Fragrance comparison

Formosa vs Le Parfum Gloss Absolu

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 33 ratings analysed

3 wins

Formosa

Ormonde Jayne

3.8020 votes

Rank #43,577 CitrusFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Le Parfum Gloss Absolu

Kérastase

4.0813 votes

Rank #53,725 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Formosa takes 3 of 5 categories.

Formosa
Choose it for a citrus and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Le Parfum Gloss Absolu
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Formosa3/5

Le Parfum Gloss Absolu2/5

Ratings & consensus: Le Parfum Gloss Absolu
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Formosa
Sillage & projection: Formosa
Value for money: Le Parfum Gloss Absolu
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Formosa

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FormosaOrmonde Jayne

Le Parfum Gloss AbsoluKérastase

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 22%Had 1%Want 77%

4.08/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 35%Had 3%Want 63%

Category winnerLe Parfum Gloss AbsoluRating 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

46%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage34

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityFormosa

SillageFormosa

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value56

Category winnerLe Parfum Gloss AbsoluBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

floral92%

woody84%

fruity77%

green69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

white floral90%

floral80%

rose70%

iris60%

powdery50%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both citrus and floral

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

BergamotLemonCardamom

Heart

JasmineRoseIrisFreesiaOrange BlossomGreen Tea

Base

VanillaSandalwood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cardamom, Green Tea and Freesia. 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

Summer88

Fall63

Winter50

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex44

Women44

Men0

Unisex13

Women88

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#53,725

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFormosaHigher 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 →

Kérastase Le Parfum Gloss Absolu arrives as a bright hair mist that opens with sharp bergamot and green tea. The initial citrus burst quickly smooths into a heart of fresh jasmine, orange blossom, and powdery iris. As the hair spray sets, warm sandalwood and clean vanilla settle into hair fibers without feeling heavy …

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 Le Parfum Gloss Absolu?

Formosa takes 3 of 5 categories. Formosa is rated 3.80/5 from 20 votes; Le Parfum Gloss Absolu is rated 4.08/5 from 13 votes. Choose Formosa for a citrus and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Le Parfum Gloss Absolu for a citrus and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Formosa or Le Parfum Gloss Absolu?

Formosa lasts longest (Formosa 63/100, Le Parfum Gloss Absolu 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Formosa or Le Parfum Gloss Absolu?

Formosa projects furthest (Formosa 54/100, Le Parfum Gloss Absolu 34/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Formosa and Le Parfum Gloss Absolu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cardamom, Green Tea and Freesia.

Is Formosa or Le Parfum Gloss Absolu better for summer or winter?

Formosa suits daytime wear; Le Parfum Gloss Absolu suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Formosa and Le Parfum Gloss Absolu?

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. Le Parfum Gloss Absolu has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Cardamom, heart notes of Jasmine, Rose, Iris and Freesia, a base of Vanilla and Sandalwood.