Fragrance comparison

Nivea Men vs Essencial Desejos

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 167 ratings analysed

Nivea Men

Nivea

3.7393 votes

Rank #11,333 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Essencial Desejos

Natura · 2025

4.1974 votes

Rank #31,611 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essencial Desejos takes 4 of 7 categories.

Nivea Men
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer.
Essencial Desejos
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Nivea Men3/7

Essencial Desejos4/7

Ratings & consensus: Essencial Desejos
Community sentiment: Essencial Desejos
Longevity: Essencial Desejos
Sillage & projection: Nivea Men
Value for money: Nivea Men
Versatility: Essencial Desejos
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nivea Men

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Nivea MenNivea

Essencial DesejosNatura

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 93 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.19/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 59%Had 3%Want 38%

Category winnerEssencial DesejosRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

43%Like

5%Ok

13%Dislike

9%Hate

93 votes

38%Love

37%Like

14%Ok

8%Dislike

3%Hate

73 votes

Category winnerEssencial DesejosMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEssencial Desejos

SillageNivea Men

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value43

Category winnerNivea MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

warm spicy84%

lavender77%

woody69%

citrus61%

citrus100%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic38%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, citrus and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GrapefruitSaltPink PepperCardamom

Heart

LavenderCorianderCedarGeranium

Base

PatchouliNutmegTonka BeanVanillaAmber

Top

BergamotGinRosemaryJuniperBasilOrangeLavenderNutmeg

Heart

RoseLily of the ValleyJasmineParamelaVioletDavana

Base

CedarMossMuskVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesLavender, Cedar, Patchouli and Nutmeg. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring78

Summer100

Fall0

Winter46

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer54

Fall97

Winter60

Day100

Night83

Category winnerEssencial DesejosMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men71

Unisex23

Women6

Men96

Unisex4

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,333

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews26

Overall rank#31,611

PerfumerDomitille Michalon Bertier, Verônica Kato

Launched2025

Reviews0

Category winnerNivea MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nivea Men Eau de Toilette opens with a sharp burst of tart grapefruit, crushed cardamom, and a distinct sea salt edge. As the initial citrus crispness settles, lavender and woody cedarwood emerge to create a familiar clean lotion aura. Base notes of patchouli, warm amber, and dry tonka bean anchor the dry-down, giving…

Reviews →

Essencial Desejos by Natura is a festive woody fragrance for men featuring a prominent gin-inspired accord. It pairs the aromatic sharpness of juniper and priprioca with a creamy sandalwood base, creating an elegant scent suitable for year-end holiday celebrations. This 2025 release provides a striking, luminous trail…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Nivea Men or Essencial Desejos?

Essencial Desejos takes 4 of 7 categories. Nivea Men is rated 3.73/5 from 93 votes; Essencial Desejos is rated 4.19/5 from 74 votes. Choose Nivea Men for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer. Choose Essencial Desejos for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Nivea Men or Essencial Desejos?

Essencial Desejos lasts longest (Essencial Desejos 70/100, Nivea Men 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nivea Men or Essencial Desejos?

Nivea Men projects furthest (Nivea Men 61/100, Essencial Desejos 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nivea Men and Essencial Desejos smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Cedar, Patchouli and Nutmeg.

Is Nivea Men or Essencial Desejos better for summer or winter?

For summer, Nivea Men is the stronger pick. For winter, Essencial Desejos is the stronger pick. Essencial Desejos suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nivea Men and Essencial Desejos?

Nivea Men has top notes of Grapefruit, Salt, Pink Pepper and Cardamom, heart notes of Lavender, Coriander, Cedar and Geranium, a base of Patchouli, Nutmeg, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Essencial Desejos has top notes of Bergamot, Gin, Rosemary and Juniper, heart notes of Rose, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine and Paramela, a base of Cedar, Moss, Musk and Vetiver.