Fragrance comparison

Sleeping with Ghosts vs Qessence

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 322 ratings analysed

4 wins

Sleeping with Ghosts

Mark Buxton

3.91234 votes

Rank #9,496 FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

13%scent match

Clearly different

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #13,433 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sleeping with Ghosts takes 4 of 7 categories.

Sleeping with Ghosts
Choose it for a floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Qessence
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Sleeping with Ghosts4/7

Qessence3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Sleeping with GhostsMark Buxton

QessenceMissala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.91/ 5 · 234 votes

Have 28%Had 22%Want 50%

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

Category winnerSleeping with GhostsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

44%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

234 votes

27%Love

50%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

2%Hate

66 votes

Category winnerSleeping with GhostsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityQessence

SillageQessence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value64

Category winnerQessenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

sweet92%

vanilla84%

fruity77%

aromatic69%

fresh61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

Scent match13%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

QuinceMarigold

Heart2 to 4 hours

LeatherPeony

Base4 to 8 hours

VanillaVetiver

Top

ChamomileMarigoldSaffronCorianderCinnamonOrange

Heart

Damask RoseelemiYlang-YlangIrisJasmineCalamus

Base

OakmossOlibanumPatchouliAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumVirginia CedarMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesMarigold and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Sleeping with Ghosts, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer73

Fall55

Winter23

Day100

Night28

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Category winnerSleeping with GhostsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex41

Women55

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,496

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews23

Overall rank#13,433

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerSleeping with GhostsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sleeping with Ghosts by Mark Buxton is an unconventional floral fruity fragrance built around an unexpected contrast of crisp fruit and smooth leather. The scent opens with a sweet splash of tart quince paired with the dry, aromatic herbal bite of marigold. In the heart, fresh peony balances supple leather that carrie…

Reviews →

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 →

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, Sleeping with Ghosts or Qessence?

Sleeping with Ghosts takes 4 of 7 categories. Sleeping with Ghosts is rated 3.91/5 from 234 votes; Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes. Choose Sleeping with Ghosts for a floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Sleeping with Ghosts or Qessence?

Qessence lasts longest (Qessence 83/100, Sleeping with Ghosts 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sleeping with Ghosts or Qessence?

Qessence projects furthest (Qessence 75/100, Sleeping with Ghosts 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sleeping with Ghosts and Qessence smell similar?

Clearly different: a 13% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Marigold and Vetiver.

Is Sleeping with Ghosts or Qessence better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Sleeping with Ghosts and Qessence?

Sleeping with Ghosts has top notes of Quince and Marigold, heart notes of Leather and Peony, a base of Vanilla and Vetiver. 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).