Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence vs L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 108 ratings analysed

4 wins

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence

Marc Jacobs

4.2265 votes

Rank #12,515 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

Nina Ricci

3.9543 votes

Rank #18,688 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence takes 4 of 7 categories.

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence4/7

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman3/7

Ratings & consensus: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Community sentiment: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Longevity: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Value for money: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Versatility: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs Perfume EssenceMarc Jacobs

L'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

3.95/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 29%Had 12%Want 59%

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Perfume EssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

40%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

65 votes

33%Love

49%Like

0%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

43 votes

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Perfume EssenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityMarc Jacobs Perfume Essence

SillageL'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value58

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

amber92%

powdery84%

warm spicy77%

floral69%

citrus61%

warm spicy100%

floral91%

woody83%

powdery74%

white floral65%

iris56%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both warm spicy, white floral and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

FreesiaSpicesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

GardeniaRoseOrange BlossomIris

Base6-8+ hrs

BenzoinTolu BalsamMuskSandalwoodCassia

Top

CarnationNeroliPalisander RosewoodRoseBergamotPeach

Heart

ClovesOrchidOrrisGardeniaVioletJasmineRosemaryYlang-Ylang

Base

SandalwoodMuskSpicesIrisAmberBenzoinCedarMoss

InformationalShared notesSpices, Bergamot, Gardenia and Rose. Durations are only published for Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer60

Fall73

Winter60

Day100

Night47

Spring100

Summer44

Fall100

Winter78

Day100

Night45

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by Olivia PutmanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

Work 34%Casual 29%Date 25%Party 12%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,515

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#18,688

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Perfume EssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence takes the crisp gardenia profile of the 2001 original and wraps it in warm, golden resin. The spray opens with a quick flash of peppery freesia and bergamot citrus. Within ten minutes, lush gardenia petals take over alongside sweet orange blossom. The real shift happens in the base. Thick b…

Reviews →

L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman offers a fresh modern presentation of Nina Ricci's iconic floral structure. It opens with sharp carnation and crisp neroli, softened by bright bergamot and subtle peach accents. As the scent settles, clove spice merges with gardenia, rose, and green rosemary, creating a distinctive soap…

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, Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence takes 4 of 7 categories. Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence is rated 4.22/5 from 65 votes; L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman is rated 3.95/5 from 43 votes. Choose Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence for a white floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence lasts longest (Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence 76/100, L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

Projection is very close: L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman 68/100, Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence 66/100 for sillage.

Do Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence and L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, white floral and floral accords. Common notes include Spices, Bergamot, Gardenia and Rose.

Is Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence or L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman better for summer or winter?

For summer, Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence is the stronger pick. For winter, L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman is the stronger pick. Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence suits daytime wear; L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence and L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman?

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence has top notes of Freesia, Spices and Bergamot, heart notes of Gardenia, Rose, Orange Blossom and Iris, a base of Benzoin, Tolu Balsam, Musk and Sandalwood. L'Air du Temps by Olivia Putman has top notes of Carnation, Neroli, Palisander Rosewood and Rose, heart notes of Cloves, Orchid, Orris and Gardenia, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Spices and Iris.