Fragrance comparison

Presence vs L'Air du Temps by Starck

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 140 ratings analysed

4 wins

Presence

Houbigant

4.1555 votes

Rank #27,761 MossyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

L'Air du Temps by Starck

Nina Ricci

3.7185 votes

Rank #16,407 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Presence takes 4 of 7 categories.

Presence
Choose it for a mossy and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
L'Air du Temps by Starck
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Presence4/7

L'Air du Temps by Starck3/7

Ratings & consensus: Presence
Community sentiment: Presence
Longevity: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Value for money: Presence
Versatility: Presence
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Air du Temps by Starck

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PresenceHoubigant

L'Air du Temps by StarckNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 45%

3.71/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

Category winnerPresenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

44%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

26%Love

46%Like

1%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

Category winnerPresenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityL'Air du Temps by Starck

SillageL'Air du Temps by Starck

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value59

Category winnerPresenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

mossy100%

floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both woody, floral and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AppleAldehydesNeroliLemonBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

OrrisHeliotropeCarnationJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossMuskCedarVetiverSpicesAmbergrisPatchouliSandalwood

Top

CarnationRoseBrazilian RosewoodNeroliPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesYlang-YlangOrris RootGardeniaJasmineVioletOrchidRosemary

Base

OakmossVetiverAmberMuskSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Bergamot, Carnation and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Presence, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring79

Summer50

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night64

Spring92

Summer62

Fall100

Winter38

Day100

Night50

Category winnerPresenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex20

Women73

Work 41%Casual 28%Date 21%Party 10%

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,761

PerfumerRaymond Kling

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,407

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Houbigant Presence is a crisp, historic chypre built on striking contrasts. The first spray releases a brisk wash of tart green apple, fizzy aldehydes, and sharp lemon zest. Give it ten minutes. The top burns off rapidly to reveal a velvety, dry heart of earthy orris root and spicy carnation blossoms. It smells like v…

Reviews →

L'Air du Temps by Starck blends classic mid-century perfumery with a striking modern flacon redesign from 2010. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, rose, and bright bergamot that immediately sets a vintage floral tone. As the opening settles, dry cloves and creamy ylang-ylang join rich jasmine t…

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, Presence or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

Presence takes 4 of 7 categories. Presence is rated 4.15/5 from 55 votes; L'Air du Temps by Starck is rated 3.71/5 from 85 votes. Choose Presence for a mossy and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose L'Air du Temps by Starck for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Presence or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

They last about the same: L'Air du Temps by Starck 69/100, Presence 68/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Presence or L'Air du Temps by Starck?

L'Air du Temps by Starck projects furthest (L'Air du Temps by Starck 71/100, Presence 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Presence and L'Air du Temps by Starck smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and earthy accords. Common notes include Neroli, Bergamot, Carnation and Jasmine.

Is Presence or L'Air du Temps by Starck better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'Air du Temps by Starck is the stronger pick. For winter, Presence is the stronger pick. Presence suits daytime wear; L'Air du Temps by Starck suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Presence and L'Air du Temps by Starck?

Presence has top notes of Apple, Aldehydes, Neroli and Lemon, heart notes of Orris, Heliotrope, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Cedar and Vetiver. L'Air du Temps by Starck has top notes of Carnation, Rose, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root and Gardenia, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.