Fragrance comparison

Balafre Vert vs Holy Thistle

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 26 ratings analysed

4 wins

Balafre Vert

Lancôme

4.1811 votes

Rank #47,176 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Holy Thistle

Union

3.6715 votes

Rank #23,294 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balafre Vert takes 4 of 5 categories.

Balafre Vert
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
Holy Thistle
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Balafre Vert4/5

Holy Thistle1/5

Ratings & consensus: Balafre Vert
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Balafre Vert
Sillage & projection: Balafre Vert
Value for money: Balafre Vert
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Holy Thistle

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Balafre VertLancôme

Holy ThistleUnion

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 64%

3.67/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 11%Had 2%Want 87%

Category winnerBalafre VertRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

27%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

20%Love

53%Like

0%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity46

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityBalafre Vert

SillageBalafre Vert

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value25

Category winnerBalafre VertBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody88%

fresh spicy77%

earthy65%

green53%

mossy42%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy83%

earthy65%

herbal48%

woody30%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both aromatic, fresh spicy and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderGreen NotesCypressBergamotNeroli

Heart

Pine TreeGeraniumSageFernCedarCloves

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

Notes

FernThistleBay LeafPine Tree

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesPine Tree and Fern. Durations are only published for Holy Thistle, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring100

Summer83

Fall17

Winter17

Day100

Night35

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men89

Unisex11

Women0

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

Casual 42%Work 37%Date 13%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,176

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,294

PerfumerAnastasia Brozler

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerHoly ThistleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Balafre Vert is an old-school green chypre with a sharp aromatic opening, piney herbs in the heart, and a dry mossy leather base. It leans brisk, woody, and earthy rather than soft or sweet. If you enjoy classic masculine scents with oakmoss, vetiver, and a slightly rugged forest feel, this is the part that stands out…

Reviews →

Holy Thistle by Union captures the damp, windswept greenery of a Scottish moor after rainfall. Created by British perfumer Anastasia Brozler, the fragrance opens with a sharp burst of wild thistle and damp fern leaves, delivering an immediate rush of crushed herbal foliage. As the brisk alcohol evaporates, aromatic ba…

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, Balafre Vert or Holy Thistle?

Balafre Vert takes 4 of 5 categories. Balafre Vert is rated 4.18/5 from 11 votes; Holy Thistle is rated 3.67/5 from 15 votes. Choose Balafre Vert for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Holy Thistle for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Balafre Vert or Holy Thistle?

Balafre Vert lasts longest (Balafre Vert 82/100, Holy Thistle 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Balafre Vert or Holy Thistle?

Balafre Vert projects furthest (Balafre Vert 82/100, Holy Thistle 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Balafre Vert and Holy Thistle smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and earthy accords. Common notes include Pine Tree and Fern.

Is Balafre Vert or Holy Thistle better for summer or winter?

Balafre Vert suits evening wear; Holy Thistle suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Balafre Vert and Holy Thistle?

Balafre Vert has top notes of Lavender, Green Notes, Cypress and Bergamot, heart notes of Pine Tree, Geranium, Sage and Fern, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk. Holy Thistle features Fern, Thistle, Bay Leaf and Pine Tree.