Fragrance comparison

Essence vs Fruit du Dragon

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

Updated 6 Nov 2026 272 ratings analysed

Essence

Juliana Paes

3.6537 votes

Rank #40,910 FruityFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Fruit du Dragon

Le Monde Gourmand

3.82235 votes

Rank #8,911 FruityTropical

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Fruit du Dragon takes 6 of 7 categories.

Essence
Choose it for a fruity and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Fruit du Dragon
Choose it for a fruity and tropical character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Essence1/7

Fruit du Dragon6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EssenceJuliana Paes

Fruit du DragonLe Monde Gourmand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.65/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 29%Had 49%Want 22%

3.82/ 5 · 235 votes

Have 55%Had 11%Want 35%

Category winnerFruit du DragonRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

16%Love

57%Like

3%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

25%Love

46%Like

18%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

235 votes

Category winnerFruit du DragonMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityFruit du Dragon

SillageFruit du Dragon

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value81

Category winnerFruit du DragonBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

floral88%

sweet77%

white floral65%

citrus53%

tropical42%

fruity100%

tropical83%

floral65%

soft spicy48%

woody30%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both fruity, floral and tropical

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PineappleOrangeBlack Currant

Heart

Passion FlowerLily-of-the-ValleyJasmine

Base

Woody NotesAmber

Notes

PitahayaBlack CurrantPassion FlowerWhite Musk

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant and Passion Flower. Durations are only published for Fruit du Dragon, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter35

Day100

Night31

Spring67

Summer100

Fall9

Winter4

Day100

Night7

Category winnerEssenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex5

Women95

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,910

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#8,911

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews45

Category winnerFruit du DragonHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Essence by Juliana Paes is a lighthearted fruity floral fragrance introduced in 2012. It opens with vibrant notes of pineapple and black currant before softening into a heart of passion flower and lily of the valley. With a warm amber base, this scent is suited for casual daytime wear during the spring and summer mont…

Reviews →

Fruit du Dragon by Le Monde Gourmand is an upbeat, sugary fragrance built around sweet pitahaya and tart black currant. Launched in 2015, this floral fruity scent opens with a burst of tangy, mouth-watering sweetness that immediately brings tropical fruit punch and candy gummies to mind. As the first rush settles, sof…

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

Jette 7Flowers Cherry BlossomJette JoopRUNNER-UP vs

KoiameJ-ScentWINNER

1 person compared this today

Madly Kenzo! Eau de ToiletteKenzoRUNNER-UP vs

PerpetuumBrocardWINNER

1 person compared this today

My ChoiceLouzanRUNNER-UP vs

LordPhytodermWINNER

1 person compared this today

The Real TobaccoMahdi PerfumesWINNER vs

VIII EightAzalea ParfumsRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Essence or Fruit du Dragon?

Fruit du Dragon takes 6 of 7 categories. Essence is rated 3.65/5 from 37 votes; Fruit du Dragon is rated 3.82/5 from 235 votes. Choose Essence for a fruity and floral character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Fruit du Dragon for a fruity and tropical character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Essence or Fruit du Dragon?

Fruit du Dragon lasts longest (Fruit du Dragon 48/100, Essence 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essence or Fruit du Dragon?

Fruit du Dragon projects furthest (Fruit du Dragon 46/100, Essence 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essence and Fruit du Dragon smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, floral and tropical accords. Common notes include Black Currant and Passion Flower.

Is Essence or Fruit du Dragon better for summer or winter?

For summer, Essence is the stronger pick. For winter, Essence is the stronger pick. Essence suits daytime wear; Fruit du Dragon suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essence and Fruit du Dragon?

Essence has top notes of Pineapple, Orange and Black Currant, heart notes of Passion Flower, Lily-of-the-Valley and Jasmine, a base of Woody Notes and Amber. Fruit du Dragon features Pitahaya, Black Currant, Passion Flower and White Musk.