Puredistance No. 12 vs Shem - el- Nessim
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
62%scent match
Closely related
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Shem - el- Nessim takes 6 of 8 categories.
Puredistance No. 12Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Shem - el- NessimChoose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Puredistance No. 122/8
Shem - el- Nessim6/8
- Ratings & consensus
- Shem - el- Nessim
- Community sentiment
- Shem - el- Nessim
- Longevity
- Shem - el- Nessim
- Sillage & projection
- Shem - el- Nessim
- Value for money
- Puredistance No. 12
- Versatility
- Shem - el- Nessim
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Puredistance No. 12
- Fragranxe ranking
- Shem - el- Nessim
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Puredistance No. 12PuredistanceShem - el- NessimGrossmithWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.89/ 5 · 159 votes
Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%
4.40/ 5 · 334 votes
Have 35%Had 11%Want 55%
Category winnerShem - el- NessimRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate39%Love
31%Like
15%Ok
10%Dislike
5%Hate
159 votes
60%Love
27%Like
5%Ok
8%Dislike
0%Hate
334 votes
Category winnerShem - el- NessimMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityShem - el- Nessim
SillageShem - el- Nessim
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerPuredistance No. 12Best value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothpowdery100%
floral92%
white floral84%
musky77%
woody69%
aromatic61%
powdery100%
woody92%
iris84%
white floral77%
floral69%
vanilla61%
Scent match62%Closely related · both powdery, floral and white floral
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop20-30 mins
NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander
Heart3-5 hrs
Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose
Base8-12 hrs
MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla
Top15 to 30 minutes
NeroliBergamot
Heart3 to 5 hours
Orris RootYlang-YlangJasmineGeraniumRose
Base6 to 8 hours
HeliotropeSandalwoodPatchouliCedarMuskVanilla
Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Longest dry-down: 8-12 hrs
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer49
Fall0
Winter68
Day100
Night87
Spring65
Summer39
Fall100
Winter84
Day100
Night100
Category winnerShem - el- NessimMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#13,367
PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer
Launched—
Reviews11
Overall rank#1,765
PerfumerTrevor Nicholl
Launched—
Reviews57
Category winnerShem - el- NessimHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotPuredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…
Reviews →Shem - el- Nessim opens with a brisk splash of bergamot and neroli before revealing a dense heart of powdery orris root, rose, and ylang-ylang. The scent feels like stepping into a classic boudoir from the early twentieth century, where cosmetic powders and fresh blossoms mingle on polished wood. As the initial bright…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Puredistance No. 12 or Shem - el- Nessim?
Shem - el- Nessim takes 6 of 8 categories. Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes; Shem - el- Nessim is rated 4.40/5 from 334 votes. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Shem - el- Nessim for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Which lasts longer, Puredistance No. 12 or Shem - el- Nessim?
Shem - el- Nessim lasts longest (Shem - el- Nessim 75/100, Puredistance No. 12 72/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Puredistance No. 12 or Shem - el- Nessim?
Shem - el- Nessim projects furthest (Shem - el- Nessim 69/100, Puredistance No. 12 56/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Puredistance No. 12 and Shem - el- Nessim smell similar?
Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, floral and white floral accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot, Orris Root and Heliotrope.
Is Puredistance No. 12 or Shem - el- Nessim better for summer or winter?
For summer, Puredistance No. 12 is the stronger pick. For winter, Shem - el- Nessim is the stronger pick. Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear; Shem - el- Nessim suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Puredistance No. 12 and Shem - el- Nessim?
Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood. Shem - el- Nessim has top notes of Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Heliotrope, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Cedar.
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