Fragrance comparison

Substance vs Nirvana

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 267 ratings analysed

3 wins

Substance

Synesthesie

4.502 votes

Rank #58,023 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

70%scent match

Closely related

Nirvana

Paradis des Sens

4.45265 votes

Rank #3,268 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories.

Substance
Choose it for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Nirvana
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Substance3/4

Nirvana1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Substance
Sillage & projection: Substance
Value for money: Substance
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nirvana

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SubstanceSynesthesie

NirvanaParadis des Sens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 10%Had 0%Want 90%

4.45/ 5 · 265 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

60%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

265 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevitySubstance

SillageSubstance

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value54

Category winnerSubstanceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

amber84%

vanilla77%

cinnamon69%

musky61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

vanilla84%

amber77%

cinnamon69%

sweet61%

Scent match70%Closely related · both warm spicy, sweet and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HazelnutCognac

Heart

Tonka BeanCinnamonAmbergrisOakmossSugar

Base

White MuskVanillaMyrrhSandalwoodPraline

Top20-30 mins

CognacTonka BeanMyrrh

Heart3-4 hrs

CinnamonHazelnutSandalwood

Base7-10+ hrs

VanillaCashmere Wood

InformationalShared notesHazelnut, Cognac, Tonka Bean and Cinnamon. Durations are only published for Nirvana, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring35

Summer15

Fall0

Winter100

Day54

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men9

Unisex63

Women28

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,023

PerfumerFrancesco Perini

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,268

PerfumerMarzia Tissino

Launched—

Reviews28

Category winnerNirvanaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Substance opens with a boozy cognac kick and a distinct hazelnut crunch. It is a dense gourmand experience that settles into a thick layer of praline and vanilla. This is a heavy hitter for cold nights when you want to feel wrapped in something warm and resinous. It avoids being a simple sugar bomb thanks to a salty a…

Reviews →

Paradis des Sens Nirvana is a rich, boozy gourmand that wraps the skin in immediate warmth. A generous pour of aged cognac opens the composition, brightened by sweet myrrh and the coumarin warmth of tonka bean. The spirit settles fast. As the top calms, a cozy core of spicy cinnamon and crushed hazelnut emerges over s…

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, Substance or Nirvana?

Substance takes 3 of 4 categories. Substance is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Nirvana is rated 4.45/5 from 265 votes. Choose Substance for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Nirvana for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Substance or Nirvana?

Substance lasts longest (Substance 100/100, Nirvana 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Substance or Nirvana?

Substance projects furthest (Substance 100/100, Nirvana 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Substance and Nirvana smell similar?

Closely related: a 70% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, sweet and amber accords. Common notes include Hazelnut, Cognac, Tonka Bean and Cinnamon.

Is Substance or Nirvana better for summer or winter?

Substance suits evening wear; Nirvana suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Substance and Nirvana?

Substance has top notes of Hazelnut and Cognac, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Cinnamon, Ambergris and Oakmoss, a base of White Musk, Vanilla, Myrrh and Sandalwood. Nirvana has top notes of Cognac, Tonka Bean and Myrrh, heart notes of Cinnamon, Hazelnut and Sandalwood, a base of Vanilla and Cashmere Wood.