Fragrance comparison

Essence vs Londoner W1X

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 70 ratings analysed

5 wins

Essence

Byblos

3.8457 votes

Rank #15,249 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Londoner W1X

Bex London

3.4613 votes

Rank #56,973 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essence takes 5 of 5 categories.

Essence
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Londoner W1X
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Essence5/5

Londoner W1X0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EssenceByblos

Londoner W1XBex London

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 27%Had 15%Want 58%

3.46/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 28%Had 20%Want 52%

Category winnerEssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

44%Like

2%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

57 votes

8%Love

54%Like

15%Ok

23%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate62

Category winners

LongevityEssence

SillageEssence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerEssenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

floral84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

marine61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

iris84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both aromatic, citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

FreesiaBergamotMandarin OrangeNeroli

Heart

Sea waterGeraniumJasmineRose

Base

Teak WoodMuskVanillaCedar

Notes

CypressIrisCorianderVetiverCedarNeroliYlang-YlangMandarin OrangeRoseLily-of-the-ValleyPatchouliFreesia

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesFreesia, Mandarin Orange, Neroli and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer81

Fall52

Winter48

Day100

Night45

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex50

Women33

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,249

PerfumerChristine Nagel

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#56,973

PerfumerFrançois Robert

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerEssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Essence by Byblos is a refreshing floral woody musk launched in 2008. It opens with vibrant freesia and bergamot before settling into a sea water heart, grounding itself in teak wood and vanilla. It is a light, clean, and understated choice for a casual workday during spring or summer, sitting close to the skin withou…

Reviews →

Londoner W1X by Bex London leans on a woody-aromatic backbone to offer a modern, city-focused scent profile for women. Launched in 2012, this fragrance balances sharp herbal notes with softer iris and floral accents. It is designed for the woman who wants something straightforward and present for daily office wear or …

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, Essence or Londoner W1X?

Essence takes 5 of 5 categories. Essence is rated 3.84/5 from 57 votes; Londoner W1X is rated 3.46/5 from 13 votes. Choose Essence for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Londoner W1X for a woody and aromatic character. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Essence or Londoner W1X?

Essence lasts longest (Essence 68/100, Londoner W1X 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essence or Londoner W1X?

Essence projects furthest (Essence 61/100, Londoner W1X 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essence and Londoner W1X smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Freesia, Mandarin Orange, Neroli and Rose.

Is Essence or Londoner W1X better for summer or winter?

Essence suits daytime wear; Londoner W1X suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essence and Londoner W1X?

Essence has top notes of Freesia, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Neroli, heart notes of Sea water, Geranium, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Teak Wood, Musk, Vanilla and Cedar. Londoner W1X features Cypress, Iris, Coriander, Vetiver and Cedar.