Fragrance comparison

Retrospect vs Essencial Desejos

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 593 ratings analysed

Retrospect

Merit

3.93519 votes

Rank #4,170 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Essencial Desejos

Natura · 2025

4.1974 votes

Rank #31,664 CitrusFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essencial Desejos takes 5 of 7 categories.

Retrospect
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Essencial Desejos
Choose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Retrospect2/7

Essencial Desejos5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RetrospectMerit

Essencial DesejosNatura

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 519 votes

Have 41%Had 6%Want 54%

4.19/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 59%Had 3%Want 38%

Category winnerEssencial DesejosRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

30%Like

14%Ok

11%Dislike

4%Hate

519 votes

38%Love

37%Like

14%Ok

8%Dislike

3%Hate

73 votes

Category winnerEssencial DesejosMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEssencial Desejos

SillageEssencial Desejos

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value43

Category winnerRetrospectBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

musky100%

powdery92%

floral84%

iris77%

fresh69%

fruity61%

citrus100%

fresh spicy69%

aromatic38%

Scent match12%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PearAmbretteAldehydesBergamot

Heart

OrrisJasmineVioletRoseRosemary

Base

MuskMossVanilla

Top

BergamotGinRosemaryJuniperBasilOrangeLavenderNutmeg

Heart

RoseLily of the ValleyJasmineParamelaVioletDavana

Base

CedarMossMuskVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Jasmine, Violet and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer51

Fall0

Winter74

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer54

Fall97

Winter60

Day100

Night83

Category winnerEssencial DesejosMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex18

Women81

Men96

Unisex4

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,170

PerfumerFanny Bal

Launched—

Reviews158

Overall rank#31,664

PerfumerDomitille Michalon Bertier, Verônica Kato

Launched2025

Reviews0

Category winnerRetrospectHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Retrospect opens with a sharp burst of crisp pear and airy aldehydes before settling into a soft, powdery heart of orris and violet. As it sits on skin, clean musk and warm vanilla create an intimate second-skin feel. It works best during cool spring mornings and quiet office workdays where subtle elegance matters.

Reviews →

Essencial Desejos by Natura is a festive woody fragrance for men featuring a prominent gin-inspired accord. It pairs the aromatic sharpness of juniper and priprioca with a creamy sandalwood base, creating an elegant scent suitable for year-end holiday celebrations. This 2025 release provides a striking, luminous trail…

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, Retrospect or Essencial Desejos?

Essencial Desejos takes 5 of 7 categories. Retrospect is rated 3.93/5 from 519 votes; Essencial Desejos is rated 4.19/5 from 74 votes. Choose Retrospect for a musky and powdery character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Essencial Desejos for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Retrospect or Essencial Desejos?

Essencial Desejos lasts longest (Essencial Desejos 70/100, Retrospect 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Retrospect or Essencial Desejos?

Essencial Desejos projects furthest (Essencial Desejos 55/100, Retrospect 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Retrospect and Essencial Desejos smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Jasmine, Violet and Rose.

Is Retrospect or Essencial Desejos better for summer or winter?

For summer, Essencial Desejos is the stronger pick. For winter, Retrospect is the stronger pick. Essencial Desejos suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Retrospect and Essencial Desejos?

Retrospect has top notes of Pear, Ambrette, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine, Violet and Rose, a base of Musk, Moss and Vanilla. Essencial Desejos has top notes of Bergamot, Gin, Rosemary and Juniper, heart notes of Rose, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine and Paramela, a base of Cedar, Moss, Musk and Vetiver.