Fragrance comparison

Anthem vs Qessence

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 122 ratings analysed

Anthem

Manos Gerakinis

3.5334 votes

Rank #43,638 Warm SpicyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

7 wins

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #13,275 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Qessence takes 7 of 7 categories.

Anthem
Choose it for a warm spicy and rose character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Qessence
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Anthem0/7

Qessence7/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AnthemManos Gerakinis

QessenceMissala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.53/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 25%Had 8%Want 66%

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

Category winnerQessenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

21%Like

26%Ok

9%Dislike

12%Hate

34 votes

27%Love

50%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

2%Hate

66 votes

Category winnerQessenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityQessence

SillageQessence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value64

Category winnerQessenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

rose92%

oud84%

patchouli77%

woody69%

fresh spicy61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and rose

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronLemonLabdanum

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseCinnamonNutmegGeraniumYlang-Ylang

Base6-8+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)PatchouliAmberOakmossMuskVanillaSandalwood

Top

ChamomileMarigoldSaffronCorianderCinnamonOrange

Heart

Damask RoseelemiYlang-YlangIrisJasmineCalamus

Base

OakmossOlibanumPatchouliAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumVirginia CedarMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Labdanum, Rose and Cinnamon. Durations are only published for Anthem, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer7

Fall100

Winter93

Day35

Night100

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Category winnerQessenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men38

Unisex48

Women14

Date 42%Party 32%Casual 14%Work 12%

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,638

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#13,275

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerQessenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Anthem by Manos Gerakinis delivers an immediate surge of tart lemon, pungent saffron, and dark labdanum right out of the nozzle. The opening sharp citrus flash gives way quickly to a dense core of spiced Turkish rose, grated nutmeg, and warm cinnamon bark. It feels like hot mulled wine poured over fragrant cedar block…

Reviews →

Qessence is a dry, spicy rose and incense scent with an old-school oriental feel. It opens herbal and warm, then settles into a balsamic, mossy, woody base with powdery edges. It suits someone who enjoys complex, mature perfumes more than easy crowd-pleasers. The rose, resins and woods can read quite unisex, especial…

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, Anthem or Qessence?

Qessence takes 7 of 7 categories. Anthem is rated 3.53/5 from 34 votes; Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes. Choose Anthem for a warm spicy and rose character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Anthem or Qessence?

Qessence lasts longest (Qessence 83/100, Anthem 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Anthem or Qessence?

Qessence projects furthest (Qessence 75/100, Anthem 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Anthem and Qessence smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and rose accords. Common notes include Saffron, Labdanum, Rose and Cinnamon.

Is Anthem or Qessence better for summer or winter?

For summer, Qessence is the stronger pick. For winter, Anthem is the stronger pick. Anthem suits evening wear; Qessence suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Anthem and Qessence?

Anthem has top notes of Saffron, Lemon and Labdanum, heart notes of Rose, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Geranium, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Patchouli, Amber and Oakmoss. Qessence has top notes of Chamomile, Marigold, Saffron and Coriander, heart notes of Damask Rose, elemi, Ylang-Ylang and Iris, a base of Oakmoss, Olibanum, Patchouli and Agarwood (Oud).