Fragrance comparison

Demi-Jour vs Gold Issime

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 580 ratings analysed

6 wins

Demi-Jour

Houbigant

4.11296 votes

Rank #25,758 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Gold Issime

Ulric de Varens

3.77284 votes

Rank #12,044 PowderyAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Demi-Jour takes 6 of 8 categories.

Demi-Jour
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Gold Issime
Choose it for a powdery and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Demi-Jour6/8

Gold Issime2/8

Ratings & consensus: Demi-Jour
Community sentiment: Demi-Jour
Longevity: Demi-Jour
Sillage & projection: Demi-Jour
Value for money: Gold Issime
Versatility: Demi-Jour
Note pyramid (duration): Demi-Jour
Fragranxe ranking: Gold Issime

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Demi-JourHoubigant

Gold IssimeUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 296 votes

Have 39%Had 31%Want 30%

3.77/ 5 · 284 votes

Have 41%Had 33%Want 26%

Category winnerDemi-JourRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

54%Like

3%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

296 votes

23%Love

53%Like

4%Ok

20%Dislike

1%Hate

284 votes

Category winnerDemi-JourMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityDemi-Jour

SillageDemi-Jour

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value82

Category winnerGold IssimeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

floral84%

rose77%

violet69%

yellow floral61%

powdery100%

aldehydic92%

fresh84%

white floral77%

yellow floral69%

sweet61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both powdery and yellow floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

VioletAldehydesBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

RoseYlang-YlangHeliotropeOrris RootJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base7-9 hrs

SandalwoodMuskOakmossCedar

Notes

AldehydesPowdery NotesYlang-YlangRiceVioletJasmineAfrican Orange FlowerRose

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerDemi-JourLongest dry-down: 7-9 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer47

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night47

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter51

Day100

Night39

Category winnerDemi-JourMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men8

Unisex4

Women88

Work 40%Casual 31%Date 20%Party 9%

Men1

Unisex1

Women97

Casual 40%Work 36%Date 15%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,758

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,044

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews33

Category winnerGold IssimeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Demi-Jour by Houbigant brings a crisp, luminous wash of vintage French elegance straight into everyday life. It opens with brisk aldehydes and cool violet before melting into creamy ylang-ylang and delicate rose. Earthy sandalwood and green oakmoss anchor the drydown, preventing the scent from turning into powdery can…

Reviews →

Gold Issime by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic nod to classic French soap perfumery. It opens with an icy pop of aldehydes and sweet African orange flower. The first few minutes are sharp and brisk. Soon, creamy ylang-ylang and delicate jasmine soften the blast into a pillowy floral core. A distinctive rice accord …

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, Demi-Jour or Gold Issime?

Demi-Jour takes 6 of 8 categories. Demi-Jour is rated 4.11/5 from 296 votes; Gold Issime is rated 3.77/5 from 284 votes. Choose Demi-Jour for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Gold Issime for a powdery and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Demi-Jour or Gold Issime?

Demi-Jour lasts longest (Demi-Jour 69/100, Gold Issime 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Demi-Jour or Gold Issime?

Demi-Jour projects furthest (Demi-Jour 64/100, Gold Issime 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Demi-Jour and Gold Issime smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and yellow floral accords. Common notes include Violet, Aldehydes, Rose and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Demi-Jour or Gold Issime better for summer or winter?

For summer, Demi-Jour is the stronger pick. For winter, Demi-Jour is the stronger pick. Demi-Jour suits daytime wear; Gold Issime suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Demi-Jour and Gold Issime?

Demi-Jour has top notes of Violet, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Orris Root, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Oakmoss and Cedar. Gold Issime features Aldehydes, Powdery Notes, Ylang-Ylang, Rice and Violet.