Fragrance comparison

Le Male Essence de Parfum vs Al Fares

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 2,368 ratings analysed

Le Male Essence de Parfum

Jean Paul Gaultier

4.142,337 votes

Rank #492 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Al Fares

Gulf Orchid

4.3931 votes

Rank #24,002 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Al Fares takes 4 of 7 categories.

Le Male Essence de Parfum
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Al Fares
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Le Male Essence de Parfum3/7

Al Fares4/7

Ratings & consensus: Al Fares
Community sentiment: Al Fares
Longevity: Le Male Essence de Parfum
Sillage & projection: Le Male Essence de Parfum
Value for money: Al Fares
Versatility: Al Fares
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Le Male Essence de Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Le Male Essence de ParfumJean Paul Gaultier

Al FaresGulf Orchid

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 2,337 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

4.39/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 51%Had 3%Want 46%

Category winnerAl FaresRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

32%Like

5%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

1,771 votes

55%Love

29%Like

16%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerAl FaresMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityLe Male Essence de Parfum

SillageLe Male Essence de Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value75

Category winnerAl FaresBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

leather84%

vanilla77%

lavender69%

fresh spicy61%

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

green77%

amber69%

nutty61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomPepperArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

LeatherLavenderCinnamonSage

Base

VanillaCoumarinAmberwoodMuskCostus

Top15-30 mins

MintPink PepperCardamom

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonLavenderSage

Base6-8 hrs

ChestnutAmberwoodCedar

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Lavender, Cinnamon and Sage. Durations are only published for Al Fares, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring57

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring37

Summer21

Fall100

Winter95

Day44

Night100

Category winnerAl FaresMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men89

Unisex9

Women2

Men88

Unisex13

Women0

Date 33%Casual 30%Party 24%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#492

PerfumerQuentin Bisch

Launched—

Reviews356

Overall rank#24,002

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerLe Male Essence de ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Le Male Essence de Parfum shifts the sweet, powdery barbershop DNA of the original into a dark, spicy leather lane. A blast of cold cardamom and sharp black pepper cuts through the initial sweetness, immediately setting a colder, more serious tone. As the liquid warms on skin, a thick, polished leather accord develops…

Reviews →

Al Fares by Gulf Orchid is a warm, aromatic fragrance built for crisp fall days and cold winter evenings. The scent hits your skin with a cool burst of fresh mint balanced by tingling pink pepper and crushed green cardamom pods. That initial freshness does not linger for long. Within twenty minutes, the fragrance shif…

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, Le Male Essence de Parfum or Al Fares?

Al Fares takes 4 of 7 categories. Le Male Essence de Parfum is rated 4.14/5 from 2,337 votes; Al Fares is rated 4.39/5 from 31 votes. Choose Le Male Essence de Parfum for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Al Fares for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Le Male Essence de Parfum or Al Fares?

Le Male Essence de Parfum lasts longest (Le Male Essence de Parfum 74/100, Al Fares 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Le Male Essence de Parfum or Al Fares?

Le Male Essence de Parfum projects furthest (Le Male Essence de Parfum 65/100, Al Fares 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Le Male Essence de Parfum and Al Fares smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Lavender, Cinnamon and Sage.

Is Le Male Essence de Parfum or Al Fares better for summer or winter?

For summer, Al Fares is the stronger pick. For winter, Le Male Essence de Parfum is the stronger pick. Al Fares suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Le Male Essence de Parfum and Al Fares?

Le Male Essence de Parfum has top notes of Cardamom, Pepper, Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Leather, Lavender, Cinnamon and Sage, a base of Vanilla, Coumarin, Amberwood and Musk. Al Fares has top notes of Mint, Pink Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Cinnamon, Lavender and Sage, a base of Chestnut, Amberwood and Cedar.