Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence vs L'Air du Temps by Starck

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 150 ratings analysed

5 wins

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence

Marc Jacobs

4.2265 votes

Rank #12,515 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

L'Air du Temps by Starck

Nina Ricci

3.7185 votes

Rank #16,846 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence takes 5 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 Starck
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence5/7

L'Air du Temps by Starck2/7

Ratings & consensus: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Community sentiment: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Longevity: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Value for money: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Versatility: Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence
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 StarckNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 50%Had 50%Want 0%

3.71/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

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

26%Love

46%Like

1%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityMarc Jacobs Perfume Essence

SillageL'Air du Temps by Starck

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value59

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

amber92%

powdery84%

warm spicy77%

floral69%

citrus61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both white floral, warm spicy and powdery

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

CarnationRoseBrazilian RosewoodNeroliPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesYlang-YlangOrris RootGardeniaJasmineVioletOrchidRosemary

Base

OakmossVetiverAmberMuskSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoin

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

Spring92

Summer62

Fall100

Winter38

Day100

Night50

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Perfume EssenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex17

Women83

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

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,515

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#16,846

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews19

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 Starck blends classic mid-century perfumery with a striking modern flacon redesign from 2010. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, rose, and bright bergamot that immediately sets a vintage floral tone. As the opening settles, dry cloves and creamy ylang-ylang join rich jasmine t…

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 Starck?

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence takes 5 of 7 categories. Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence is rated 4.22/5 from 65 votes; L'Air du Temps by Starck is rated 3.71/5 from 85 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 Starck for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

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

Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence lasts longest (Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence 76/100, L'Air du Temps by Starck 69/100), based on community performance votes.

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

L'Air du Temps by Starck projects furthest (L'Air du Temps by Starck 71/100, Marc Jacobs Perfume Essence 66/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, warm spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Spices, Bergamot, Gardenia and Rose.

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

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

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

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 Starck has top notes of Carnation, Rose, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root and Gardenia, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.