Fragrance comparison

C vs Esprit de Candela

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 79 ratings analysed

Marie Saint Pierre

4.1323 votes

Rank #37,441 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Esprit de Candela

Simimi

3.5656 votes

Rank #14,447 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Esprit de Candela takes 3 of 4 categories.

C
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Esprit de Candela
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

C1/4

Esprit de Candela3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CMarie Saint Pierre

Esprit de CandelaSimimi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 23 votes

Have 21%Had 5%Want 74%

3.56/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 31%Had 16%Want 53%

Category winnerCRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

48%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

23 votes · too few to score

28%Love

31%Like

9%Ok

31%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityEsprit de Candela

SillageEsprit de Candela

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value47

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky91%

white floral83%

animalic74%

citrus65%

woody56%

woody100%

amber91%

warm spicy83%

balsamic74%

vanilla65%

powdery56%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

SaffronBergamot

Heart1 to 2 hours

LeatherAfrican Orange FlowerFreesia

Base1 to 2 hours

BirchMuskVirginia Cedar

Top

ClovesSaffronCorianderBergamot

Heart

AmberLeatherDamask Rose

Base

Peru BalsamLabdanumSandalwoodVanillaGuaiac WoodTonka BeanPatchouliVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Bergamot, Leather and Virginia Cedar. Durations are only published for C, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring56

Summer22

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Spring36

Summer7

Fall100

Winter71

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men8

Unisex54

Women38

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#37,441

PerfumerEvelyn El Koubi

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#14,447

PerfumerPaolo Terenzi

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerEsprit de CandelaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

C by Marie Saint Pierre pairs clean citrus brightness with dark, smoky woods and supple leather. Created by perfumer Evelyn El Koubi, the scent opens with crisp bergamot and a dusting of warm saffron. As the initial freshness settles, soft leather emerges alongside sweet African orange flower and delicate freesia. The…

Reviews →

Esprit de Candela is a dry, spicy amber wood with a clear saffron, clove, patchouli and sandalwood character. It opens sharp and aromatic, then settles into a warmer blend of leather, rose, balsam and vanilla-tinted woods. It suits shoppers who enjoy resinous, oriental-leaning perfumes with presence. Based on the avai…

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, C or Esprit de Candela?

Esprit de Candela takes 3 of 4 categories. C is rated 4.13/5 from 23 votes; Esprit de Candela is rated 3.56/5 from 56 votes. Choose C for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Esprit de Candela for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, C or Esprit de Candela?

Esprit de Candela lasts longest (Esprit de Candela 83/100, C 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, C or Esprit de Candela?

Esprit de Candela projects furthest (Esprit de Candela 74/100, C 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do C and Esprit de Candela smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Saffron, Bergamot, Leather and Virginia Cedar.

Is C or Esprit de Candela better for summer or winter?

C suits daytime wear; Esprit de Candela suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in C and Esprit de Candela?

C has top notes of Saffron and Bergamot, heart notes of Leather, African Orange Flower and Freesia, a base of Birch, Musk and Virginia Cedar. Esprit de Candela has top notes of Cloves, Saffron, Coriander and Bergamot, heart notes of Amber, Leather and Damask Rose, a base of Peru Balsam, Labdanum, Sandalwood and Vanilla.