Fragrance comparison

Force vs Cardinal

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 5 ratings analysed

Force

Romano

3.405 votes

Rank #61,123 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Cardinal

Brocard

—0 votes

Rank #73,779 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cardinal takes 3 of 4 categories.

Force
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Cardinal
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Force1/4

Cardinal3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForceRomano

CardinalBrocard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 56%Had 33%Want 11%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 33%Had 0%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

60%Like

20%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity52

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityCardinal

SillageCardinal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value100

Category winnerCardinalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody91%

green83%

aromatic74%

patchouli65%

fresh spicy56%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

anis84%

musky77%

citrus69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonBergamotMelon

Heart

Green NotesGeraniumOzonic notes

Base

PatchouliCedarAmber

Top

AppleBergamotLemonMelonOzonic notes

Heart

AniseCinnamonBasilLavenderGeraniumCardamomWormwood

Base

TobaccoMuskoak mossCedar

InformationalShared notesLemon, Bergamot, Melon and Geranium. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer100

Fall25

Winter0

Day100

Night33

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,123

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#73,779

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerForceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Force by Romano opens with a bright burst of sharp lemon and sour bergamot before a sweet melon accord creeps in. Within minutes, the watery top notes collide with punchy geranium and crisp ozonic notes, giving the heart a synthetic, fresh-out-of-the-shower edge. As the initial fizz cools down, coarse patchouli and dr…

Reviews →

Brocard Cardinal starts with a burst of tart green apple, bitter bergamot, and watery melon backed by a cool ozonic breeze. Within minutes, the fruity crispness yields to an aromatic heart packed with pungent star anise, bitter wormwood, and clean French lavender. Spicy accents of cardamom and cinnamon weave through c…

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 lasts longer, Force or Cardinal?

Cardinal lasts longest (Cardinal 80/100, Force 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Force or Cardinal?

Cardinal projects furthest (Cardinal 50/100, Force 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Force and Cardinal smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lemon, Bergamot, Melon and Geranium.

Is Force or Cardinal better for summer or winter?

Force suits daytime wear; Cardinal suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Force and Cardinal?

Force has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot and Melon, heart notes of Green Notes, Geranium and Ozonic notes, a base of Patchouli, Cedar and Amber. Cardinal has top notes of Apple, Bergamot, Lemon and Melon, heart notes of Anise, Cinnamon, Basil and Lavender, a base of Tobacco, Musk, oak moss and Cedar.