Fragrance comparison

French Defense vs Trillium

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 1,871 ratings analysed

5 wins

French Defense

Mind Games

4.261,797 votes

Rank #189 CherryAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

8%scent match

Clearly different

Trillium

House of Matriarch

3.7874 votes

Rank #35,684 FloralHerbal

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

French Defense takes 5 of 7 categories.

French Defense
Choose it for a cherry and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Trillium
Choose it for a floral and herbal character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

French Defense5/7

Trillium2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

French DefenseMind Games

TrilliumHouse of Matriarch

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.26/ 5 · 1,797 votes

Have 87%Had 13%Want 0%

3.78/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 34%Had 7%Want 59%

Category winnerFrench DefenseRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

66%Love

22%Like

8%Ok

3%Dislike

1%Hate

1,166 votes

34%Love

35%Like

9%Ok

19%Dislike

3%Hate

74 votes

Category winnerFrench DefenseMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityFrench Defense

SillageFrench Defense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value41

Category winnerTrilliumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

cherry100%

amber92%

sweet84%

rose77%

woody69%

ozonic61%

floral100%

herbal91%

green83%

powdery74%

yellow floral65%

aromatic56%

Scent match8%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CherryViolet LeavesChamomile

Heart

RoseGeraniumMimosa

Base

AmberBlonde WoodsCedarwood

Top20-30 mins

ChamomileMimosaAglaiaGreen Tea

Heart2-4 hrs

Black TeaCoffee blossom

Base5-7 hrs

Jasmine TeaTolu BalsamCashmere MuskAmber

InformationalShared notesChamomile, Mimosa and Amber. Durations are only published for Trillium, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer57

Fall43

Winter27

Day100

Night28

Category winnerTrilliumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men24

Unisex58

Women18

Men7

Unisex57

Women36

Work 38%Casual 32%Date 22%Party 8%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#189

PerfumerChristelle Laprade

Launched—

Reviews357

Overall rank#35,684

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFrench DefenseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

French Defense by Mind Games opens with a dense burst of dark black cherry, tempered by herbaceous chamomile and green violet leaves. The fruit smells thick and boozy without falling into synthetic candy territory. Within twenty minutes, the initial punch simmers down into a heart of powdery mimosa and crisp rose. Wa…

Reviews →

House of Matriarch Trillium opens with a soothing rush of dried Roman chamomile blossoms, sunny mimosa, and crisp green tea leaves. It immediately feels natural and grounded rather than synthetic or sugary. The bitter tang of black tea and delicate coffee blossoms soon joins the cup, cutting through the powdery floral…

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, French Defense or Trillium?

French Defense takes 5 of 7 categories. French Defense is rated 4.26/5 from 1,797 votes; Trillium is rated 3.78/5 from 74 votes. Choose French Defense for a cherry and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Trillium for a floral and herbal character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, French Defense or Trillium?

French Defense lasts longest (French Defense 77/100, Trillium 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, French Defense or Trillium?

French Defense projects furthest (French Defense 67/100, Trillium 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do French Defense and Trillium smell similar?

Clearly different: a 8% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Chamomile, Mimosa and Amber.

Is French Defense or Trillium better for summer or winter?

For summer, Trillium is the stronger pick. For winter, French Defense is the stronger pick. Trillium suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in French Defense and Trillium?

French Defense has top notes of Cherry, Violet Leaves and Chamomile, heart notes of Rose, Geranium and Mimosa, a base of Amber, Blonde Woods and Cedarwood. Trillium has top notes of Chamomile, Mimosa, Aglaia and Green Tea, heart notes of Black Tea and Coffee blossom, a base of Jasmine Tea, Tolu Balsam, Cashmere Musk and Amber.