Fragrance comparison

Cardinal vs Iconic Men

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 4 ratings analysed

3 wins

Cardinal

Brocard

—0 votes

Rank #73,779 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Iconic Men

Chris Adams

4.004 votes

Rank #61,131 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cardinal takes 3 of 4 categories.

Cardinal
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Iconic Men
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Cardinal3/4

Iconic Men1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CardinalBrocard

Iconic MenChris Adams

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

4.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 31%Had 0%Want 69%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityCardinal

SillageCardinal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value50

Category winnerCardinalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

anis84%

musky77%

citrus69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

musky83%

aromatic65%

fresh spicy48%

powdery30%

Scent match61%Closely related · both citrus, musky and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AppleBergamotLemonMelonOzonic notes

Heart

AniseCinnamonBasilLavenderGeraniumCardamomWormwood

Base

TobaccoMuskoak mossCedar

Top15-30 mins

BergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart2-3 hrs

AniseThymeGeranium

Base5-6 hrs

MuskPatchouliTobaccoCedar

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lemon, Anise and Geranium. Durations are only published for Iconic Men, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#73,779

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#61,131

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIconic MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Brocard Cardinal starts with a burst of tart green apple, bitter bergamot, and watery melon backed by a cool ozonic breeze. Within minutes, the fruity crispness yields to an aromatic heart packed with pungent star anise, bitter wormwood, and clean French lavender. Spicy accents of cardamom and cinnamon weave through c…

Reviews →

Chris Adams Iconic Men opens with an energizing splash of tart lemon, bitter bergamot, and sweet mandarin orange. The citrus burst is bright. Within minutes, the sharp opening calms into an aromatic barbershop heart driven by herbal thyme, peppery geranium, and a subtle flick of anise seed. As the skin warms the blend…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which lasts longer, Cardinal or Iconic Men?

Cardinal lasts longest (Cardinal 80/100, Iconic Men 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cardinal or Iconic Men?

Cardinal projects furthest (Cardinal 50/100, Iconic Men 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cardinal and Iconic Men smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, musky and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lemon, Anise and Geranium.

Is Cardinal or Iconic Men better for summer or winter?

Cardinal suits day or night wear; Iconic Men suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cardinal and Iconic Men?

Cardinal has top notes of Apple, Bergamot, Lemon and Melon, heart notes of Anise, Cinnamon, Basil and Lavender, a base of Tobacco, Musk, oak moss and Cedar. Iconic Men has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Anise, Thyme and Geranium, a base of Musk, Patchouli, Tobacco and Cedar.