Fragrance comparison

Essence vs Neroli 36 Perfume Oil

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 64 ratings analysed

2 wins

Essence

Byblos

3.8457 votes

Rank #14,753 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Neroli 36 Perfume Oil

Le Labo

3.577 votes

Rank #62,653 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essence takes 2 of 3 categories.

Essence
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Neroli 36 Perfume Oil
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Essence2/3

Neroli 36 Perfume Oil1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Neroli 36 Perfume Oil
Sillage & projection: Essence
Value for money: Not scored
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

Neroli 36 Perfume OilLe Labo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 57 votes

Have 27%Had 15%Want 58%

3.57/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 38%Had 8%Want 55%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

14%Love

57%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityNeroli 36 Perfume Oil

SillageEssence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

floral84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

marine61%

white floral100%

citrus92%

vanilla84%

floral77%

fresh69%

rose61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both citrus and floral

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

Top1 to 2 hours

NeroliMandarin Orange

Heart3 to 5 hours

JasmineRose

Base5 to 8 hours

MuskVanillaTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Neroli, Jasmine and Rose. Durations are only published for Neroli 36 Perfume Oil, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer81

Fall52

Winter48

Day100

Night45

Spring50

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex50

Women33

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,753

PerfumerChristine Nagel

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#62,653

PerfumerDaphné Bugey

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Neroli 36 Perfume Oil by Le Labo offers a quiet, personal way to wear white floral freshness without an alcohol blast. The scent opens with sunny mandarin orange and crisp neroli before settling into a soft floral heart of jasmine and rose. As the oil warms against your pulse points, a comforting base of musk, vanilla…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

FloralFolli FollieRUNNER-UP vs

Russian Present RedSergio NeroWINNER

1 person compared this today

Flowerbomb La Vie En Rose 2016Viktor&RolfRUNNER-UP vs

Gourmand White FlowersDossierWINNER

1 person compared this today

Ramsés IIAtelier Segall & BaruttiRUNNER-UP vs

Mata HariDSH PerfumesWINNER

1 person compared this today

Baccarat Rouge 540Maison Francis KurkdjianRUNNER-UP vs

KhamrahLattafa PerfumesWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Essence or Neroli 36 Perfume Oil?

Essence takes 2 of 3 categories. Essence is rated 3.84/5 from 57 votes; Neroli 36 Perfume Oil is rated 3.57/5 from 7 votes. Choose Essence for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Neroli 36 Perfume Oil for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Essence or Neroli 36 Perfume Oil?

Neroli 36 Perfume Oil lasts longest (Neroli 36 Perfume Oil 90/100, Essence 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essence or Neroli 36 Perfume Oil?

Essence projects furthest (Essence 61/100, Neroli 36 Perfume Oil 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essence and Neroli 36 Perfume Oil smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Neroli, Jasmine and Rose.

Is Essence or Neroli 36 Perfume Oil better for summer or winter?

Essence suits daytime wear; Neroli 36 Perfume Oil suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essence and Neroli 36 Perfume Oil?

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. Neroli 36 Perfume Oil has top notes of Neroli and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Jasmine and Rose, a base of Musk, Vanilla and Tonka Bean.