Fragrance comparison

Penumbra vs Vespree

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 16 ratings analysed

2 wins

Penumbra

Aquaflor Firenze

4.254 votes

Rank #53,030 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Vespree

Bienaimé

4.3312 votes

Rank #18,891 PatchouliWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Penumbra takes 2 of 3 categories.

Penumbra
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Vespree
Choose it for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Penumbra2/3

Vespree1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PenumbraAquaflor Firenze

VespreeBienaimé

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 80%Had 0%Want 20%

4.33/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 3%Had 0%Want 97%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityPenumbra

SillagePenumbra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy91%

vanilla83%

cacao74%

woody65%

balsamic56%

patchouli100%

woody86%

warm spicy72%

vanilla58%

balsamic44%

earthy30%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CorianderYlang Ylang

Heart

CocoaVanillaIncense

Base

BenzoinAmberSandalwoodPatchouliCedar

Notes

PatchouliFougère AccordCedarVanillaBenzoinAmber

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesVanilla, Benzoin, Amber and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex75

Women25

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,030

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,891

PerfumerMarie Schnirer

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerVespreeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Penumbra opens with herbal coriander and sweet ylang ylang before settling into a dark core of dusty cocoa, bittersweet vanilla, and smoky incense. As the scent warms on skin, benzoin and golden amber create a thick resinous base backed by dry sandalwood, patchouli, and cedar. It fits cold winter evenings, fireside dr…

Reviews →

Vespree by Bienaimé is a Oriental Woody fragrance for men. This is a new fragrance. Vespree was launched in 2025. The nose behind this fragrance is Marie Schnirer. From the way people describe wearing it, this comes across best as an easygoing style that many people can appreciate quickly.

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, Penumbra or Vespree?

Penumbra takes 2 of 3 categories. Penumbra is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes; Vespree is rated 4.33/5 from 12 votes. Choose Penumbra for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Vespree for a patchouli and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Penumbra or Vespree?

They last about the same: Penumbra 80/100, Vespree 78/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Penumbra or Vespree?

Penumbra projects furthest (Penumbra 75/100, Vespree 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Penumbra and Vespree smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and vanilla accords. Common notes include Vanilla, Benzoin, Amber and Patchouli.

Is Penumbra or Vespree better for summer or winter?

Penumbra suits evening wear; Vespree suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Penumbra and Vespree?

Penumbra has top notes of Coriander and Ylang Ylang, heart notes of Cocoa, Vanilla and Incense, a base of Benzoin, Amber, Sandalwood and Patchouli. Vespree features Patchouli, Fougère Accord, Cedar, Vanilla and Benzoin.