Fragrance comparison

Formosa vs Insidious Absolue

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 31 ratings analysed

Formosa

Ormonde Jayne

3.8020 votes

Rank #43,577 CitrusFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Insidious Absolue

Insider Parfums

4.0911 votes

Rank #39,289 CitrusWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Insidious Absolue takes 5 of 5 categories.

Formosa
Choose it for a citrus and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Insidious Absolue
Choose it for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Formosa0/5

Insidious Absolue5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FormosaOrmonde Jayne

Insidious AbsolueInsider Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 22%Had 1%Want 77%

4.09/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 33%Had 8%Want 60%

Category winnerInsidious AbsolueRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

45%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

10%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

73%Love

0%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

18%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityInsidious Absolue

SillageInsidious Absolue

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value60

Category winnerInsidious AbsolueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

floral92%

woody84%

fruity77%

green69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

warm spicy92%

fruity84%

woody77%

amber69%

musky61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotCitronCardamomBlack Currant

Heart

Green TeaOsmanthusFreesia

Base

Tea LeafSandalwoodCedarMusk

Top

Black CurrantGrapefruitPink PepperPineappleClovesBergamotNutmeg

Heart

CitronCinnamonGingerCardamomRose

Base

AmbroxanOakmossEvernylSandalwoodPatchouliVetiverTonkaMusk

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Citron, Cardamom and Black Currant. 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

Summer60

Fall60

Winter20

Day100

Night63

Spring100

Summer60

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex44

Women44

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,577

PerfumerCeline Ripert, Linda Pilkington

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#39,289

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerInsidious AbsolueHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Formosa opens with a tart flash of citron and bergamot, paired with a subtle bite of black currant and aromatic cardamom. Within minutes, the sharp citrus softens into a green tea leaf core sweetened by apricot-tinged osmanthus flower and clean freesia. The scent settles into a dry woody foundation of cedar and sandal…

Reviews →

Insidious Absolue by Insider Parfums brings a bright, aromatic punch to your collection. The opening features a sharp mix of black currant, grapefruit, and pineapple that settles into a woody, musky base. It is a versatile choice for day or night wear, performing best during the moderate temperatures of spring or fall.

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, Formosa or Insidious Absolue?

Insidious Absolue takes 5 of 5 categories. Formosa is rated 3.80/5 from 20 votes; Insidious Absolue is rated 4.09/5 from 11 votes. Choose Formosa for a citrus and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Insidious Absolue for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Formosa or Insidious Absolue?

They last about the same: Insidious Absolue 65/100, Formosa 63/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Formosa or Insidious Absolue?

Insidious Absolue projects furthest (Insidious Absolue 58/100, Formosa 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Formosa and Insidious Absolue smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and fruity accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Citron, Cardamom and Black Currant.

Is Formosa or Insidious Absolue better for summer or winter?

Formosa suits daytime wear; Insidious Absolue suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Formosa and Insidious Absolue?

Formosa has top notes of Bergamot, Citron, Cardamom and Black Currant, heart notes of Green Tea, Osmanthus and Freesia, a base of Tea Leaf, Sandalwood, Cedar and Musk. Insidious Absolue has top notes of Black Currant, Grapefruit, Pink Pepper and Pineapple, heart notes of Citron, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cardamom, a base of Ambroxan, Oakmoss, Evernyl and Sandalwood.