Fragrance comparison

Acqua vs Talisman

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 454 ratings analysed

Acqua

Paolo Gigli

4.0633 votes

Rank #36,963 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Talisman

Balenciaga

4.05421 votes

Rank #3,585 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Talisman takes 4 of 7 categories.

Acqua
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Talisman
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in winter.

Acqua3/7

Talisman4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AcquaPaolo Gigli

TalismanBalenciaga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 33 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

4.05/ 5 · 421 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerTalismanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

61%Like

12%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

33 votes

40%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

421 votes

Category winnerAcquaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityTalisman

SillageAcqua

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value54

Category winnerTalismanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet88%

fresh77%

floral65%

ozonic53%

white floral42%

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both fruity, sweet and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-40 mins

PineappleMelonPeachBig StrawberryGranny Smith appleGrapesMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

OrchidFreesiaLilyLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base5-7+ hrs

MuskVirginia CedarSandalwood

Top

Dried FruitsRumAldehydesPineapplePeachOsmanthusMandarin OrangeHiacynth

Heart

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineRoseIrisCyclamenFreesiaLily-of-the-Valley

Base

BeeswaxLeatherCaramelSandalwoodVanillaTonka BeanPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Freesia. Durations are only published for Acqua, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer78

Fall67

Winter22

Day100

Night32

Spring42

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAcquaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex43

Women43

Casual 37%Work 29%Date 19%Party 14%

Men2

Unisex15

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,963

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#3,585

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerTalismanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Acqua by Paolo Gigli greets you with an exuberant splash of chilled fruit. The honeydew melon hits immediately. Tart green apple and golden pineapple follow right behind, backed by a gentle burst of mandarin orange. It smells bright, crisp, and thirst-quenching. Within thirty minutes, that sunny fruit punch relaxes on…

Reviews →

Talisman by Balenciaga opens with a dense pour of rum and dried fruits, immediately signaling a departure from standard clean florality. The initial warmth feels thick and sticky, cutting through cool autumn air with a syrupy weight. As the scent settles, ylang-ylang and carnation introduce a spicy, classic floral tex…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Acqua or Talisman?

Talisman takes 4 of 7 categories. Acqua is rated 4.06/5 from 33 votes; Talisman is rated 4.05/5 from 421 votes. Choose Acqua for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Talisman for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Acqua or Talisman?

Talisman lasts longest (Talisman 74/100, Acqua 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Acqua or Talisman?

Projection is very close: Acqua 70/100, Talisman 68/100 for sillage.

Do Acqua and Talisman smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, sweet and floral accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Freesia.

Is Acqua or Talisman better for summer or winter?

For summer, Acqua is the stronger pick. For winter, Talisman is the stronger pick. Acqua suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua and Talisman?

Acqua has top notes of Pineapple, Melon, Peach and Big Strawberry, heart notes of Orchid, Freesia, Lily and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, Virginia Cedar and Sandalwood. Talisman has top notes of Dried Fruits, Rum, Aldehydes and Pineapple, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Carnation, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Beeswax, Leather, Caramel and Sandalwood.