Fragrance comparison

Sardegna vs Esprit de Candela

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 60 ratings analysed

Sardegna

Paolo Gigli

4.254 votes

Rank #55,615 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Esprit de Candela

Simimi

3.5656 votes

Rank #13,329 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Sardegna
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Esprit de Candela
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Sardegna2/4

Esprit de Candela2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Sardegna
Sillage & projection: Sardegna
Value for money: Esprit de Candela
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit de Candela

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SardegnaPaolo Gigli

Esprit de CandelaSimimi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 10%Had 20%Want 70%

3.56/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 31%Had 16%Want 53%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

28%Love

31%Like

9%Ok

31%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage81

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevitySardegna

SillageSardegna

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value47

Category winnerEsprit de CandelaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

musky90%

oud80%

powdery70%

amber60%

warm spicy50%

woody100%

amber91%

warm spicy83%

balsamic74%

vanilla65%

powdery56%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Labdanum

Heart3-4 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)SandalwoodWoody Notes

Base8-12 hrs

MuskBlack AmberVirginia Cedar

Top

ClovesSaffronCorianderBergamot

Heart

AmberLeatherDamask Rose

Base

Peru BalsamLabdanumSandalwoodVanillaGuaiac WoodTonka BeanPatchouliVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesLabdanum, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar. Durations are only published for Sardegna, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring36

Summer7

Fall100

Winter71

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Date 40%Party 29%Casual 17%Work 14%

Men8

Unisex54

Women38

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,615

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,329

PerfumerPaolo Terenzi

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerEsprit de CandelaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sardegna by Paolo Gigli is an imposing labdanum perfume built around dense woods and smoky balsamic resins. It opens with sticky, leathery labdanum that immediately coats the skin in dark warmth. Give it ten minutes. The heart reveals dry agarwood oud flanked by creamy Australian-style sandalwood and pencil-shaving Vi…

Reviews →

Esprit de Candela is a dry, spicy amber wood with a clear saffron, clove, patchouli and sandalwood character. It opens sharp and aromatic, then settles into a warmer blend of leather, rose, balsam and vanilla-tinted woods. It suits shoppers who enjoy resinous, oriental-leaning perfumes with presence. Based on the avai…

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, Sardegna or Esprit de Candela?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Sardegna is rated 4.25/5 from 4 votes; Esprit de Candela is rated 3.56/5 from 56 votes. Choose Sardegna for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Esprit de Candela for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Sardegna or Esprit de Candela?

Sardegna lasts longest (Sardegna 90/100, Esprit de Candela 83/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sardegna or Esprit de Candela?

Sardegna projects furthest (Sardegna 81/100, Esprit de Candela 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sardegna and Esprit de Candela smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar.

Is Sardegna or Esprit de Candela better for summer or winter?

Sardegna suits evening wear; Esprit de Candela suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sardegna and Esprit de Candela?

Sardegna has top notes of Labdanum, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Sandalwood and Woody Notes, a base of Musk, Black Amber and Virginia Cedar. Esprit de Candela has top notes of Cloves, Saffron, Coriander and Bergamot, heart notes of Amber, Leather and Damask Rose, a base of Peru Balsam, Labdanum, Sandalwood and Vanilla.