Fragrance comparison

Genesis vs Chimaera

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 1,289 ratings analysed

Genesis

House of Brandt

3.9760 votes

Rank #32,037 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Chimaera

Tiziana Terenzi

4.051,229 votes

Rank #857 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chimaera takes 5 of 7 categories.

Genesis
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Chimaera
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Genesis2/7

Chimaera5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

GenesisHouse of Brandt

ChimaeraTiziana Terenzi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 60 votes

Have 22%Had 4%Want 74%

4.05/ 5 · 1,229 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

Category winnerChimaeraRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

27%Like

23%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

60 votes

43%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

943 votes

Category winnerChimaeraMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityChimaera

SillageChimaera

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value47

Category winnerGenesisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody90%

tobacco80%

metallic70%

rose60%

leather50%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

sweet84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both warm spicy and leather

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronCassis

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseJavanol

Base6-9 hrs

SandalwoodTobaccoCashmere Wood

Top

LeatherTolu BalsamSaffronBlack PepperSoil TinctureBay LeafLemonThyme

Heart

HoneyRed PepperCarnationIrisSagePeonyMagnolia

Base

CaramelAgarwood (Oud)TobaccoBenzoinPine TreeCanadian balsamPatchouliLabdanum

InformationalShared notesSaffron and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Genesis, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer21

Fall100

Winter89

Day42

Night100

Spring32

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerGenesisMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex63

Women22

Date 43%Party 30%Casual 16%Work 11%

Men36

Unisex52

Women12

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,037

PerfumerKamila Lelakova

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#857

PerfumerPaolo Terenzi

Launched—

Reviews131

Category winnerChimaeraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Brandt Genesis delivers a dark, spicy warmth built for brisk weather. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bittersweet saffron and tart cassis. It catches your attention immediately. Within twenty minutes, a rich jammy rose steps forward, bolstered by the synthetic radiance of Javanol. That molecular pulse k…

Reviews →

Chimaera opens with sour leather, pepper, saffron and herbs, then settles into a darker mix of honeyed amber, caramel, tobacco and oud. Pine and citrus can lift the composition, but the overall feel stays warm, resinous and textured. It suits shoppers who enjoy rich spicy scents with real weight and evolution. Sample …

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, Genesis or Chimaera?

Chimaera takes 5 of 7 categories. Genesis is rated 3.97/5 from 60 votes; Chimaera is rated 4.05/5 from 1,229 votes. Choose Genesis for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Chimaera for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Genesis or Chimaera?

Chimaera lasts longest (Chimaera 84/100, Genesis 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Genesis or Chimaera?

Chimaera projects furthest (Chimaera 75/100, Genesis 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Genesis and Chimaera smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and leather accords. Common notes include Saffron and Tobacco.

Is Genesis or Chimaera better for summer or winter?

For summer, Genesis is the stronger pick. For winter, Chimaera is the stronger pick. Genesis suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Genesis and Chimaera?

Genesis has top notes of Saffron and Cassis, heart notes of Rose and Javanol, a base of Sandalwood, Tobacco and Cashmere Wood. Chimaera has top notes of Leather, Tolu Balsam, Saffron and Black Pepper, heart notes of Honey, Red Pepper, Carnation and Iris, a base of Caramel, Agarwood (Oud), Tobacco and Benzoin.