Chanel Gabrielle vs Essence Comparison

Chanel released Gabrielle back in 2017 and it quickly gained some measure of popularity. A few years later, it introduced Gabrielle Essence as a follow up perfume. It can be tough to decide between the two, when you’re wanting to make a purchase. So, I’m going to break things down based on my experience. Which is the better perfume? Which has better performance?

Tale of the Tape: Chanel Gabrielle vs Essence

Gabrielle

Notes include: jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, tuberose, musk, citrus, pear

Click here to try: Chanel Gabrielle For Women Eau De Parfume Spray 3.4 Ounces

Read my review: Gabrielle EDP

Gabrielle Essence

Notes include: tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, jasmine, coconut, peach, citrus

Click here to try: Gabrielle Essence by Chanel Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 oz / 100 ml (Women) 

Read my review: Gabrielle Essence

Opening

The opening of Gabrielle is a mix of the fruits and floral notes. It can be hard to distinguish what you’re smelling at first, as they seem to clump together. However, it is mostly orange blossom and ylang-ylang to my nose, with pear and sparkling citrus sitting on top. Also, a touch of pink pepper.

Meanwhile, Essence kicks off with some juicier fruits, and not the same sparkling brightness or sharpness of Gabrielle. There’s peach and coconut, along with the citrus notes, this time. There is also more of the orange blossom and jasmine, leading the way versus the original.

Which is better? I like Essence much more in the early stages. It feels more balanced, delicious, and the floral notes are the ones that I like better.

Edge: Essence

Projection

Neither one of these fragrances is a powerhouse. Actually, they’re both fairly moderate and can spend time being skin scents. However, Essence reaches a slightly higher peak than does Gabrielle EDP.

It’s really not a huge difference, but noticeable.

Edge: Essence

Longevity

With Gabrielle, I got 7-7.5 hours of wear on the skin. Again, it’s not a powerhouse throughout, but it did hang around. Gabrielle Essence lasted just over 8, for another slight advantage.

Edge: Essence

Versatility

I don’t see a difference here. Both are wildly versatile, mostly in the spring and summer months. You can go casual or more formal (but neither are super stuffy or serious). They have very pretty and attractive profiles.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I think that each of these fragrances is a very good release by Chanel. Gabrielle EDP settles into a floral bouquet with some remaining sweetness. It does everything well, even if it is a step behind Essence in many categories.

I think that it ultimately comes down to which floral notes you prefer, as the weighting is different between these perfumes. With Gabrielle EDP, tuberose and jasmine play a larger role together, in the dry down.

Meanwhile, Essence doesn’t have as strong of a tuberose. It more evenly splits between orange blossom, jasmine, and ylang-ylang.

Personally, I think that Gabrielle Essence is the better fragrance all around. It doesn’t blow the original out of the water, but does make marked improvements in comparison.

Winner: Gabrielle Essence

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.