Bottle Design:
Catherine Krunas

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Life Essence Fendi 1996 Eau de Toilette

8.0 / 10 55 Ratings

A popular perfume by Fendi for men, released in 1996. The scent is woody-spicy. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Woody

Spicy

Fresh

Green

Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot

Cardamom

Cedar

Geranium

Heart Notes

Laurel

Coriander

Base Notes

Olive wood

Cypress wood Oakmoss

Oakmoss

Labdanum

Ratings

Scent

8.055 Ratings

Longevity

7.536 Ratings

Sillage

6.738 Ratings

Bottle

7.350 Ratings

Submitted by Kittycat · last update on 07/11/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Life Essence After Shave

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Life Spirit

Zidan Classic Eau de Parfum

Kenzo pour Homme Eau de Toilette

Mediterráneo Eau de Toilette

Reviews

9 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/15/2013

10Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

Coutureguru
237 Reviews

Coutureguru

Helpful Review 9

Heartbreakingly beautiful ...

A dramatic title for a review of what is little more than a 'cologne-like' fragrance from the mid 90's, now fallen into obscurity and discontinuation. Life Essence for me, however, was one of those 'holy grail' fragrances, because it was truly love at first sniff.

This fragrance defines a time in my life when I felt as if I was finally shedding the irresponsibilities of youth and getting my act together. It felt as if life had a direction and a purpose ... and the name of this fragrance simply added to that feeling.
Life Essence opens vigorously ... fresh, green and completely uplifting. It has a 'what a way to start the day' resonance with its touch of spice, but the best thing about this fragrance is the beautiful Cedar note that is evident right from the beginning and continues all the way into the lengthy dry down.
There are other woods present here too, but I am not at all well versed in picking things like Laurel, Olive and Cypress out individually. I rather imagine them to be sweetening the Cedar, obliterating any trace of the pencil shavings sometimes related to this note.
I'm really not sure when the restrictions against Oakmoss began, but I am pretty certain that this fragrance found its demise because of those regulations. The last dwindling bottle I have is from the late 90's, (I stockpiled a few after it started becoming difficult to find) and I am pretty sure that the moss here is unadulterated ... albeit in very small concentration. I find its presence simply supportive ... the slight resinous-ness of the Labdanum too.
Now, in the beginning of this review I called this fragrance 'cologne-like', and while that's true of the way it smells, the performance of Life Essence is simply astounding ... it has a tenacity of at least 8 hours on my skin, with enough sillage that people three or four feet away have complimented me repeatedly on how great I smell when wearing this.

I cannot help but give this fragrance a 100% rating. I feel that its discovery was a milestone in my journey through the wonderful world of smell!!

04/14/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

3

Mediterranean keeper

Life Essence by Fendi is totally intriguing forgotten gem. It’s basically an understated, totally “Italian” citrus-woody scent, but with a creative sort of “rural-wine” twist. And by wine I both mean the smell of wine (I guess the fruity note here), and of wood corks. The woody accord here isn’t played on the “usual” vetiver/cedar and/or sandalwood combo, but it smells rather more “greenish”, sharp, astringent, sour and dry, pretty much like raw cypress wood or oak. I get cedar too, but well concealed among other more prominent woods. That, soaked in wine then left on the balcony drying under the afternoon sun, the smell blending with the herbal aroma of cypresses and olive trees. Imagine this, topped with a soothing and slightly creamy accord of citrus, bergamot, carnation, amber, pepper. And something salty-musky underneath (maybe just side-nuances of woods). A bright, tart, kind of sour but also extremely soothing Mediterranean woody scent cleverly conveying a “countryside” feel; nothing wild or rural, rather the smell of some of those luxury “shabby chic” country resorts with their wine cellars. Natural yet sophisticated, really enjoyable to wear, classy and radiant; linear and poorly persistent, but that is what you would expect given most of the notes. A nice discontinued keeper, nothing groundbreaking and surely unworthy high prices, but still good.

7,5/10

07/11/2025

RhythmnHues
51 Reviews

RhythmnHues

1

Spicy-aromatic Bottled Energy

My perfume journey has seen a lot of unexpected surprises—mostly wonderful, occasionally disappointing. Last year, while hunting for a fragrance gift for a friend whose taste leans toward the likes of Hermes, Diptyque, and Tom Ford, I was determined to find something unique, something that would surprise her. That's when I discovered a vintage bottle of Sensi by Giorgio Armani. It was pure magic—elegant, warm, and easily one of the most refined oriental scents I’ve come across. There was just one bottle, though, so it became hers entirely.

Right beside it sat another mysterious bottle: Life Essence by Fendi. I picked it up with tempered expectations, but wow—what a revelation. It bursts open with vibrant citruses—mandarin, lemon, and bergamot—alongside the cool sharpness of cypress, a minty geranium bite, and a gentle trail of jasmine. But the true standout is its Bay Rum note. Spicy like clove, herbal like basil—it’s a rare and charismatic presence. Mixed with cardamom and coriander, the heart of the fragrance pulses with a spicy-aromatic intensity.

As it dries down, the scent softens into a symphony of creamy sandalwood and cedar, anchored by earthy oakmoss and delicate musks. The result is stunning: crisp, invigorating, and unmistakably fresh. It's the kind of fragrance that doesn’t care about gender norms—it simply shines. If you’ve got a soft spot for spicy, citrus-laced colognes that feel like bottled energy, Life Essence might just be your next surprise.

8.5/10

10/05/2012

Fhfhfh
23 Reviews

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Fhfhfh

Very helpful Review 19

"Beauty" - that is just the whore of advertising at the fair of vanity

Where is it written that music should be "beautiful"? Nowhere. Is there any indication from Beethoven that any part of any of his sonatas or symphonies should be played "beautifully"? Nowhere.
Music should be strong, it should be true, it should be delicate or caressing or headless ("scherzando") or crazy, that is, mad. But certainly not "beautiful".
With "beauty" they wallpaper the sales rooms at Ikea (if there are any) ((but the corresponding catalogs exist, I have seen them)).

Is it decreed anywhere that perfumes should smell "beautiful"? I wouldn't know. Breathtaking, yes, overwhelming, goosebump-inducing and eyebrow-raising, yes. But: lovely, cute, charming or soft and whispering? I don't know. No, I don't think so.

Olives. These are the dry, oil-rich fruits of a tree that can live for thousands of years under adverse conditions (too hot, too dry, too much UV). Whoever drinks the oil pressed from virgins (vergine) ((I know, I know)), feels the sharp stroke on the tongue, everything tightens up, but the aromas, they are there.

An olive perfume? Who wants to smell like olive oil, or like olive wood?
That is the wrong question. (Because who wants to smell like melon ice cream or cotton candy, like gas station oil changes or gummy bears).
The right question is: who wants to smell the many hundreds of aromas, born from sun, light, earth, wind, and nightshade? Those that testify to life, hardship, growth, desire and woe, drought, scarcity, wealth and abundance and blessing?

"Smelling like something" and "wanting to smell something" are already two very different things…

"Life essence" by Fendi, then. The packaging - we are in the year 1996 - is sparse, is eco (brown cardboard, wood knob, earth-colored beige), is simple. (The lived bad conscience of a luxury house?)
The scent is not pleasing, but it is rich, lasting, and memorable. Whoever was not blown away by the first gust of wind will not want to miss it, the scent witness from antiquity, which tells of the victory of abundance over scarcity.

Instead of comfort and ease, there may be something else. Essence? Existence? Existentialism?
Appeals, especially moral ones, are of little benefit…
Whoever has a nose to smell, let them smell…

But the wind,
brushes through the silvery-leaved hair of the tree,
as it has always done.

11/19/2014

7.5Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

FabianO
1009 Reviews

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FabianO

Top Review 7

Fresh, Cypress and Olive-Highlighted Mediterrano

I haven't smelled much from Fendi in the men's section so far. The brand has been less present in perfumeries for many years, but recently gained a bit more attention with the new "Fan di Fendi" line.

The 18-year-old, no longer existing "Life Essence" initially presents itself in a somewhat Creed-like style; at least that would have been my blind guess. Soft, misty-spicy, yet unobtrusive.

Maintained by geranium in a floral-fresh manner, it is pleasantly soft with a touch of spicier cardamom.
The style is distinctly Mediterranean, making one feel as if they are in Italian regions during spring or late summer.

The cypress in the base and the olive wood make up a significant part of the heart.
Somewhat plant-like and garden-like, with a lightly spicy-woody character, indeed in a Southern European style. Olives themselves, as Leimbacher mentions, can certainly resonate in the olive wood, but only as a softly integrated, greenish, slightly bitter aspect.

Pleasant to smell, understated, refined, and committed to the "dolce vita."

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