Fragrance comparison

Talisman vs Winter Sun

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 422 ratings analysed

1 wins

Talisman

Balenciaga

4.05421 votes

Rank #3,563 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Winter Sun

Vartan Perfumes

4.001 votes

Rank #61,763 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Talisman takes 1 of 1 categories.

Talisman
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Winter Sun
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Talisman1/1

Winter Sun0/1

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

TalismanBalenciaga

Winter SunVartan Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.05/ 5 · 421 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

421 votes

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

floral92%

warm spicy84%

yellow floral77%

patchouli69%

vanilla61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both woody, floral and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Dried FruitsRumAldehydesPineapplePeachOsmanthusMandarin OrangeHiacynth

Heart

Ylang-YlangCarnationJasmineRoseIrisCyclamenFreesiaLily-of-the-Valley

Base

BeeswaxLeatherCaramelSandalwoodVanillaTonka BeanPatchouliAmber

Top15-30 mins

CarnationYlang-Ylang

Heart2-4 hrs

Osmanthus

Base6-8+ hrs

PatchouliSandalwoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesOsmanthus, Ylang-Ylang, Carnation and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Winter Sun, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring42

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night79

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex15

Women83

Not enough votes yet

Casual 34%Work 31%Date 26%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,563

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews41

Overall rank#61,763

PerfumerKristen Vartan

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerTalismanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Winter Sun by Vartan Perfumes cuts through chilly air with bright, unexpected warmth. A quick burst of spicy carnation meets lush ylang-ylang right at the nozzle. It feels golden. Within ten minutes, the initial floral sharpness softens into velvety apricot osmanthus, balanced by dry patchouli and smooth sandalwood. T…

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, Talisman or Winter Sun?

Talisman takes 1 of 1 categories. Talisman is rated 4.05/5 from 421 votes; Winter Sun is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Talisman for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Winter Sun for a woody and floral character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Do Talisman and Winter Sun smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, floral and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Osmanthus, Ylang-Ylang, Carnation and Sandalwood.

Is Talisman or Winter Sun better for summer or winter?

Winter Sun suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Talisman and Winter Sun?

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. Winter Sun has top notes of Carnation and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Osmanthus, a base of Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vanilla.