Fragrance comparison

ESPIRÍTU vs Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 1,480 ratings analysed

ESPIRÍTU

House of BŌ

4.11222 votes

Rank #28,888 IrisAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

7 wins

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.251,258 votes

Rank #156 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme takes 7 of 8 categories.

ESPIRÍTU
Choose it for a iris and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

ESPIRÍTU1/8

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme7/8

Ratings & consensus: Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Community sentiment: Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Longevity: Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Sillage & projection: Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Value for money: Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Versatility: ESPIRÍTU
Note pyramid (duration): Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Fragranxe ranking: Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ESPIRÍTUHouse of BŌ

Van Cleef & Arpels pour HommeVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 222 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

4.25/ 5 · 1,258 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerVan Cleef & Arpels pour HommeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

32%Like

14%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

222 votes

52%Love

33%Like

2%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

1,258 votes

Category winnerVan Cleef & Arpels pour HommeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityVan Cleef & Arpels pour Homme

SillageVan Cleef & Arpels pour Homme

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value53

Category winnerVan Cleef & Arpels pour HommeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

aromatic92%

soft spicy84%

powdery77%

herbal69%

earthy61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

earthy69%

rose61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SageIrisRoseTobacco LeafOsmanthusLeatherCarrotOakmossLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

LavenderJuniper BerriesBasilGreen NotesCarawaySageBergamotMarjoram

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseCarnationPatchouliVetiverClovesJasmineSpicy NotesCedar

Base8-12 hrs

LeatherOakmossMuskSandalwoodLabdanumAmberCoconut

Category winnerVan Cleef & Arpels pour HommeLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter99

Day100

Night53

Spring43

Summer16

Fall0

Winter100

Day47

Night100

Category winnerESPIRÍTUMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex60

Women23

Work 37%Casual 32%Date 21%Party 9%

Men93

Unisex6

Women1

Date 38%Work 28%Casual 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,888

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#156

PerfumerLouis Monnet

Launched—

Reviews201

Category winnerVan Cleef & Arpels pour HommeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of BŌ ESPIRÍTU strikes a distinct balance between crisp desert herbs and buttery florals. The scent starts with a dry snap of clary sage and earthy carrot seeds. That brisk herbal opening softens quickly. Within twenty minutes, a velvety iris note takes control, pairing cool powdery petals with warm tobacco leaf…

Reviews →

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme is a dark, uncompromising leather fragrance built around bitter herbs, velvety rose, and damp oakmoss. First launched in 1978, it opens with a bracing blast of green basil, aromatic lavender, and crisp juniper berries that immediately feels like stepping into a cold pine forest. As the he…

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, ESPIRÍTU or Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme?

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme takes 7 of 8 categories. ESPIRÍTU is rated 4.11/5 from 222 votes; Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme is rated 4.25/5 from 1,258 votes. Choose ESPIRÍTU for a iris and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, ESPIRÍTU or Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme?

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme lasts longest (Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme 80/100, ESPIRÍTU 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, ESPIRÍTU or Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme?

Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme projects furthest (Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme 74/100, ESPIRÍTU 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do ESPIRÍTU and Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Sage, Rose, Leather and Oakmoss.

Is ESPIRÍTU or Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme better for summer or winter?

For summer, Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme is the stronger pick. For winter, Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme is the stronger pick. ESPIRÍTU suits daytime wear; Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in ESPIRÍTU and Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme?

ESPIRÍTU features Sage, Iris, Rose, Tobacco Leaf and Osmanthus. Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme has top notes of Lavender, Juniper Berries, Basil and Green Notes, heart notes of Rose, Carnation, Patchouli and Vetiver, a base of Leather, Oakmoss, Musk and Sandalwood.