Fragrance comparison

Powerful vs Courtesan

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 399 ratings analysed

3 wins

Powerful

Judith Williams

4.0453 votes

Rank #8,838 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

67%scent match

Closely related

Courtesan

Worth

3.89346 votes

Rank #2,980 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Powerful takes 3 of 5 categories.

Powerful
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Courtesan
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Powerful3/5

Courtesan2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PowerfulJudith Williams

CourtesanWorth

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 75%Had 0%Want 25%

3.89/ 5 · 346 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerCourtesanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

43%Love

42%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

227 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityPowerful

SillagePowerful

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value91

¤ Price value74

Category winnerPowerfulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

white floral84%

powdery77%

vanilla69%

fruity61%

warm spicy100%

sweet91%

fruity83%

cinnamon74%

powdery65%

white floral56%

Scent match67%Closely related · both warm spicy, sweet and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CardamomCinnamonFreesiaLychee

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineOrris

Base

Dark ChocolateSandalwoodRaspberryVanillaCaramelTonkaMusk

Top

CinnamonPineappleCardamomCloveRed BerriesBergamot

Heart

JasmineOrange BlossomRoseMagnolia

Base

VanillaSandalwoodAmberCaramelCacaoMuskDark ChocolatePeach

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Cinnamon, Orange Blossom and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring41

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex19

Women81

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,838

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#2,980

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews90

Category winnerCourtesanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Powerful by Judith Williams opens with a sharp burst of cardamom and cinnamon, quickly shifting into a heart of orange blossom and iris. As it settles, a rich base of dark chocolate, vanilla, and caramel dominates. This unisex scent feels like a warm, sweet embrace, making it a reliable pick for chilly autumn evenings…

Reviews →

Courtesan by Worth is a warm, spicy Oriental Vanilla fragrance that feels like a buried treasure for fans of rich, gourmand profiles. Released in 2006, it layers sharp cinnamon and roasted pineapple over a heart of jasmine and a dark, buttery cacao and vanilla base. It is a standout choice for cold weather, offering i…

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, Powerful or Courtesan?

Powerful takes 3 of 5 categories. Powerful is rated 4.04/5 from 53 votes; Courtesan is rated 3.89/5 from 346 votes. Choose Powerful for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Courtesan for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Powerful or Courtesan?

They last about the same: Powerful 76/100, Courtesan 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Powerful or Courtesan?

Powerful projects furthest (Powerful 67/100, Courtesan 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Powerful and Courtesan smell similar?

Closely related: a 67% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, sweet and fruity accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Cinnamon, Orange Blossom and Jasmine.

Is Powerful or Courtesan better for summer or winter?

Powerful suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Powerful and Courtesan?

Powerful has top notes of Cardamom, Cinnamon, Freesia and Lychee, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Orris, a base of Dark Chocolate, Sandalwood, Raspberry and Vanilla. Courtesan has top notes of Cinnamon, Pineapple, Cardamom and Clove, heart notes of Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Rose and Magnolia, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber and Caramel.