Fragrance comparison

Relax vs Talisman

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 424 ratings analysed

3 wins

Relax

Armaf

4.673 votes

Rank #42,371 LeatherMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Talisman

Balenciaga

4.05421 votes

Rank #3,910 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Relax takes 3 of 4 categories.

Relax
Choose it for a leather and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Talisman
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Relax3/4

Talisman1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Relax
Sillage & projection: Relax
Value for money: Relax
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

RelaxArmaf

TalismanBalenciaga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 36%Had 3%Want 60%

4.05/ 5 · 421 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 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

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate92

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityRelax

SillageRelax

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value54

Category winnerRelaxBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

musky83%

animalic65%

powdery48%

smoky30%

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotPineappleRaspberry

Heart

Ylang-YlangOsmanthusJasmineMoss

Base

LeatherMuskCedarwoodAmber

Top

Dried FruitsRumAldehydesPineapplePeachOsmanthusMandarin OrangeHiacynth

Heart

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineRoseIrisCyclamenFreesiaLily-of-the-Valley

Base

BeeswaxLeatherCaramelSandalwoodVanillaTonka BeanPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Ylang-Ylang, Osmanthus and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring42

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Men2

Unisex15

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,371

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#3,910

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerTalismanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Armaf Relax starts with a bright splash of tart pineapple and sweet raspberry, grounded immediately by a sharp citrus edge of bergamot. As the initial fruitiness settles on the skin, a rich floral heart of ylang-ylang and mossy green tones emerges, creating an unexpected earthy contrast. The dry-down is dominated by a…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Relax or Talisman?

Relax takes 3 of 4 categories. Relax is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes; Talisman is rated 4.05/5 from 421 votes. Choose Relax for a leather and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Talisman for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Relax or Talisman?

Relax lasts longest (Relax 80/100, Talisman 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Relax or Talisman?

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

Do Relax and Talisman smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Ylang-Ylang, Osmanthus and Jasmine.

Is Relax or Talisman better for summer or winter?

Relax suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Relax and Talisman?

Relax has top notes of Bergamot, Pineapple and Raspberry, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Osmanthus, Jasmine and Moss, a base of Leather, Musk, Cedarwood 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.