Strictly Cologne vs Essencial Desejos
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
47%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Essencial Desejos takes 4 of 5 categories.
Strictly CologneChoose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Essencial DesejosChoose it for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Strictly Cologne1/5
Essencial Desejos4/5
- Ratings & consensus
- Essencial Desejos
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Essencial Desejos
- Sillage & projection
- Essencial Desejos
- Value for money
- Strictly Cologne
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Essencial Desejos
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Strictly CologneVan GilsEssencial DesejosNaturaWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.70/ 5 · 10 votes
Have 58%Had 17%Want 25%
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 hate30%Love
30%Like
20%Ok
20%Dislike
0%Hate
10 votes · too few to score
38%Love
37%Like
14%Ok
8%Dislike
3%Hate
73 votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityEssencial Desejos
SillageEssencial Desejos
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerStrictly CologneBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by botharomatic100%
woody92%
fresh spicy84%
citrus77%
warm spicy69%
herbal61%
citrus100%
fresh spicy69%
aromatic38%
Scent match47%Some overlap · both citrus, fresh spicy and aromatic
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop15-30 mins
BergamotLemonJuniperPink PepperCardamom
Heart2-3 hrs
GeraniumArtemisiaVioletAbsinthe
Base4-6 hrs
CedarPalisander RosewoodSuedeAmberwoodMoss
Top
BergamotGinRosemaryJuniperBasilOrangeLavenderNutmeg
Heart
RoseLily of the ValleyJasmineParamelaVioletDavana
Base
CedarMossMuskVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodVanillaAmber
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Juniper, Violet and Cedar. Durations are only published for Strictly Cologne, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer38
Fall63
Winter50
Day100
Night43
Spring100
Summer54
Fall97
Winter60
Day100
Night83
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#49,955
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews1
Overall rank#31,664
PerfumerDomitille Michalon Bertier, Verônica Kato
Launched2025
Reviews0
Category winnerEssencial DesejosHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotStrictly Cologne by Van Gils opens with a bracing splash of crisp bergamot, tart lemon, and sharp juniper berries, accented by a pinch of pink pepper and green cardamom. As the initial citrus blast softens, the fragrance shifts into an aromatic herbal heart of absinthe, bitter artemisia, and powdery violet leaves, bal…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Strictly Cologne or Essencial Desejos?
Essencial Desejos takes 4 of 5 categories. Strictly Cologne is rated 3.70/5 from 10 votes; Essencial Desejos is rated 4.19/5 from 74 votes. Choose Strictly Cologne for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Essencial Desejos for a citrus and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Strictly Cologne or Essencial Desejos?
Essencial Desejos lasts longest (Essencial Desejos 70/100, Strictly Cologne 57/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Strictly Cologne or Essencial Desejos?
Essencial Desejos projects furthest (Essencial Desejos 55/100, Strictly Cologne 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Strictly Cologne and Essencial Desejos smell similar?
Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Juniper, Violet and Cedar.
Is Strictly Cologne or Essencial Desejos better for summer or winter?
Strictly Cologne suits daytime wear; Essencial Desejos suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Strictly Cologne and Essencial Desejos?
Strictly Cologne has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Juniper and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Geranium, Artemisia, Violet and Absinthe, a base of Cedar, Palisander Rosewood, Suede and Amberwood. 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.
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