Fragrance comparison

Patchouli vs Qessence

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 150 ratings analysed

4 wins

Patchouli

Floris

4.2462 votes

Rank #7,528 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #14,011 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Patchouli takes 4 of 7 categories.

Patchouli
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Qessence
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Patchouli4/7

Qessence3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PatchouliFloris

QessenceMissala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.24/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 33%Had 11%Want 56%

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

Category winnerPatchouliRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

37%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

62 votes

27%Love

50%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

2%Hate

66 votes

Category winnerPatchouliMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityQessence

SillageQessence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value64

Category winnerQessenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

patchouli84%

warm spicy77%

iris69%

powdery61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Coconut MilkViolet Leaf

Heart

PatchouliIrisCedarYlang-YlangRose

Base

AmberOlibanumLabdanumMyrhhVanila

Top

ChamomileMarigoldSaffronCorianderCinnamonOrange

Heart

Damask RoseelemiYlang-YlangIrisJasmineCalamus

Base

OakmossOlibanumPatchouliAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumVirginia CedarMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesPatchouli, Iris, Cedar and Ylang-Ylang. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring74

Summer47

Fall100

Winter89

Day63

Night100

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Category winnerPatchouliMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex50

Women10

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,528

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#14,011

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerPatchouliHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Floris Patchouli opens with an unrefined burst of coconut milk and crisp violet leaf. As the initial sharpness clears, powdery iris and cedarwood quiet the earthiness of patchouli. Warm labdanum, frankincense, and amber form a dry, subtle base that remains close to skin during crisp autumn evenings.

Reviews →

Qessence is a dry, spicy rose and incense scent with an old-school oriental feel. It opens herbal and warm, then settles into a balsamic, mossy, woody base with powdery edges. It suits someone who enjoys complex, mature perfumes more than easy crowd-pleasers. The rose, resins and woods can read quite unisex, especial…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Patchouli or Qessence?

Patchouli takes 4 of 7 categories. Patchouli is rated 4.24/5 from 62 votes; Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes. Choose Patchouli for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Patchouli or Qessence?

Qessence lasts longest (Qessence 83/100, Patchouli 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Patchouli or Qessence?

Qessence projects furthest (Qessence 75/100, Patchouli 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Patchouli and Qessence smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Iris, Cedar and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Patchouli or Qessence better for summer or winter?

For summer, Patchouli is the stronger pick. For winter, Patchouli is the stronger pick. Patchouli suits evening wear; Qessence suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Patchouli and Qessence?

Patchouli has top notes of Coconut Milk and Violet Leaf, heart notes of Patchouli, Iris, Cedar and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Amber, Olibanum, Labdanum and Myrhh. Qessence has top notes of Chamomile, Marigold, Saffron and Coriander, heart notes of Damask Rose, elemi, Ylang-Ylang and Iris, a base of Oakmoss, Olibanum, Patchouli and Agarwood (Oud).