Fragrance comparison

CK One Essence vs Neandertal Us

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 857 ratings analysed

4 wins

CK One Essence

Calvin Klein

4.02709 votes

Rank #30,820 Fresh SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Neandertal Us

Neandertal

3.94148 votes

Rank #8,687 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

CK One Essence takes 4 of 7 categories.

CK One Essence
Choose it for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Neandertal Us
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

CK One Essence4/7

Neandertal Us3/7

Ratings & consensus: CK One Essence
Community sentiment: CK One Essence
Longevity: Neandertal Us
Sillage & projection: Neandertal Us
Value for money: CK One Essence
Versatility: CK One Essence
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Neandertal Us

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CK One EssenceCalvin Klein

Neandertal UsNeandertal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 709 votes

Have 53%Had 9%Want 38%

3.94/ 5 · 148 votes

Have 20%Had 6%Want 74%

Category winnerCK One EssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

37%Like

17%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

709 votes

38%Love

36%Like

9%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

148 votes

Category winnerCK One EssenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityNeandertal Us

SillageNeandertal Us

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value44

Category winnerCK One EssenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

citrus90%

green80%

aromatic70%

musky60%

powdery50%

aromatic100%

woody91%

fresh spicy83%

amber74%

warm spicy65%

earthy56%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

White TeaBergamotBlood OrangeBlack Pepper

Heart2 to 3 hours

Green TeaMintGeranium

Base3 to 5 hours

MuskAustralian SandalwoodIncenseMoss

Top

Black PepperelemiEucalyptusBergamotOrangePink Pepper

Heart

IncenseCardamomGeraniumRose

Base

Cade oilVetiverCypriol Oil or NagarmothaAgarwood (Oud)MyrrhLabdanumMossHyrax

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Black Pepper, Geranium and Incense. Durations are only published for CK One Essence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring91

Summer100

Fall44

Winter18

Day100

Night29

Spring44

Summer23

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCK One EssenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex51

Women7

Men49

Unisex48

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,820

PerfumerAlberto Morillas

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#8,687

PerfumerEuan McCall

Launched—

Reviews30

Category winnerNeandertal UsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

CK One Essence by Calvin Klein updates the classic 1994 profile with deeper presence and punchy clarity. The scent opens with a burst of tart bergamot and juicy blood orange, cut through by crisp white tea and a touch of black pepper. As the citrus settles, herbal green tea and cooling mint bring a clean, refreshing c…

Reviews →

Neandertal Us opens with a sharp burst of black pepper, eucalyptus, and citric elemi over a dark heart of incense and cade oil. Created by perfumer Euan McCall in 2020, this unisex fragrance builds an austere, smoky atmosphere anchored by vetiver, myrrh, and oud. It fits cold winter days and avant-garde art settings f…

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, CK One Essence or Neandertal Us?

CK One Essence takes 4 of 7 categories. CK One Essence is rated 4.02/5 from 709 votes; Neandertal Us is rated 3.94/5 from 148 votes. Choose CK One Essence for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Neandertal Us for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, CK One Essence or Neandertal Us?

Neandertal Us lasts longest (Neandertal Us 76/100, CK One Essence 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, CK One Essence or Neandertal Us?

Neandertal Us projects furthest (Neandertal Us 54/100, CK One Essence 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do CK One Essence and Neandertal Us smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Black Pepper, Geranium and Incense.

Is CK One Essence or Neandertal Us better for summer or winter?

For summer, CK One Essence is the stronger pick. For winter, Neandertal Us is the stronger pick. CK One Essence suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in CK One Essence and Neandertal Us?

CK One Essence has top notes of White Tea, Bergamot, Blood Orange and Black Pepper, heart notes of Green Tea, Mint and Geranium, a base of Musk, Australian Sandalwood, Incense and Moss. Neandertal Us has top notes of Black Pepper, elemi, Eucalyptus and Bergamot, heart notes of Incense, Cardamom, Geranium and Rose, a base of Cade oil, Vetiver, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Agarwood (Oud).