Fragrance comparison

Soft Amber vs Lily Essence

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 932 ratings analysed

4 wins

Soft Amber

Oscar de la Renta

3.8651 votes

Rank #17,340 AmberIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Lily Essence

O Boticário

4.00881 votes

Rank #23,948 White FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Soft Amber takes 4 of 7 categories.

Soft Amber
Choose it for a amber and iris character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Lily Essence
Choose it for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Soft Amber4/7

Lily Essence3/7

Ratings & consensus: Lily Essence
Community sentiment: Soft Amber
Longevity: Lily Essence
Sillage & projection: Lily Essence
Value for money: Soft Amber
Versatility: Soft Amber
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Soft Amber

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Soft AmberOscar de la Renta

Lily EssenceO Boticário

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 51 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.00/ 5 · 881 votes

Have 39%Had 61%Want 0%

Category winnerLily EssenceRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

71%Like

4%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

51 votes

37%Love

44%Like

1%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

881 votes

Category winnerSoft AmberMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityLily Essence

SillageLily Essence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value46

Category winnerSoft AmberBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

iris92%

citrus84%

patchouli77%

soft spicy69%

powdery61%

white floral100%

powdery92%

soft spicy84%

woody77%

fruity69%

floral61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both soft spicy and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangePink Pepper

Heart

IrisPatchouli

Base

Amber

Top

Pink PepperPeachApricotPearMandarin Orange

Heart

LilyJasmineIrisGardeniaNarcissusRoseVioletOsmanthus

Base

VanillaSandalwoodAmberMuskOakmossPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Pink Pepper, Iris and Patchouli. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring77

Summer85

Fall100

Winter46

Day100

Night71

Spring81

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerSoft AmberMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men2

Unisex5

Women92

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,340

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#23,948

PerfumerVerônica Casanova, Yves Cassar

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSoft AmberHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Soft Amber by Oscar de la Renta opens with bright mandarin orange and a subtle bite of pink pepper. As the sharp citrus settles, powdery iris and earthy patchouli emerge in the middle layer. The dry down rests on a warm amber base that sits close to skin. Designed for casual daytime wear during crisp spring and autumn…

Reviews →

Lily Essence by O Boticário opens with a bright splash of juicy peach, ripe apricot, and a dusting of pink pepper that feels lively rather than sharp. Within minutes, the fruity top settles into a lush floral bouquet led by rich starchy lily, creamy gardenia, and powdery iris. The dry-down warms up into a comforting b…

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, Soft Amber or Lily Essence?

Soft Amber takes 4 of 7 categories. Soft Amber is rated 3.86/5 from 51 votes; Lily Essence is rated 4.00/5 from 881 votes. Choose Soft Amber for a amber and iris character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Lily Essence for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Soft Amber or Lily Essence?

Lily Essence lasts longest (Lily Essence 71/100, Soft Amber 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Soft Amber or Lily Essence?

Lily Essence projects furthest (Lily Essence 65/100, Soft Amber 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Soft Amber and Lily Essence smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share soft spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper, Iris and Patchouli.

Is Soft Amber or Lily Essence better for summer or winter?

For summer, Soft Amber is the stronger pick. For winter, Lily Essence is the stronger pick. Soft Amber suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Soft Amber and Lily Essence?

Soft Amber has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Iris and Patchouli, a base of Amber. Lily Essence has top notes of Pink Pepper, Peach, Apricot and Pear, heart notes of Lily, Jasmine, Iris and Gardenia, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber and Musk.