Fragrance comparison

Bijan Men vs Essential

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,000 ratings analysed

6 wins

Bijan Men

Bijan

4.04950 votes

Rank #478 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Essential

Paul Smith

3.4850 votes

Rank #39,610 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bijan Men takes 6 of 7 categories.

Bijan Men
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Essential
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Bijan Men6/7

Essential1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Bijan MenBijan

EssentialPaul Smith

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 950 votes

Have 78%Had 22%Want 0%

3.48/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

Category winnerBijan MenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

38%Like

7%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

950 votes

16%Love

48%Like

4%Ok

32%Dislike

0%Hate

50 votes

Category winnerBijan MenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate62

Category winners

LongevityBijan Men

SillageBijan Men

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value85

¤ Price value75

Category winnerBijan MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

woody100%

aromatic91%

fresh spicy83%

lavender74%

ozonic65%

patchouli56%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SageNutmegLavenderLemonBergamotMandarin OrangeFruity NotesPine needles

Heart

CarnationCinnamonSandalwoodAmberTarragonIrisYlang-YlangJasmine

Base

LeatherPatchouliMuskVetiverBenzoinCedarVanillaTonka Bean

Top

Ozonic notes

Heart

LavenderRosemaryOrangeSage

Base

PatchouliCedarMusk

InformationalShared notesSage, Lavender, Patchouli and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer26

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring95

Summer79

Fall100

Winter21

Day100

Night20

Category winnerEssentialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men87

Unisex11

Women1

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#478

PerfumerClaudette Belnavis

Launched—

Reviews200

Overall rank#39,610

PerfumerHamid Merati-Kashani

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBijan MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bijan Men is a big 1980s aromatic fougere with herbs, spice, powder, leather, oakmoss and honeyed warmth. Reviewers often describe it as confident, unusual and strongly projecting, with a dusty incense quality that makes it feel more complex than its current price suggests. It suits people who enjoy vintage masculine …

Reviews →

Paul Smith Essential opens with crisp ozonic notes before settling into a green, clean heart of lavender, rosemary, and sage. Released in 2015 and composed by Hamid Merati-Kashani, the scent blends light citrus sweetness from orange with an earthy base of cedar, patchouli, and musk. It offers a tidy, professional prof…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Bijan Men or Essential?

Bijan Men takes 6 of 7 categories. Bijan Men is rated 4.04/5 from 950 votes; Essential is rated 3.48/5 from 50 votes. Choose Bijan Men for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Essential for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Bijan Men or Essential?

Bijan Men lasts longest (Bijan Men 75/100, Essential 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bijan Men or Essential?

Bijan Men projects furthest (Bijan Men 67/100, Essential 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bijan Men and Essential smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Sage, Lavender, Patchouli and Musk.

Is Bijan Men or Essential better for summer or winter?

For summer, Essential is the stronger pick. For winter, Bijan Men is the stronger pick. Bijan Men suits daytime wear; Essential suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bijan Men and Essential?

Bijan Men has top notes of Sage, Nutmeg, Lavender and Lemon, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Sandalwood and Amber, a base of Leather, Patchouli, Musk and Vetiver. Essential has top notes of Ozonic notes, heart notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Orange and Sage, a base of Patchouli, Cedar and Musk.