Fragrance comparison

Nirvana vs Substance

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 267 ratings analysed

Nirvana

Paradis des Sens

4.45265 votes

Rank #2,982 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

70%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Substance

Synesthesie

4.502 votes

Rank #51,575 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories.

Nirvana
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Substance
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Nirvana1/4

Substance3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NirvanaParadis des Sens

SubstanceSynesthesie

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.45/ 5 · 265 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

265 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevitySubstance

SillageSubstance

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value100

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

vanilla84%

amber77%

cinnamon69%

sweet61%

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

cinnamon69%

musky61%

Scent match70%Closely related · both warm spicy, vanilla and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

CognacTonka BeanMyrrh

Heart3-4 hrs

CinnamonHazelnutSandalwood

Base7-10+ hrs

VanillaCashmere Wood

Top

HazelnutCognac

Heart

Tonka BeanCinnamonAmbergrisOakmossSugar

Base

White MuskVanillaMyrrhSandalwoodPraline

InformationalShared notesCognac, Tonka Bean, Myrrh and Cinnamon. Durations are only published for Nirvana, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer15

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men9

Unisex63

Women28

Date 36%Party 29%Casual 20%Work 16%

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,982

PerfumerMarzia Tissino

Launched—

Reviews28

Overall rank#51,575

PerfumerFrancesco Perini

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNirvanaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paradis des Sens Nirvana is a rich, boozy gourmand that wraps the skin in immediate warmth. A generous pour of aged cognac opens the composition, brightened by sweet myrrh and the coumarin warmth of tonka bean. The spirit settles fast. As the top calms, a cozy core of spicy cinnamon and crushed hazelnut emerges over s…

Reviews →

Substance opens with a boozy cognac kick and a distinct hazelnut crunch. It is a dense gourmand experience that settles into a thick layer of praline and vanilla. This is a heavy hitter for cold nights when you want to feel wrapped in something warm and resinous. It avoids being a simple sugar bomb thanks to a salty a…

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, Nirvana or Substance?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories. Nirvana is rated 4.45/5 from 265 votes; Substance is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Nirvana for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Substance for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Nirvana or Substance?

Substance lasts longest (Substance 100/100, Nirvana 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nirvana or Substance?

Substance projects furthest (Substance 100/100, Nirvana 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nirvana and Substance smell similar?

Closely related: a 70% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, vanilla and amber accords. Common notes include Cognac, Tonka Bean, Myrrh and Cinnamon.

Is Nirvana or Substance better for summer or winter?

Nirvana suits evening wear; Substance suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nirvana and Substance?

Nirvana has top notes of Cognac, Tonka Bean and Myrrh, heart notes of Cinnamon, Hazelnut and Sandalwood, a base of Vanilla and Cashmere Wood. Substance has top notes of Hazelnut and Cognac, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Cinnamon, Ambergris and Oakmoss, a base of White Musk, Vanilla, Myrrh and Sandalwood.