Fragrance comparison

Duchessa vs L'Air du Temps by Starck

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,147 ratings analysed

Duchessa

Gritti

3.941,062 votes

Rank #2,211 Warm SpicyCherry

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

L'Air du Temps by Starck

Nina Ricci

3.7185 votes

Rank #17,556 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Duchessa
Choose it for a warm spicy and cherry character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
L'Air du Temps by Starck
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Duchessa3/7

L'Air du Temps by Starck3/7

Ratings & consensus: Duchessa
Community sentiment: Duchessa
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Value for money: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Versatility: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Duchessa

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DuchessaGritti

L'Air du Temps by StarckNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 1,062 votes

Have 28%Had 8%Want 65%

3.71/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

Category winnerDuchessaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

32%Like

15%Ok

11%Dislike

3%Hate

1,062 votes

26%Love

46%Like

1%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

Category winnerDuchessaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageL'Air du Temps by Starck

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value59

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

cherry92%

almond84%

sweet77%

fruity69%

nutty61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Black CherrySaffronBitter OrangePeach

Heart2 to 4 hours

ChocolateClovesJasmine

Base5 to 8 hours

Sweet AlmondIrisBrown sugar

Top

CarnationRoseBrazilian RosewoodNeroliPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesYlang-YlangOrris RootGardeniaJasmineVioletOrchidRosemary

Base

OakmossVetiverAmberMuskSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesPeach, Cloves, Jasmine and Iris. Durations are only published for Duchessa, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring42

Summer20

Fall96

Winter100

Day55

Night100

Spring92

Summer62

Fall100

Winter38

Day100

Night50

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex25

Women71

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,211

PerfumerLuca Gritti

Launched—

Reviews140

Overall rank#17,556

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerDuchessaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Duchessa by Gritti delivers a dark, syrupy black cherry backed by dry spices and rich confectionary tones. The scent leads with ripe cherry, bitter orange, and saffron, giving the fruit a warm, slightly medicinal edge rather than a candy-like brightness. As it settles, bitter chocolate and cloves mingle with sweet alm…

Reviews →

L'Air du Temps by Starck blends classic mid-century perfumery with a striking modern flacon redesign from 2010. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, rose, and bright bergamot that immediately sets a vintage floral tone. As the opening settles, dry cloves and creamy ylang-ylang join rich jasmine t…

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, Duchessa or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Duchessa is rated 3.94/5 from 1,062 votes; L'Air du Temps by Starck is rated 3.71/5 from 85 votes. Choose Duchessa for a warm spicy and cherry character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose L'Air du Temps by Starck for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Duchessa or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

They last about the same: Duchessa 69/100, L'Air du Temps by Starck 69/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Duchessa or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

L'Air du Temps by Starck projects furthest (L'Air du Temps by Starck 71/100, Duchessa 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Duchessa and L'Air du Temps by Starck smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Peach, Cloves, Jasmine and Iris.

Is Duchessa or L'Air du Temps by Starck better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'Air du Temps by Starck is the stronger pick. For winter, Duchessa is the stronger pick. Duchessa suits evening wear; L'Air du Temps by Starck suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Duchessa and L'Air du Temps by Starck?

Duchessa has top notes of Black Cherry, Saffron, Bitter Orange and Peach, heart notes of Chocolate, Cloves and Jasmine, a base of Sweet Almond, Iris and Brown sugar. L'Air du Temps by Starck has top notes of Carnation, Rose, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root and Gardenia, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.