Fragrance comparison

Shem - el- Nessim vs Puredistance No. 12

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 493 ratings analysed

6 wins

Shem - el- Nessim

Grossmith

4.40334 votes

Rank #1,765 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

Puredistance No. 12

Puredistance

3.89159 votes

Rank #13,367 PowderyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shem - el- Nessim takes 6 of 8 categories.

Shem - el- Nessim
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Puredistance No. 12
Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Shem - el- Nessim6/8

Puredistance No. 122/8

Ratings & consensus: Shem - el- Nessim
Community sentiment: Shem - el- Nessim
Longevity: Shem - el- Nessim
Sillage & projection: Shem - el- Nessim
Value for money: Puredistance No. 12
Versatility: Shem - el- Nessim
Note pyramid (duration): Puredistance No. 12
Fragranxe ranking: Shem - el- Nessim

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Shem - el- NessimGrossmith

Puredistance No. 12Puredistance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 334 votes

Have 35%Had 11%Want 55%

3.89/ 5 · 159 votes

Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%

Category winnerShem - el- NessimRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

27%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

334 votes

39%Love

31%Like

15%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

159 votes

Category winnerShem - el- NessimMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityShem - el- Nessim

SillageShem - el- Nessim

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value19

¤ Price value23

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

iris84%

white floral77%

floral69%

vanilla61%

powdery100%

floral92%

white floral84%

musky77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match62%Closely related · both powdery, woody and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

NeroliBergamot

Heart3 to 5 hours

Orris RootYlang-YlangJasmineGeraniumRose

Base6 to 8 hours

HeliotropeSandalwoodPatchouliCedarMuskVanilla

Top20-30 mins

NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander

Heart3-5 hrs

Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose

Base8-12 hrs

MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Longest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer39

Fall100

Winter84

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer49

Fall0

Winter68

Day100

Night87

Category winnerShem - el- NessimMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex44

Women55

Men0

Unisex28

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,765

PerfumerTrevor Nicholl

Launched—

Reviews57

Overall rank#13,367

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerShem - el- NessimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shem - el- Nessim opens with a brisk splash of bergamot and neroli before revealing a dense heart of powdery orris root, rose, and ylang-ylang. The scent feels like stepping into a classic boudoir from the early twentieth century, where cosmetic powders and fresh blossoms mingle on polished wood. As the initial bright…

Reviews →

Puredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…

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, Shem - el- Nessim or Puredistance No. 12?

Shem - el- Nessim takes 6 of 8 categories. Shem - el- Nessim is rated 4.40/5 from 334 votes; Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes. Choose Shem - el- Nessim for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Shem - el- Nessim or Puredistance No. 12?

Shem - el- Nessim lasts longest (Shem - el- Nessim 75/100, Puredistance No. 12 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shem - el- Nessim or Puredistance No. 12?

Shem - el- Nessim projects furthest (Shem - el- Nessim 69/100, Puredistance No. 12 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shem - el- Nessim and Puredistance No. 12 smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine.

Is Shem - el- Nessim or Puredistance No. 12 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Puredistance No. 12 is the stronger pick. For winter, Shem - el- Nessim is the stronger pick. Shem - el- Nessim suits day or night wear; Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shem - el- Nessim and Puredistance No. 12?

Shem - el- Nessim has top notes of Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Heliotrope, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Cedar. Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood.