Fragrance comparison

Essence Rare vs I'm

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 177 ratings analysed

6 wins

Essence Rare

Roja Dove

4.18112 votes

Rank #4,909 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

I'm

Pupa

3.8265 votes

Rank #16,093 FruityPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essence Rare takes 6 of 7 categories.

Essence Rare
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
I'm
Choose it for a fruity and powdery character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Essence Rare6/7

I'm1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Essence RareRoja Dove

I'mPupa

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 112 votes

Have 43%Had 9%Want 49%

3.82/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 31%Had 23%Want 47%

Category winnerEssence RareRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

29%Like

13%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

55 votes

28%Love

46%Like

6%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

65 votes

Category winnerEssence RareMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityEssence Rare

SillageEssence Rare

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value65

Category winnerI'mBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fruity92%

citrus84%

earthy77%

rose69%

sweet61%

fruity100%

powdery92%

amber84%

sweet77%

musky69%

woody61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both fruity, woody and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

RaspberryBlood OrangeSweet OrangeBlack Currant

Heart

RoseVioletJasmine

Base

MossVetiverPalmarosaSandalwoodPatchouliMuskCedarCoriander

Top20-30 mins

Wild StrawberryBlack CurrantCloves

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseVioletHoneysuckle

Base6-8 hrs

MuskVanillaWhite AmberLabdanum

InformationalShared notesBlack Currant, Rose, Violet and Musk. Durations are only published for I'm, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring90

Summer52

Fall100

Winter62

Day88

Night100

Spring100

Summer61

Fall61

Winter44

Day100

Night41

Category winnerEssence RareMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex58

Women39

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Casual 36%Date 29%Party 20%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,909

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews30

Overall rank#16,093

PerfumerLuca Maffei, Maurizio Cerizza

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerEssence RareHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Essence Rare opens with a bright rush of blood orange, blackcurrant and raspberry, then settles into jasmine, rose and a powdery woody chypre base. It feels polished, fruity and mossy rather than sugary. On skin, it usually reads unisex with a slight floral softness. This suits someone who wants a vivid fruit opening …

Reviews →

Pupa I'm Eau de Parfum smells like sweet wild strawberries dusted in powdered sugar and vintage cosmetic rose. The berries hit fast. Tart black currant and a pinch of warm clove keep the opening lively rather than cloying. Soon after, powdery violet and honeysuckle emerge, creating an authentic scented lipstick accord…

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 Rare or I'm?

Essence Rare takes 6 of 7 categories. Essence Rare is rated 4.18/5 from 112 votes; I'm is rated 3.82/5 from 65 votes. Choose Essence Rare for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose I'm for a fruity and powdery character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Essence Rare or I'm?

Essence Rare lasts longest (Essence Rare 81/100, I'm 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essence Rare or I'm?

Essence Rare projects furthest (Essence Rare 72/100, I'm 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essence Rare and I'm smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, woody and sweet accords. Common notes include Black Currant, Rose, Violet and Musk.

Is Essence Rare or I'm better for summer or winter?

For summer, I'm is the stronger pick. For winter, Essence Rare is the stronger pick. Essence Rare suits evening wear; I'm suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essence Rare and I'm?

Essence Rare has top notes of Raspberry, Blood Orange, Sweet Orange and Black Currant, heart notes of Rose, Violet and Jasmine, a base of Moss, Vetiver, Palmarosa and Sandalwood. I'm has top notes of Wild Strawberry, Black Currant and Cloves, heart notes of Rose, Violet and Honeysuckle, a base of Musk, Vanilla, White Amber and Labdanum.