Fragrance comparison

Complex 2020 vs Germaine

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 70 ratings analysed

Complex 2020

Boadicea the Victorious

3.3030 votes

Rank #21,744 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Germaine

Miguel Matos

3.6040 votes

Rank #18,709 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Germaine takes 3 of 5 categories.

Complex 2020
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Germaine
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Complex 20202/5

Germaine3/5

Ratings & consensus: Germaine
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Complex 2020
Sillage & projection: Complex 2020
Value for money: Germaine
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Germaine

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Complex 2020Boadicea the Victorious

GermaineMiguel Matos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.30/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 57%Had 14%Want 29%

3.60/ 5 · 40 votes

Have 26%Had 3%Want 71%

Category winnerGermaineRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

27%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

23%Hate

30 votes

29%Love

21%Like

0%Ok

46%Dislike

4%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate58

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityComplex 2020

SillageComplex 2020

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value20

¤ Price value50

Category winnerGermaineBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

herbal77%

oud69%

leather61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy91%

woody83%

herbal74%

violet65%

powdery56%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SageBasil

Heart

OlibanumViolet

Base

LeatherAgarwood (Oud)Musk

Top

JuniperBergamotLavender

Heart

VioletBasilSage

Base

VetiverLeatherPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesSage, Basil, Violet and Leather. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer40

Fall90

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall25

Winter75

Day100

Night20

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,744

PerfumerJohn Stephen

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#18,709

PerfumerMiguel Matos

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerGermaineHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Boadicea the Victorious Complex 2020 opens with an aggressive surge of bruised sage and bitter basil before setting into a dense wall of raw leather and heavy oud. John Stephen built this composition around an earthy core of olibanum incense and dry violet leaf. It projects aggressively from skin during damp autumn ev…

Reviews →

Germaine by Miguel Matos is an aromatic chypre with a cool, green opening of juniper, bergamot and lavender. The heart turns herbal and powdery through violet, basil and sage, before settling into vetiver, leather, patchouli and musk. It is best approached as a characterful green fragrance rather than a simple fresh s…

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 is better, Complex 2020 or Germaine?

Germaine takes 3 of 5 categories. Complex 2020 is rated 3.30/5 from 30 votes; Germaine is rated 3.60/5 from 40 votes. Choose Complex 2020 for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Germaine for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Complex 2020 or Germaine?

Complex 2020 lasts longest (Complex 2020 86/100, Germaine 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Complex 2020 or Germaine?

Complex 2020 projects furthest (Complex 2020 79/100, Germaine 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Complex 2020 and Germaine smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, fresh spicy and herbal accords. Common notes include Sage, Basil, Violet and Leather.

Is Complex 2020 or Germaine better for summer or winter?

Complex 2020 suits evening wear; Germaine suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Complex 2020 and Germaine?

Complex 2020 has top notes of Sage and Basil, heart notes of Olibanum and Violet, a base of Leather, Agarwood (Oud) and Musk. Germaine has top notes of Juniper, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Violet, Basil and Sage, a base of Vetiver, Leather, Patchouli and Musk.