Fragrance comparison

Cardinal vs Impress

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 3 ratings analysed

Cardinal

Brocard

—0 votes

Rank #67,126 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Impress

Marc Joseph

3.333 votes

Rank #61,578 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Impress takes 2 of 3 categories.

Cardinal
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Impress
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Cardinal1/3

Impress2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CardinalBrocard

ImpressMarc Joseph

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

3.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

0%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

3 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

⏱ Longevity47

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityCardinal

SillageImpress

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

anis84%

musky77%

citrus69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

woody91%

fresh spicy83%

powdery74%

aromatic65%

warm spicy56%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, citrus 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

BergamotLemonOrangeMelonApple

Heart2-3 hrs

SandalwoodGeraniumCedar

Base4-6 hrs

AmberMuskHoney

InformationalShared notesApple, Bergamot, Lemon and Melon. Durations are only published for Impress, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring67

Summer100

Fall33

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Not enough votes yet

Casual 42%Work 34%Date 14%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#67,126

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#61,578

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerImpressHigher 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 →

Marc Joseph Impress opens with an immediate flash of tart lemon, juicy melon, and crisp green apple. It wakes you up. The initial blast carries a sharp splash of perfumer alcohol, but that solvent edge burns off within three minutes. As the citrus settles, a soft heart of green geranium and dry cedarwood steps forward…

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 lasts longer, Cardinal or Impress?

Cardinal lasts longest (Cardinal 80/100, Impress 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cardinal or Impress?

Impress projects furthest (Impress 60/100, Cardinal 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cardinal and Impress smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Apple, Bergamot, Lemon and Melon.

Is Cardinal or Impress better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Cardinal and Impress?

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. Impress has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Orange and Melon, heart notes of Sandalwood, Geranium and Cedar, a base of Amber, Musk and Honey.