Essence Rare (1976) (Parfum)
13 ratings
From your scent profile
Houbigant Essence Rare is a floral chypre for women that joins a bright opening of aldehydes, bergamot and orange to a heart of lily of the valley, May rose and iris, settling on oakmoss, musk and vetiver.
Skunky's take: Sleeps by day, goes out at night; very skunk of it.
How does it perform?
From 18 community ratings, all out of 10.
Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.
Leaves a light trail and stays polite in a crowd.
Sits nicely on a shelf.
Blind buy risk
100% of votes are positive and opinions barely differ.
Notes
They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.
Top notesfirst 15 minutes
Heart notesfirst few hours
Base noteswhat stays into the evening
Accords
From most dominant to most subtle.
- Floral
- Green
- Spicy
- Woody
- Oriental
- Animal
- Powdery
- Resinous
Floral
Green
Spicy
Woody
Oriental
Animal
Powdery
ResinousWhat does Essence Rare (1976) (Parfum) smell like?
Its longevity is rated good and its sillage moderate, though the small number of votes means this is only a rough guide. It reads feminine, dates from 1976, and has been discontinued.
The top pairs aldehydes, bergamot and orange with green notes. In the heart, lily of the valley, May rose, geranium, iris and lily form a powdery floral bouquet. The base of oakmoss, vetiver, musk, civet and tonka bean adds an earthy, animalic, resinous warmth. Animale Animale and Jean Patou Sublime have a close profile.
How it changes through the day
First minutes
- Aldehydes
- Bergamot
- Orange
First hours
- Lily of the valley
- May rose
- Geranium
Towards evening
- Musk
- Bourbon whiskey
- Civet
When to wear it?
Seasons and occasions, by user votes.
- 29%Autumn
- 29%Spring
- 24%Winter
- 18%Summer
Autumn
Spring
Winter
Summer- Nighttime29%
- Daytime21%
- Casual21%
- Evening21%
- Office7%
Least picked for the office.
Smells like this
The closest scents by notes and accords.
52% matchAnimale (Eau de Parfum)
Animale · 1987
51% matchGenny (1987) (Parfum de Toilette)
Genny · 1987
49% matchSublime (Eau de Parfum)
Jean Patou · 1992
48% matchKobako (1982)
Bourjois
48% matchFerré by Ferré (Eau de Toilette)
Gianfranco Ferré · 1991
46% matchExplosive / Provocation (Eau de Toilette)
Aigner · 1986
46% matchMagie Noire (Eau de Toilette)
Lancôme · 1978
45% matchArpège (1993) (Eau de Parfum)
Lanvin · 1993
More from Houbigant
Last updated: October 26, 2026