Fragrance comparison

Mechant Loup vs Defender

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 1,618 ratings analysed

Mechant Loup

L'Artisan Parfumeur

3.931,489 votes

Rank #5,043 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Defender

Boadicea the Victorious

4.11129 votes

Rank #9,320 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Defender takes 4 of 7 categories.

Mechant Loup
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Defender
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Mechant Loup3/7

Defender4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mechant LoupL'Artisan Parfumeur

DefenderBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 1,489 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.11/ 5 · 129 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

Category winnerDefenderRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

50%Like

6%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

1,489 votes

56%Love

20%Like

12%Ok

4%Dislike

9%Hate

129 votes

Category winnerMechant LoupMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityDefender

SillageDefender

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value41

¤ Price value32

Category winnerMechant LoupBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

sweet83%

nutty65%

soft spicy48%

honey30%

amber100%

sweet92%

fruity84%

woody77%

balsamic69%

honey61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, sweet and honey

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LicoriceHazelnutHoneyCedarWoody NotesSandalwoodMyrrhPraline

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Red FruitsCognacHoneyLicoriceGingerGrapefruit

Heart

MyrrhHayOrange BlossomNight Blooming Jasmine

Base

Tonka BeanPeru BalsamLabdanumRed AmberMuskLeatherBenzoin

InformationalShared notesLicorice, Honey and Myrrh. Durations are only published for Mechant Loup, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring63

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night49

Spring80

Summer42

Fall98

Winter100

Day100

Night76

Category winnerDefenderMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex59

Women13

Men21

Unisex59

Women21

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,043

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews109

Overall rank#9,320

PerfumerKamila Lelakova

Launched—

Reviews26

Category winnerMechant LoupHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mechant Loup by L'Artisan Parfumeur is a gentle, autumnal woody fragrance built around roasted hazelnut, dark honey, and dry cedar. Despite its French name translating to Big Bad Wolf, the scent is remarkably cozy and polite rather than wild or menacing. The opening pairs a soft hint of licorice with sweet praline, wh…

Reviews →

Defender by Boadicea the Victorious opens with a boozy splash of cognac, warm honey, and tart red fruits. A dark streak of licorice and fresh ginger cuts through the immediate sweetness, keeping the opening lively on skin. As it settles, dusty myrrh and dry hay ground the sweet fruitiness before sinking into a thick a…

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 is better, Mechant Loup or Defender?

Defender takes 4 of 7 categories. Mechant Loup is rated 3.93/5 from 1,489 votes; Defender is rated 4.11/5 from 129 votes. Choose Mechant Loup for a woody and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Defender for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Mechant Loup or Defender?

Defender lasts longest (Defender 66/100, Mechant Loup 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mechant Loup or Defender?

Defender projects furthest (Defender 57/100, Mechant Loup 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mechant Loup and Defender smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, sweet and honey accords. Common notes include Licorice, Honey and Myrrh.

Is Mechant Loup or Defender better for summer or winter?

For summer, Defender is the stronger pick. For winter, Mechant Loup is the stronger pick. Mechant Loup suits daytime wear; Defender suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mechant Loup and Defender?

Mechant Loup features Licorice, Hazelnut, Honey, Cedar and Woody Notes. Defender has top notes of Red Fruits, Cognac, Honey and Licorice, heart notes of Myrrh, Hay, Orange Blossom and Night Blooming Jasmine, a base of Tonka Bean, Peru Balsam, Labdanum and Red Amber.