Fragrance comparison

Gymkana vs Issara

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 971 ratings analysed

3 wins

Gymkana

Jean Dessès

4.508 votes

Rank #40,613 WoodyMossy

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Issara

Parfums Dusita

4.21963 votes

Rank #3,748 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gymkana takes 3 of 4 categories.

Gymkana
Choose it for a woody and mossy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Issara
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Gymkana3/4

Issara1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

GymkanaJean Dessès

IssaraParfums Dusita

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 24%Had 8%Want 68%

4.21/ 5 · 963 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

13%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

49%Love

34%Like

8%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

963 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityGymkana

SillageGymkana

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value27

Category winnerGymkanaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

mossy90%

leather80%

earthy70%

aromatic60%

animalic50%

woody100%

aromatic92%

sweet84%

tobacco77%

herbal69%

vanilla61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotWormwoodSage

Heart

LeatherGeraniumLavenderVetiver

Base

OakmossCoumarinMusk

Top15-30 mins

SagePine needles

Heart2-4 hrs

CoumarinTobaccoBourbon Vetiver

Base6-8+ hrs

Woody NotesOakmossMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesSage, Vetiver, Oakmoss and Coumarin. Durations are only published for Issara, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night67

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter62

Day100

Night44

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men26

Unisex61

Women13

Casual 37%Work 34%Date 22%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,613

PerfumerPaul Vacher

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,748

PerfumerPissara Umavijani

Launched—

Reviews124

Category winnerIssaraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Gymkana by Jean Dessès offers a crisp, bitter opening of wormwood and sage that quickly yields to a dry, weathered leather heart. This vintage masculine chypre from 1960 captures a rugged, outdoorsy refinement. It is ideal for cool autumn days when you want a dry, mossy aura that smells distinct from modern sweet frag…

Reviews →

Parfums Dusita Issara strips away the sharp edges of the traditional barbershop scent to reveal something rustic and peaceful. The opening releases a vivid breath of fresh pine needles and crushed garden sage, smelling like cool morning air in a quiet mountain evergreen grove. Within minutes, the initial crispness mel…

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, Gymkana or Issara?

Gymkana takes 3 of 4 categories. Gymkana is rated 4.50/5 from 8 votes; Issara is rated 4.21/5 from 963 votes. Choose Gymkana for a woody and mossy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Issara for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Gymkana or Issara?

Gymkana lasts longest (Gymkana 87/100, Issara 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Gymkana or Issara?

Gymkana projects furthest (Gymkana 56/100, Issara 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Gymkana and Issara smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Sage, Vetiver, Oakmoss and Coumarin.

Is Gymkana or Issara better for summer or winter?

Gymkana suits daytime wear; Issara suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Gymkana and Issara?

Gymkana has top notes of Bergamot, Wormwood and Sage, heart notes of Leather, Geranium, Lavender and Vetiver, a base of Oakmoss, Coumarin and Musk. Issara has top notes of Sage and Pine needles, heart notes of Coumarin, Tobacco and Bourbon Vetiver, a base of Woody Notes, Oakmoss, Musk and Amber.