Defy Eau de Parfum vs HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
50%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve takes 5 of 7 categories.
Defy Eau de ParfumChoose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.
HIM (His Imperial Majesty) ReserveChoose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Defy Eau de Parfum2/7
HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve5/7
- Ratings & consensus
- HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
- Community sentiment
- HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
- Longevity
- Defy Eau de Parfum
- Sillage & projection
- HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
- Value for money
- HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
- Versatility
- Defy Eau de Parfum
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Defy Eau de ParfumCalvin KleinHIM (His Imperial Majesty) ReserveBritish Sterling CologneWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.71/ 5 · 496 votes
Have 63%Had 14%Want 23%
3.88/ 5 · 52 votes
Have 50%Had 12%Want 39%
Category winnerHIM (His Imperial Majesty) ReserveRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate23%Love
44%Like
19%Ok
9%Dislike
4%Hate
496 votes
25%Love
54%Like
8%Ok
12%Dislike
2%Hate
52 votes
Category winnerHIM (His Imperial Majesty) ReserveMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityDefy Eau de Parfum
SillageHIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerHIM (His Imperial Majesty) ReserveBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothcitrus100%
aromatic92%
fresh spicy84%
woody77%
leather69%
earthy61%
fresh spicy100%
warm spicy92%
citrus84%
leather77%
amber69%
aromatic61%
Scent match50%Some overlap · both citrus, fresh spicy and aromatic
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop30 to 45 minutes
Mandarin OrangeBlack Pepper
Heart2 to 3 hours
Saffiano LeatherSuede
Base2 to 3 hours
Haitian Vetiver
Top
GingerMandarin OrangeBergamotCactus
Heart
Black PepperSpicy NotesWhite CardamomPomegranate
Base
Tonka BeanLeatherSuedeAmber
InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Black Pepper and Suede. Durations are only published for Defy Eau de Parfum, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring94
Summer60
Fall100
Winter82
Day100
Night94
Spring88
Summer54
Fall100
Winter83
Day91
Night100
Category winnerDefy Eau de ParfumMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#29,402
PerfumerPascal Gaurin
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#16,051
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews12
Category winnerHIM (His Imperial Majesty) ReserveHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotCalvin Klein Defy Eau de Parfum delivers a crisp, modern mix of bright citrus, spicy warmth, and smooth leather. The scent starts with juicy mandarin orange sharpened by black pepper, giving off a clean kick right away. As it settles, saffiano leather and soft suede take over the middle, creating a refined texture tha…
Reviews →HIM Reserve opens with a sharp burst of fresh ginger, bergamot, and mandarin orange that quickly settles into a heart of black pepper and white cardamom. The base brings forward smooth leather, amber, and sweet tonka bean. It fits casual autumn evenings when you want a warm, comfortable fragrance that stays close to t…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
♛
Lime & NeroliMahdi PerfumesWINNER
vs
BanditRobert PiguetRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Lime & NeroliMahdi PerfumesWINNER
vs
BanditRobert PiguetRUNNER-UP
♛
Plum de VeloursSuperfumistaWINNER
vs
Royal FlushTestament LondonRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Plum de VeloursSuperfumistaWINNER
vs
Royal FlushTestament LondonRUNNER-UP
Malbec IconO BoticárioRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Amber FusionKarakash PerfumeWINNER
Jette 7Flowers Cherry BlossomJette JoopRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
KoiameJ-ScentWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Defy Eau de Parfum or HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve?
HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve takes 5 of 7 categories. Defy Eau de Parfum is rated 3.71/5 from 496 votes; HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve is rated 3.88/5 from 52 votes. Choose Defy Eau de Parfum for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Defy Eau de Parfum or HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve?
Defy Eau de Parfum lasts longest (Defy Eau de Parfum 64/100, HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Defy Eau de Parfum or HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve?
HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve projects furthest (HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve 60/100, Defy Eau de Parfum 51/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Defy Eau de Parfum and HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve smell similar?
Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Black Pepper and Suede.
Is Defy Eau de Parfum or HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve better for summer or winter?
For summer, Defy Eau de Parfum is the stronger pick. For winter, HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve is the stronger pick. Defy Eau de Parfum suits day or night wear; HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Defy Eau de Parfum and HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve?
Defy Eau de Parfum has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Black Pepper, heart notes of Saffiano Leather and Suede, a base of Haitian Vetiver. HIM (His Imperial Majesty) Reserve has top notes of Ginger, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Cactus, heart notes of Black Pepper, Spicy Notes, White Cardamom and Pomegranate, a base of Tonka Bean, Leather, Suede and Amber.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons