Fragrance comparison

Essential vs Jacomo de Jacomo

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 987 ratings analysed

Essential

Paul Smith

3.4850 votes

Rank #39,610 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Jacomo de Jacomo

Jacomo

3.96937 votes

Rank #512 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jacomo de Jacomo takes 6 of 7 categories.

Essential
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Jacomo de Jacomo
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Essential1/7

Jacomo de Jacomo6/7

Ratings & consensus: Jacomo de Jacomo
Community sentiment: Jacomo de Jacomo
Longevity: Jacomo de Jacomo
Sillage & projection: Jacomo de Jacomo
Value for money: Jacomo de Jacomo
Versatility: Essential
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jacomo de Jacomo

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EssentialPaul Smith

Jacomo de JacomoJacomo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.48/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

3.96/ 5 · 937 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerJacomo de JacomoRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

16%Love

48%Like

4%Ok

32%Dislike

0%Hate

50 votes

46%Love

39%Like

5%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

917 votes

Category winnerJacomo de JacomoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityJacomo de Jacomo

SillageJacomo de Jacomo

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value78

Category winnerJacomo de JacomoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic91%

fresh spicy83%

lavender74%

ozonic65%

patchouli56%

warm spicy100%

aromatic91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

earthy65%

mossy56%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Ozonic notes

Heart

LavenderRosemaryOrangeSage

Base

PatchouliCedarMusk

Notes

ClovesOakmossPatchouliCinnamonLavenderBasilMuskCuminCardamomBrazilian RosewoodRosemaryCedar

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesLavender, Rosemary, Patchouli and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring95

Summer79

Fall100

Winter21

Day100

Night20

Spring44

Summer21

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEssentialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men96

Unisex3

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,610

PerfumerHamid Merati-Kashani

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#512

PerfumerChristian Mathieu

Launched—

Reviews178

Category winnerJacomo de JacomoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paul Smith Essential opens with crisp ozonic notes before settling into a green, clean heart of lavender, rosemary, and sage. Released in 2015 and composed by Hamid Merati-Kashani, the scent blends light citrus sweetness from orange with an earthy base of cedar, patchouli, and musk. It offers a tidy, professional prof…

Reviews →

Jacomo de Jacomo is a bold, 1980s powerhouse fougere that prioritizes raw spice over modern polish. It opens with a sharp, herbal-green rush before settling into a deep, clove-heavy heart with a dry, mossy base. Ideal for colder weather and evening wear, it serves as an uncompromising, mature choice for men who prefer…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Essential or Jacomo de Jacomo?

Jacomo de Jacomo takes 6 of 7 categories. Essential is rated 3.48/5 from 50 votes; Jacomo de Jacomo is rated 3.96/5 from 937 votes. Choose Essential for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Jacomo de Jacomo for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Essential or Jacomo de Jacomo?

Jacomo de Jacomo lasts longest (Jacomo de Jacomo 73/100, Essential 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essential or Jacomo de Jacomo?

Projection is very close: Jacomo de Jacomo 65/100, Essential 63/100 for sillage.

Do Essential and Jacomo de Jacomo smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Rosemary, Patchouli and Cedar.

Is Essential or Jacomo de Jacomo better for summer or winter?

For summer, Essential is the stronger pick. For winter, Jacomo de Jacomo is the stronger pick. Essential suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essential and Jacomo de Jacomo?

Essential has top notes of Ozonic notes, heart notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Orange and Sage, a base of Patchouli, Cedar and Musk. Jacomo de Jacomo features Cloves, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Cinnamon and Lavender.