Fragrance comparison

Cerissa vs Forêt Absolue

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 31 ratings analysed

Cerissa

Charles Revson

4.2921 votes

Rank #51,394 WoodyMossy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Forêt Absolue

Reflexion

4.3010 votes

Rank #36,354 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Forêt Absolue takes 3 of 5 categories.

Cerissa
Choose it for a woody and mossy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Forêt Absolue
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Cerissa2/5

Forêt Absolue3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CerissaCharles Revson

Forêt AbsolueReflexion

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 41%Had 25%Want 34%

4.30/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 10%Had 8%Want 83%

Category winnerCerissaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

43%Like

0%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

30%Love

70%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityForêt Absolue

SillageForêt Absolue

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value38

Category winnerCerissaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

mossy86%

floral72%

warm spicy58%

amber44%

earthy30%

woody100%

aromatic90%

earthy80%

green70%

mossy60%

fresh spicy50%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, mossy and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Woody NotesOakmossFloral NotesOriental notes

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

FirOakmossWood ResinGreen NotesHerbal NotesWoody NotesVetiverOakFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesWoody Notes, Oakmoss and Floral Notes. Durations are only published for Cerissa, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer50

Fall100

Winter83

Day85

Night100

Spring0

Summer33

Fall100

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

Work 32%Casual 30%Date 24%Party 14%

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,394

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#36,354

PerfumerEugene Firsanov

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerForêt AbsolueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Charles Revson Cerissa is a classic 1974 chypre that cuts straight through modern sugar. It smells crisp, herbal, and unapologetically earthy. A brisk burst of green florals opens the wear before dry oakmoss and sharp woody notes take over the midtone. You get zero synthetic candy fluff here. Instead, warm spicy resin…

Reviews →

Forêt Absolue is a fir-led woody chypre that opens with a brisk, freshly cut conifer feel, then settles into a greener, earthy base where oakmoss and vetiver read clearly. It wears like a forest scent with structure, more crisp and aromatic than sweet. If you like mossy greens and resinous woods, it is easy to fall fo…

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, Cerissa or Forêt Absolue?

Forêt Absolue takes 3 of 5 categories. Cerissa is rated 4.29/5 from 21 votes; Forêt Absolue is rated 4.30/5 from 10 votes. Choose Cerissa for a woody and mossy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Forêt Absolue for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cerissa or Forêt Absolue?

Forêt Absolue lasts longest (Forêt Absolue 76/100, Cerissa 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cerissa or Forêt Absolue?

Forêt Absolue projects furthest (Forêt Absolue 69/100, Cerissa 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cerissa and Forêt Absolue smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, mossy and earthy accords. Common notes include Woody Notes, Oakmoss and Floral Notes.

Is Cerissa or Forêt Absolue better for summer or winter?

Cerissa suits evening wear; Forêt Absolue suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cerissa and Forêt Absolue?

Cerissa features Woody Notes, Oakmoss, Floral Notes and Oriental notes. Forêt Absolue features Fir, Oakmoss, Wood Resin, Green Notes and Herbal Notes.