Fragrance comparison

Qessence vs Tantrum

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 238 ratings analysed

6 wins

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #14,089 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Tantrum

Boy Smells

3.73150 votes

Rank #13,135 AromaticGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Qessence takes 6 of 7 categories.

Qessence
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Tantrum
Choose it for a aromatic and green character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Qessence6/7

Tantrum1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

QessenceMissala

TantrumBoy Smells

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

3.73/ 5 · 150 votes

Have 34%Had 7%Want 59%

Category winnerQessenceRating 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

31%Love

35%Like

16%Ok

13%Dislike

5%Hate

150 votes

Category winnerQessenceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityQessence

SillageQessence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value55

Category winnerQessenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

aromatic100%

green83%

fresh spicy65%

woody48%

citrus30%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both aromatic 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

Top

Green Bell PepperBergamotMintGalbanum

Heart

MateMarigoldSandalwoodIris

Base

VetiverAmbroxanVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesMarigold, Iris, Virginia Cedar and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Spring100

Summer73

Fall0

Winter12

Day–

Night–

Category winnerQessenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

Men29

Unisex63

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,089

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#13,135

PerfumerClement Gavarry

Launched—

Reviews30

Category winnerTantrumHigher 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 →

Boy Smells Tantrum opens with a sharp snap of green bell pepper and bitter galbanum, backed by bright bergamot and cool mint. As the crisp vegetable edge softens, earthy mate tea and powdery iris join a dry base of vetiver and cedarwood. It suits warm spring days, studio work, and casual outdoor strolls when you want …

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, Qessence or Tantrum?

Qessence takes 6 of 7 categories. Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes; Tantrum is rated 3.73/5 from 150 votes. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Tantrum for a aromatic and green character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Qessence or Tantrum?

Qessence lasts longest (Qessence 83/100, Tantrum 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Qessence or Tantrum?

Qessence projects furthest (Qessence 75/100, Tantrum 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Qessence and Tantrum smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Marigold, Iris, Virginia Cedar and Vetiver.

Is Qessence or Tantrum better for summer or winter?

For summer, Tantrum is the stronger pick. For winter, Qessence is the stronger pick. Qessence suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Qessence and Tantrum?

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). Tantrum has top notes of Green Bell Pepper, Bergamot, Mint and Galbanum, heart notes of Mate, Marigold, Sandalwood and Iris, a base of Vetiver, Ambroxan and Virginia Cedar.