Fragrance comparison

Eau Libre vs Presence

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 105 ratings analysed

5 wins

Eau Libre

Yves Saint Laurent

4.3450 votes

Rank #12,216 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Presence

Houbigant

4.1555 votes

Rank #33,323 MossyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Eau Libre takes 5 of 7 categories.

Eau Libre
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Presence
Choose it for a mossy and floral character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Eau Libre5/7

Presence2/7

Ratings & consensus: Eau Libre
Community sentiment: Eau Libre
Longevity: Presence
Sillage & projection: Eau Libre
Value for money: Eau Libre
Versatility: Presence
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Eau Libre

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Eau LibreYves Saint Laurent

PresenceHoubigant

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.34/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 33%Had 13%Want 54%

4.15/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 45%

Category winnerEau LibreRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

40%Like

4%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

50 votes

42%Love

44%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

Category winnerEau LibreMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityPresence

SillageEau Libre

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value64

Category winnerEau LibreBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

fresh77%

green69%

aldehydic61%

mossy100%

floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both woody and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PetitgrainVetiverAldehydesBergamotNeroliHedioneCedarMusk

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

AppleAldehydesNeroliLemonBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

OrrisHeliotropeCarnationJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossMuskCedarVetiverSpicesAmbergrisPatchouliSandalwood

InformationalShared notesVetiver, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Neroli. Durations are only published for Presence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer100

Fall25

Winter30

Day100

Night17

Spring79

Summer50

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night71

Category winnerPresenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex80

Women20

Men7

Unisex20

Women73

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,216

PerfumerMichel Hy

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#33,323

PerfumerRaymond Kling

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEau LibreHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yves Saint Laurent Eau Libre is a crisp, sun-drenched citrus aromatic fragrance originally launched in 1975 as one of the earliest gender-free designer splashes. It opens with an invigorating burst of sparkling bergamot, bitter petitgrain, and fizzy aldehydes that immediately evoke the sensation of clean luxury soap a…

Reviews →

Houbigant Presence is a crisp, historic chypre built on striking contrasts. The first spray releases a brisk wash of tart green apple, fizzy aldehydes, and sharp lemon zest. Give it ten minutes. The top burns off rapidly to reveal a velvety, dry heart of earthy orris root and spicy carnation blossoms. It smells like v…

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, Eau Libre or Presence?

Eau Libre takes 5 of 7 categories. Eau Libre is rated 4.34/5 from 50 votes; Presence is rated 4.15/5 from 55 votes. Choose Eau Libre for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Presence for a mossy and floral character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Eau Libre or Presence?

They last about the same: Presence 68/100, Eau Libre 67/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Eau Libre or Presence?

Eau Libre projects furthest (Eau Libre 68/100, Presence 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Eau Libre and Presence smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh accords. Common notes include Vetiver, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Neroli.

Is Eau Libre or Presence better for summer or winter?

For summer, Eau Libre is the stronger pick. For winter, Presence is the stronger pick. Eau Libre suits daytime wear; Presence suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Eau Libre and Presence?

Eau Libre features Petitgrain, Vetiver, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Neroli. Presence has top notes of Apple, Aldehydes, Neroli and Lemon, heart notes of Orris, Heliotrope, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Cedar and Vetiver.