Fragrance comparison

Chimaera vs Holy Thistle

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 1,244 ratings analysed

5 wins

Chimaera

Tiziana Terenzi

4.051,229 votes

Rank #881 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

18%scent match

Clearly different

Holy Thistle

Union

3.6715 votes

Rank #23,294 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chimaera takes 5 of 5 categories.

Chimaera
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Holy Thistle
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Chimaera5/5

Holy Thistle0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ChimaeraTiziana Terenzi

Holy ThistleUnion

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 1,229 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

3.67/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 11%Had 2%Want 87%

Category winnerChimaeraRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

943 votes

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

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity46

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityChimaera

SillageChimaera

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value25

Category winnerChimaeraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

sweet84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy83%

earthy65%

herbal48%

woody30%

Scent match18%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LeatherTolu BalsamSaffronBlack PepperSoil TinctureBay LeafLemonThyme

Heart

HoneyRed PepperCarnationIrisSagePeonyMagnolia

Base

CaramelAgarwood (Oud)TobaccoBenzoinPine TreeCanadian balsamPatchouliLabdanum

Notes

FernThistleBay LeafPine Tree

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBay Leaf and Pine Tree. Durations are only published for Holy Thistle, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring32

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer83

Fall17

Winter17

Day100

Night35

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men36

Unisex52

Women12

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#881

PerfumerPaolo Terenzi

Launched—

Reviews131

Overall rank#23,294

PerfumerAnastasia Brozler

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerChimaeraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chimaera opens with sour leather, pepper, saffron and herbs, then settles into a darker mix of honeyed amber, caramel, tobacco and oud. Pine and citrus can lift the composition, but the overall feel stays warm, resinous and textured. It suits shoppers who enjoy rich spicy scents with real weight and evolution. Sample …

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, Chimaera or Holy Thistle?

Chimaera takes 5 of 5 categories. Chimaera is rated 4.05/5 from 1,229 votes; Holy Thistle is rated 3.67/5 from 15 votes. Choose Chimaera for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Holy Thistle for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Chimaera or Holy Thistle?

Chimaera lasts longest (Chimaera 84/100, Holy Thistle 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chimaera or Holy Thistle?

Chimaera projects furthest (Chimaera 75/100, Holy Thistle 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chimaera and Holy Thistle smell similar?

Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Bay Leaf and Pine Tree.

Is Chimaera or Holy Thistle better for summer or winter?

Holy Thistle suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chimaera and Holy Thistle?

Chimaera has top notes of Leather, Tolu Balsam, Saffron and Black Pepper, heart notes of Honey, Red Pepper, Carnation and Iris, a base of Caramel, Agarwood (Oud), Tobacco and Benzoin. Holy Thistle features Fern, Thistle, Bay Leaf and Pine Tree.