Fragrance comparison

Contemporary vs Essencial Desejos

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 272 ratings analysed

6 wins

Contemporary

Clive Christian

4.31198 votes

Rank #25,723 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

Essencial Desejos

Natura · 2025

4.1974 votes

Rank #29,914 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Contemporary takes 6 of 7 categories.

Contemporary
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Essencial Desejos
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Contemporary6/7

Essencial Desejos1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ContemporaryClive Christian

Essencial DesejosNatura

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.31/ 5 · 198 votes

Have 43%Had 10%Want 47%

4.19/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 59%Had 3%Want 38%

Category winnerContemporaryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

28%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

198 votes

38%Love

37%Like

14%Ok

8%Dislike

3%Hate

73 votes

Category winnerContemporaryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityContemporary

SillageContemporary

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value23

¤ Price value43

Category winnerEssencial DesejosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

woody90%

mossy80%

aromatic70%

powdery60%

violet50%

citrus100%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic38%

Scent match30%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 60 minutes

GeraniumBlackberryVioletBlack Pepper

Heart3 to 4 hours

CedarNutmeg

Base4 to 7 hours

MossMalt

Top

BergamotGinRosemaryJuniperBasilOrangeLavenderNutmeg

Heart

RoseLily of the ValleyJasmineParamelaVioletDavana

Base

CedarMossMuskVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesViolet, Cedar, Nutmeg and Moss. Durations are only published for Contemporary, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring94

Summer100

Fall75

Winter49

Day100

Night70

Spring100

Summer54

Fall97

Winter60

Day100

Night83

Category winnerContemporaryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men55

Unisex34

Women11

Men96

Unisex4

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,723

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#29,914

PerfumerDomitille Michalon Bertier, Verônica Kato

Launched2025

Reviews0

Category winnerContemporaryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Contemporary by Clive Christian takes the traditional aromatic fougere framework and gives it a sharper, fruitier edge. The scent opens with a burst of tart blackberry and crisp geranium, dusted with pungent black pepper and clean, slightly powdery violet. As the tart fruit settles, warm nutmeg and dry cedar take over…

Reviews →

Essencial Desejos by Natura is a festive woody fragrance for men featuring a prominent gin-inspired accord. It pairs the aromatic sharpness of juniper and priprioca with a creamy sandalwood base, creating an elegant scent suitable for year-end holiday celebrations. This 2025 release provides a striking, luminous trail…

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, Contemporary or Essencial Desejos?

Contemporary takes 6 of 7 categories. Contemporary is rated 4.31/5 from 198 votes; Essencial Desejos is rated 4.19/5 from 74 votes. Choose Contemporary for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Essencial Desejos for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Contemporary or Essencial Desejos?

Contemporary lasts longest (Contemporary 76/100, Essencial Desejos 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Contemporary or Essencial Desejos?

Contemporary projects furthest (Contemporary 61/100, Essencial Desejos 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Contemporary and Essencial Desejos smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Violet, Cedar, Nutmeg and Moss.

Is Contemporary or Essencial Desejos better for summer or winter?

For summer, Contemporary is the stronger pick. For winter, Essencial Desejos is the stronger pick. Contemporary suits daytime wear; Essencial Desejos suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Contemporary and Essencial Desejos?

Contemporary has top notes of Geranium, Blackberry, Violet and Black Pepper, heart notes of Cedar and Nutmeg, a base of Moss and Malt. Essencial Desejos has top notes of Bergamot, Gin, Rosemary and Juniper, heart notes of Rose, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine and Paramela, a base of Cedar, Moss, Musk and Vetiver.