Fragrance comparison

CH Under The Sea vs Talisman

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 541 ratings analysed

CH Under The Sea

Carolina Herrera

4.29120 votes

Rank #15,715 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Talisman

Balenciaga

4.05421 votes

Rank #3,589 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Talisman takes 5 of 7 categories.

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

CH Under The Sea2/7

Talisman5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CH Under The SeaCarolina Herrera

TalismanBalenciaga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 120 votes

Have 37%Had 9%Want 54%

4.05/ 5 · 421 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerCH Under The SeaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

37%Like

13%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

120 votes

40%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

421 votes

Category winnerCH Under The SeaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityTalisman

SillageTalisman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value54

Category winnerTalismanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

vanilla92%

citrus84%

coconut77%

woody69%

marine61%

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

PomeloSeaweedRose

Heart2-4 hrs

CoconutYlang-Ylang

Base5-7 hrs

VanillaSandalwood

Top

Dried FruitsRumAldehydesPineapplePeachOsmanthusMandarin OrangeHiacynth

Heart

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineRoseIrisCyclamenFreesiaLily-of-the-Valley

Base

BeeswaxLeatherCaramelSandalwoodVanillaTonka BeanPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesRose, Ylang-Ylang, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for CH Under The Sea, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter30

Day100

Night41

Spring42

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerTalismanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex2

Women98

Casual 35%Date 28%Party 23%Work 15%

Men2

Unisex15

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,715

PerfumerVéronique Nyberg, Violaine Collas

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#3,589

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerTalismanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

CH Under The Sea by Carolina Herrera delivers a breezy, sugar-dusted tropical floral experience with a quirky coastal twist. It starts with bright pomelo citrus. Tart fruit flesh meets a gentle marine accord that hints at salty air without smelling like fishy ocean weeds. As the first rush settles, creamy coconut nect…

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, CH Under The Sea or Talisman?

Talisman takes 5 of 7 categories. CH Under The Sea is rated 4.29/5 from 120 votes; Talisman is rated 4.05/5 from 421 votes. Choose CH Under The Sea for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Talisman for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, CH Under The Sea or Talisman?

Talisman lasts longest (Talisman 74/100, CH Under The Sea 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, CH Under The Sea or Talisman?

Talisman projects furthest (Talisman 68/100, CH Under The Sea 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do CH Under The Sea and Talisman smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Vanilla and Sandalwood.

Is CH Under The Sea or Talisman better for summer or winter?

For summer, Talisman is the stronger pick. For winter, Talisman is the stronger pick. CH Under The Sea suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in CH Under The Sea and Talisman?

CH Under The Sea has top notes of Pomelo, Seaweed and Rose, heart notes of Coconut and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Vanilla 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.