Fragrance comparison

Presence vs Royal Copenhagen

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 349 ratings analysed

2 wins

Presence

Houbigant

4.1555 votes

Rank #27,761 MossyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Royal Copenhagen

3.81294 votes

Rank #19,805 PowderyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Presence takes 2 of 3 categories.

Presence
Choose it for a mossy and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Royal Copenhagen
Choose it for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking.

Presence2/3

Royal Copenhagen1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PresenceHoubigant

Royal CopenhagenRoyal Copenhagen

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 45%

3.81/ 5 · 294 votes

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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

mossy100%

floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

powdery100%

vanilla92%

aromatic84%

sweet77%

floral69%

woody61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both floral and woody

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesLavenderLimeLemonGreen NotesCardamomBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CarnationRoseVetiverOrris RootPatchouliJasmineCedar

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskHoneyVanillaTobaccoTonka BeanAmberHeliotropeOakmoss

Category winnerPresenceLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring79

Summer50

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night64

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex20

Women73

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

Not enough votes yet

Casual 42%Work 32%Date 16%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,761

PerfumerRaymond Kling

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#19,805

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews79

Category winnerRoyal CopenhagenHigher 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 →

Royal Copenhagen by Royal Copenhagen is a legendary barbershop classic that greets you with a bright, bracing splash of lemon, crisp lime, and fizzy aldehydes before settling into cozy comfort. Released in 1970, this scent quickly reveals a heart of aromatic lavender and spicy carnation, wrapping the wearer in a clean…

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 Royal Copenhagen?

Presence takes 2 of 3 categories. Presence is rated 4.15/5 from 55 votes; Royal Copenhagen is rated 3.81/5 from 294 votes. Choose Presence for a mossy and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Royal Copenhagen for a powdery and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking.

Do Presence and Royal Copenhagen smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Lemon, Bergamot and Heliotrope.

Is Presence or Royal Copenhagen better for summer or winter?

Presence suits daytime wear; Royal Copenhagen suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Presence and Royal Copenhagen?

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. Royal Copenhagen has top notes of Aldehydes, Lavender, Lime and Lemon, heart notes of Carnation, Rose, Vetiver and Orris Root, a base of Musk, Honey, Vanilla and Tobacco.