Fragrance comparison

Desiderio vs Talisman

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 438 ratings analysed

4 wins

Desiderio

Paolo Gigli

4.3517 votes

Rank #32,787 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Talisman

Balenciaga

4.05421 votes

Rank #3,585 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Desiderio takes 4 of 5 categories.

Desiderio
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Talisman
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Desiderio4/5

Talisman1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DesiderioPaolo Gigli

TalismanBalenciaga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 28%Had 14%Want 58%

4.05/ 5 · 421 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerDesiderioRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

12%Like

0%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

40%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

421 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityDesiderio

SillageDesiderio

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value54

Category winnerDesiderioBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

sweet92%

fruity84%

amber77%

tropical69%

citrus61%

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both sweet and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangeLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

PeachPassionfruitCoconut

Base8-12 hrs

Tonka BeanVanillaAmber

Top

Dried FruitsRumAldehydesPineapplePeachOsmanthusMandarin OrangeHiacynth

Heart

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineRoseIrisCyclamenFreesiaLily-of-the-Valley

Base

BeeswaxLeatherCaramelSandalwoodVanillaTonka BeanPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Peach, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Desiderio, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer100

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night70

Spring42

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men20

Unisex50

Women30

Casual 34%Party 31%Date 25%Work 10%

Men2

Unisex15

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,787

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#3,585

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerTalismanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paolo Gigli Desiderio opens with a sudden splash of tart lemon and juicy mandarin orange. The citrus bursts loud and bright. Within twenty minutes, luscious peach flesh and tangy passionfruit join a milky coconut accord to form a sun-drenched fruit profile. The scent does not stay purely tropical, however. A dense fou…

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, Desiderio or Talisman?

Desiderio takes 4 of 5 categories. Desiderio is rated 4.35/5 from 17 votes; Talisman is rated 4.05/5 from 421 votes. Choose Desiderio for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Talisman for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Desiderio or Talisman?

Desiderio lasts longest (Desiderio 82/100, Talisman 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Desiderio or Talisman?

Desiderio projects furthest (Desiderio 75/100, Talisman 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Desiderio and Talisman smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and fruity accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Peach, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.

Is Desiderio or Talisman better for summer or winter?

Desiderio suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Desiderio and Talisman?

Desiderio has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Peach, Passionfruit and Coconut, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla and Amber. 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.