Fragrance comparison

Essere Gentile vs VIII Eight

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 29 ratings analysed

4 wins

Essere Gentile

Zanini

4.6028 votes

Rank #11,145 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

VIII Eight

Azalea Parfums

4.001 votes

Rank #60,158 AmberFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essere Gentile takes 4 of 4 categories.

Essere Gentile
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
VIII Eight
Choose it for a amber and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Essere Gentile4/4

VIII Eight0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Essere GentileZanini

VIII EightAzalea Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.60/ 5 · 28 votes

Have 11%Had 11%Want 78%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEssere Gentile

SillageEssere Gentile

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value50

Category winnerEssere GentileBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

amber84%

citrus77%

fresh spicy69%

vanilla61%

amber100%

fresh spicy88%

herbal77%

woody65%

musky53%

powdery42%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both amber, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Bitter OrangeLiquidambarCedarmossGalbanumChinottoVanillaBenzoinOakmossVetiverCypressMyrtleOlive

No top / heart / base split published

Top

ArtemisiaStyraxBergamotLavenderCinnamonNutmegAppleGrapefruit

Heart

LabdanumGeraniumAgarwoodTobaccoOudLily-of-the-ValleyCashmeranJasmine

Base

BenzoinAmberLeatherGuaiac WoodSandalwoodTonka BeanVanillaMusk

InformationalShared notesVanilla and Benzoin. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,145

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#60,158

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEssere GentileHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Essere Gentile by Zanini balances the bitter kick of chinotto with earthy green cypress and a balsamic, warm base. The scent shifts from a bright, sharp Italian citrus opening into a deep, mossy forest floor that hugs the skin during cool autumn days.

Reviews →

VIII Eight reads as a warm amber woody scent with a spicy, herbal opening and a darker, resinous core. Saffron, cardamom, lavender and citrus brighten the top before tobacco, oud, leather and vanilla settle in. It looks best suited to someone who enjoys textured, slightly old-school orientals with a dry woody base ra…

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, Essere Gentile or VIII Eight?

Essere Gentile takes 4 of 4 categories. Essere Gentile is rated 4.60/5 from 28 votes; VIII Eight is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Essere Gentile for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose VIII Eight for a amber and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Essere Gentile or VIII Eight?

Essere Gentile lasts longest (Essere Gentile 83/100, VIII Eight 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Essere Gentile or VIII Eight?

Essere Gentile projects furthest (Essere Gentile 70/100, VIII Eight 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Essere Gentile and VIII Eight smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Vanilla and Benzoin.

Is Essere Gentile or VIII Eight better for summer or winter?

Essere Gentile suits day or night wear; VIII Eight suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Essere Gentile and VIII Eight?

Essere Gentile features Bitter Orange, Liquidambar, Cedarmoss, Galbanum and Chinotto. VIII Eight has top notes of Artemisia, Styrax, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Labdanum, Geranium, Agarwood and Tobacco, a base of Benzoin, Amber, Leather and Guaiac Wood.