Fragrance comparison

Qessence vs Solferino

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 92 ratings analysed

3 wins

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #12,916 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Solferino

Paolo Pecora Milano

4.254 votes

Rank #52,613 AromaticWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Qessence takes 3 of 4 categories.

Qessence
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Solferino
Choose it for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Qessence3/4

Solferino1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

QessenceMissala

SolferinoPaolo Pecora Milano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 56%Had 6%Want 38%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

50%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

2%Hate

66 votes

25%Love

75%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

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityQessence

SillageQessence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value67

Category winnerSolferinoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

aromatic100%

warm spicy92%

balsamic84%

rose77%

oud69%

woody61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both aromatic, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ChamomileMarigoldSaffronCorianderCinnamonOrange

Heart

Damask RoseelemiYlang-YlangIrisJasmineCalamus

Base

OakmossOlibanumPatchouliAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumVirginia CedarMuskVetiver

Top20-30 mins

CardamomCorianderBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

elemiRoseSaffronJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)SandalwoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Coriander, Damask Rose and elemi. Durations are only published for Solferino, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Spring75

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

Men33

Unisex33

Women33

Date 31%Work 29%Casual 24%Party 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,916

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#52,613

PerfumerDominique Moellhausen

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerQessenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Qessence is a dry, spicy rose and incense scent with an old-school oriental feel. It opens herbal and warm, then settles into a balsamic, mossy, woody base with powdery edges. It suits someone who enjoys complex, mature perfumes more than easy crowd-pleasers. The rose, resins and woods can read quite unisex, especial…

Reviews →

Paolo Pecora Milano Solferino hits the skin with a brisk rush of green cardamom, cracked coriander seeds, and tart Italian bergamot. That initial flash of citrus and spice softens within twenty minutes, pulling forward a warm heart of saffron, resinous elemi pine sap, and dusty crimson rose petals. It is an aromatic w…

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, Qessence or Solferino?

Qessence takes 3 of 4 categories. Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes; Solferino is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Solferino for a aromatic and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Qessence or Solferino?

Qessence lasts longest (Qessence 83/100, Solferino 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Qessence or Solferino?

Qessence projects furthest (Qessence 75/100, Solferino 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Qessence and Solferino smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Saffron, Coriander, Damask Rose and elemi.

Is Qessence or Solferino better for summer or winter?

Qessence suits day or night wear; Solferino suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Qessence and Solferino?

Qessence has top notes of Chamomile, Marigold, Saffron and Coriander, heart notes of Damask Rose, elemi, Ylang-Ylang and Iris, a base of Oakmoss, Olibanum, Patchouli and Agarwood (Oud). Solferino has top notes of Cardamom, Coriander and Bergamot, heart notes of elemi, Rose, Saffron and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood and Patchouli.