Fragrance comparison

Alien vs Essencial Palo Santo

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 34,329 ratings analysed

Alien

Mugler

3.9933,928 votes

Rank #1,543 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Essencial Palo Santo

Natura · 2021

4.31401 votes

Rank #23,664 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essencial Palo Santo takes 4 of 7 categories.

Alien
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Essencial Palo Santo
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Alien3/7

Essencial Palo Santo4/7

Ratings & consensus: Essencial Palo Santo
Community sentiment: Essencial Palo Santo
Longevity: Alien
Sillage & projection: Alien
Value for money: Essencial Palo Santo
Versatility: Essencial Palo Santo
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Alien

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AlienMugler

Essencial Palo SantoNatura

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.99/ 5 · 33,928 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.31/ 5 · 401 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerEssencial Palo SantoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

30%Like

6%Ok

16%Dislike

3%Hate

33,928 votes

53%Love

31%Like

9%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

394 votes

Category winnerEssencial Palo SantoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityAlien

SillageAlien

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price value65

Category winnerEssencial Palo SantoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

amber83%

floral65%

animalic48%

powdery30%

woody100%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

amber53%

balsamic30%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Jasmine Sambac

Heart2-4 hrs

Cashmeran

Base8-12 hrs

Amber

Top

PearPink PepperBergamot

Heart

Jasmine SambacOrange BlossomYlang-YlangRose

Base

CoumarinPalo SantoAmberSandalwoodCashmeran

InformationalShared notesJasmine Sambac, Cashmeran and Amber. Durations are only published for Alien, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring45

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEssencial Palo SantoMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex10

Women89

Date 40%Party 35%Casual 15%Work 10%

Men87

Unisex13

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,543

PerfumerDominique Ropion, Laurent Bruyere

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#23,664

PerfumerVerônica Kato

Launched2021

Reviews1

Category winnerAlienHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mugler Alien is an unmistakably bold floral built on an unusually brief formula. A massive burst of sweet Jasmine Sambac opens the fragrance with electric intensity. Beneath that floral rush, fuzzy synthetic cashmeran wood and warm white amber create a deep, radiant glow. Two sprays easily carry through a chilly eveni…

Reviews →

Natura Essencial Palo Santo is a woody floral fragrance that anchors creamy sandalwood with bright pear and pink pepper. Designed by Verônica Kato, this 2021 release leans into a warm, balsamic sweetness perfect for crisp autumn evenings or formal indoor gatherings. It provides a grounded, sophisticated presence for t…

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, Alien or Essencial Palo Santo?

Essencial Palo Santo takes 4 of 7 categories. Alien is rated 3.99/5 from 33,928 votes; Essencial Palo Santo is rated 4.31/5 from 401 votes. Choose Alien for a white floral and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Essencial Palo Santo for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Alien or Essencial Palo Santo?

Alien lasts longest (Alien 80/100, Essencial Palo Santo 76/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alien or Essencial Palo Santo?

Alien projects furthest (Alien 74/100, Essencial Palo Santo 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alien and Essencial Palo Santo smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Jasmine Sambac, Cashmeran and Amber.

Is Alien or Essencial Palo Santo better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Alien and Essencial Palo Santo?

Alien has top notes of Jasmine Sambac, heart notes of Cashmeran, a base of Amber. Essencial Palo Santo has top notes of Pear, Pink Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine Sambac, Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang and Rose, a base of Coumarin, Palo Santo, Amber and Sandalwood.