Essencial Desejos vs Strictly Cologne
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
47%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Essencial Desejos takes 4 of 5 categories.
Essencial DesejosChoose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Strictly CologneChoose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Essencial Desejos4/5
Strictly Cologne1/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Essencial Desejos
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Essencial Desejos
- Sillage & projection
- Essencial Desejos
- Value for money
- Strictly Cologne
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Essencial Desejos
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Essencial DesejosNaturaStrictly CologneVan GilsWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.19/ 5 · 74 votes
Have 59%Had 3%Want 38%
3.70/ 5 · 10 votes
Have 58%Had 17%Want 25%
Category winnerEssencial DesejosRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate38%Love
37%Like
14%Ok
8%Dislike
3%Hate
73 votes
30%Love
30%Like
20%Ok
20%Dislike
0%Hate
10 votes · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityEssencial Desejos
SillageEssencial Desejos
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerStrictly CologneBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothcitrus100%
fresh spicy69%
aromatic38%
aromatic100%
woody92%
fresh spicy84%
citrus77%
warm spicy69%
herbal61%
Scent match47%Some overlap · both citrus, fresh spicy and aromatic
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
BergamotGinRosemaryJuniperBasilOrangeLavenderNutmeg
Heart
RoseLily of the ValleyJasmineParamelaVioletDavana
Base
CedarMossMuskVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodVanillaAmber
Top15-30 mins
BergamotLemonJuniperPink PepperCardamom
Heart2-3 hrs
GeraniumArtemisiaVioletAbsinthe
Base4-6 hrs
CedarPalisander RosewoodSuedeAmberwoodMoss
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Juniper, Violet and Cedar. Durations are only published for Strictly Cologne, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer54
Fall97
Winter60
Day100
Night83
Spring100
Summer38
Fall63
Winter50
Day100
Night43
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#31,664
PerfumerDomitille Michalon Bertier, Verônica Kato
Launched2025
Reviews0
Overall rank#49,955
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews1
Category winnerEssencial DesejosHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotEssencial Desejos by Natura is a festive woody fragrance for men featuring a prominent gin-inspired accord. It pairs the aromatic sharpness of juniper and priprioca with a creamy sandalwood base, creating an elegant scent suitable for year-end holiday celebrations. This 2025 release provides a striking, luminous trail…
Reviews →Strictly Cologne by Van Gils opens with a bracing splash of crisp bergamot, tart lemon, and sharp juniper berries, accented by a pinch of pink pepper and green cardamom. As the initial citrus blast softens, the fragrance shifts into an aromatic herbal heart of absinthe, bitter artemisia, and powdery violet leaves, bal…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Essencial Desejos or Strictly Cologne?
Essencial Desejos takes 4 of 5 categories. Essencial Desejos is rated 4.19/5 from 74 votes; Strictly Cologne is rated 3.70/5 from 10 votes. Choose Essencial Desejos for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Strictly Cologne for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Essencial Desejos or Strictly Cologne?
Essencial Desejos lasts longest (Essencial Desejos 70/100, Strictly Cologne 57/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Essencial Desejos or Strictly Cologne?
Essencial Desejos projects furthest (Essencial Desejos 55/100, Strictly Cologne 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Essencial Desejos and Strictly Cologne smell similar?
Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Juniper, Violet and Cedar.
Is Essencial Desejos or Strictly Cologne better for summer or winter?
Essencial Desejos suits daytime wear; Strictly Cologne suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Essencial Desejos and Strictly Cologne?
Essencial Desejos has top notes of Bergamot, Gin, Rosemary and Juniper, heart notes of Rose, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine and Paramela, a base of Cedar, Moss, Musk and Vetiver. Strictly Cologne has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Juniper and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Geranium, Artemisia, Violet and Absinthe, a base of Cedar, Palisander Rosewood, Suede and Amberwood.
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