Fragrance comparison

Essence vs L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 187 ratings analysed

Essence

Marc Jacobs

4.17144 votes

Rank #30,004 White FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

Nina Ricci

3.9543 votes

Rank #18,692 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman takes 5 of 7 categories.

Essence
Choose it for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.
L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Essence2/7

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman5/7

Ratings & consensus: Essence
Community sentiment: Essence
Longevity: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Value for money: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Versatility: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EssenceMarc Jacobs

L'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.17/ 5 · 144 votes

Have 57%Had 43%Want 0%

3.95/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 29%Had 12%Want 59%

Category winnerEssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

37%Like

4%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

144 votes

33%Love

49%Like

0%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerEssenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityL'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

SillageL'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value58

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

powdery91%

floral83%

amber74%

warm spicy65%

lactonic56%

warm spicy100%

floral91%

woody83%

powdery74%

white floral65%

iris56%

Scent match56%Closely related · both floral, white floral and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

FreesiaBergamotSpices

Heart2-4 hrs

GardeniaOrange BlossomIrisTurkish Rose

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskBenzoinTolu BalsamSandalwood

Top

CarnationNeroliPalisander RosewoodRoseBergamotPeach

Heart

ClovesOrchidOrrisGardeniaVioletJasmineRosemaryYlang-Ylang

Base

SandalwoodMuskSpicesIrisAmberBenzoinCedarMoss

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Spices, Gardenia and Iris. Durations are only published for Essence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer62

Fall44

Winter26

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer44

Fall100

Winter78

Day100

Night45

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Work 34%Casual 30%Date 27%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,004

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,692

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Essence softens crisp white petals with a warm, resinous foundation. A sharp peppery spice and citrus burst greets you in the first few minutes before settling down. Soon, lush gardenia and dewy freesia take center stage, giving off a creamy floral aroma that never feels overly sweet. As the hours tick pas…

Reviews →

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman offers a fresh modern presentation of Nina Ricci's iconic floral structure. It opens with sharp carnation and crisp neroli, softened by bright bergamot and subtle peach accents. As the scent settles, clove spice merges with gardenia, rose, and green rosemary, creating a distinctive soap…

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, Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman takes 5 of 7 categories. Essence is rated 4.17/5 from 144 votes; L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman is rated 3.95/5 from 43 votes. Choose Essence for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman lasts longest (L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman 64/100, Essence 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman projects furthest (L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman 68/100, Essence 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essence and L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, white floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Spices, Gardenia and Iris.

Is Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman better for summer or winter?

For summer, Essence is the stronger pick. For winter, L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman is the stronger pick. Essence suits daytime wear; L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essence and L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

Essence has top notes of Freesia, Bergamot and Spices, heart notes of Gardenia, Orange Blossom, Iris and Turkish Rose, a base of Musk, Benzoin, Tolu Balsam and Sandalwood. L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman has top notes of Carnation, Neroli, Palisander Rosewood and Rose, heart notes of Cloves, Orchid, Orris and Gardenia, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Spices and Iris.