Fragrance comparison

Essential vs Qimmah for Men

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 239 ratings analysed

4 wins

Essential

Paul Smith

3.4850 votes

Rank #39,610 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

73%scent match

Closely related

Qimmah for Men

Lattafa Perfumes

2.88189 votes

Rank #17,318 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essential takes 4 of 7 categories.

Essential
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Qimmah for Men
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Essential4/7

Qimmah for Men3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EssentialPaul Smith

Qimmah for MenLattafa Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.48/ 5 · 50 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

2.88/ 5 · 189 votes

Have 85%Had 15%Want 0%

Category winnerEssentialRating 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

21%Love

22%Like

20%Ok

19%Dislike

17%Hate

149 votes

Category winnerEssentialMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate52

Category winners

LongevityEssential

SillageEssential

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value79

Category winnerQimmah for MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic91%

fresh spicy83%

lavender74%

ozonic65%

patchouli56%

aromatic100%

woody92%

lavender84%

fresh spicy77%

herbal69%

patchouli61%

Scent match73%Closely related · 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

Top

AgarwoodCedar

Heart

LavenderSageRosemary

Base

PatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesLavender, Rosemary, Sage and Patchouli. 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

Spring100

Summer97

Fall93

Winter42

Day100

Night–

Category winnerQimmah for MenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men77

Unisex19

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,610

PerfumerHamid Merati-Kashani

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,318

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews33

Category winnerQimmah for MenHigher 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 →

Qimmah for Men by Lattafa Perfumes opens with a sharp, woody blast of agarwood and cedar before settling into a crisp, herbal heart of lavender, sage, and rosemary. This affordable fragrance leans into an aromatic profile, making it a functional choice for daily office wear or casual outings during temperate spring an…

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 Qimmah for Men?

Essential takes 4 of 7 categories. Essential is rated 3.48/5 from 50 votes; Qimmah for Men is rated 2.88/5 from 189 votes. Choose Essential for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Qimmah for Men for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Essential or Qimmah for Men?

Essential lasts longest (Essential 67/100, Qimmah for Men 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essential or Qimmah for Men?

Essential projects furthest (Essential 63/100, Qimmah for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essential and Qimmah for Men smell similar?

Closely related: a 73% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Rosemary, Sage and Patchouli.

Is Essential or Qimmah for Men better for summer or winter?

For summer, Qimmah for Men is the stronger pick. For winter, Qimmah for Men is the stronger pick. Essential suits daytime wear; Qimmah for Men suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essential and Qimmah for Men?

Essential has top notes of Ozonic notes, heart notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Orange and Sage, a base of Patchouli, Cedar and Musk. Qimmah for Men has top notes of Agarwood and Cedar, heart notes of Lavender, Sage and Rosemary, a base of Patchouli and Vetiver.