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Akaster or Essence?

They last about the same: Akaster 75/100, Essence 73/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Akaster or Essence?

Projection is very close: Akaster 66/100, Essence 65/100 for sillage.

Do Akaster and Essence smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, oud and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cypress, Bulgarian Rose and Cardamom.

Is Akaster or Essence better for summer or winter?

For summer, Essence is the stronger pick. For winter, Akaster is the stronger pick. Akaster suits evening wear; Essence suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Akaster and Essence?

Akaster has top notes of Cypress and Lemon, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose and African Geranium, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Musk and Cardamom. Essence has top notes of Cypress, Saffron, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Nutmeg and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood, Oud, Leather and Cedarwood.