Fragrance comparison

Qessence vs VG V

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 153 ratings analysed

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #14,089 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

18%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

VG V

Van Gils

3.9865 votes

Rank #12,384 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

VG V takes 5 of 7 categories.

Qessence
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.
VG V
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Qessence2/7

VG V5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

QessenceMissala

VG VVan Gils

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

3.98/ 5 · 65 votes

Have 42%Had 26%Want 32%

Category winnerVG VRating 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

35%Love

48%Like

3%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

65 votes

Category winnerVG VMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityQessence

SillageQessence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value80

Category winnerVG VBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

floral84%

vanilla77%

lavender69%

fruity61%

Scent match18%Clearly different · both aromatic

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

Top20-40 mins

Blood OrangeCoriander

Heart2-4 hrs

Peach BlossomLavenderVirginia Cedar

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaOakmossAmber

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Oakmoss and Virginia Cedar. Durations are only published for VG V, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Spring100

Summer82

Fall77

Winter55

Day100

Night43

Category winnerVG VMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

Men84

Unisex12

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,089

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#12,384

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerVG VHigher 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 →

VG V by Van Gils opens with a tangy, mouthwatering burst of juicy blood orange paired with the dry, zesty snap of crushed coriander seeds. As the initial sharp citrus blast calms down over the first half hour, a clean and gentle floral heart emerges, featuring soft peach blossom, classic aromatic lavender, and dry Vir…

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 VG V?

VG V takes 5 of 7 categories. Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes; VG V is rated 3.98/5 from 65 votes. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose VG V for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Qessence or VG V?

Qessence lasts longest (Qessence 83/100, VG V 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Qessence or VG V?

Qessence projects furthest (Qessence 75/100, VG V 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Qessence and VG V smell similar?

Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Coriander, Oakmoss and Virginia Cedar.

Is Qessence or VG V better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Qessence and VG V?

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). VG V has top notes of Blood Orange and Coriander, heart notes of Peach Blossom, Lavender and Virginia Cedar, a base of Vanilla, Oakmoss and Amber.