Xerjoff Naxos vs YSL Trench - Perfume Battle Round 78
Round 78 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle sends the champion back to the Le Vestiaire des Parfums shelf. Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos arrives with twenty-three straight wins, the longest reign in the history of the tournament. Its challenger is Yves Saint Laurent Trench, a citrus-and-iris fragrance from the same private YSL collection that produced yesterday's Wild Leather.
This is honey against a rain-washed coat. Naxos is a warm, sweet tobacco made to please a room. Trench is clean, bright and quiet, built around bergamot, neroli and orris with soft musks underneath. Both are unisex, both are available at AlHimyan in the UAE, and here is how they compare on verified community data.
The tale of the tape
| Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos | YSL Trench | |
|---|---|---|
| House | Xerjoff (Italy) | Yves Saint Laurent (France) |
| Collection | XJ 1861 | Le Vestiaire des Parfums |
| Perfumers | Not credited | Amandine Clerc-Marie and Alberto Morillas |
| Released | 2015 | 2015 (as listed on Parfumo) |
| Family | Sweet, spicy tobacco | Citrus, woody, clean musk |
| Worn by | Men and women | Men and women |
| Price at AlHimyan | AED 869 (100 ml) | AED 940 (125 ml) |
| Community ratings counted | 13,834 | 234 |
Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos: the champion
Naxos belongs to the Xerjoff 1861 collection, a tribute to the unification of Italy, and it remains one of the most loved unisex fragrances on Parfumo. It opens with lavender, bergamot, lemon and Omani frankincense. The heart brings honey, cinnamon and jasmine sambac over a soft cashmere-wood texture.
The dry-down of tobacco, tonka bean and vanilla is warm and creamy without turning sticky. It is refined rather than loud, wears long, and lingers on fabric into the next day.
Community scores (Parfumo): Scent 8.9/10 from 13,834 ratings, Longevity 8.8/10, Sillage 8.5/10, Bottle 9.1/10, Value for money 7.6/10.
Yves Saint Laurent Trench: the challenger
Le Vestiaire des Parfums translates the YSL wardrobe into scent, and Trench is the house's reading of the trench coat. Two perfumers are credited on Parfumo: Amandine Clerc-Marie and Alberto Morillas. It is meant to sit between masculine and feminine, and reviewers describe it as unisex in the truest sense.
The opening is fresh and slightly fruity: bergamot, mandarin orange and fig. The heart is soft and powdery with neroli and orris butter. The base of ambrette, musk and cedar keeps everything close to the skin. It is a tidy, understated fragrance, more about cleanliness than presence.
Community scores (Parfumo): Scent 8.0/10 from 234 ratings, Longevity 6.9/10, Sillage 6.4/10, Bottle 8.3/10, Value for money 5.8/10.
Head to head
Scent quality. Naxos scores 8.9 across 13,834 ratings. Trench scores a respectable 8.0 across 234, a good result for a quiet citrus-musk, but the gap to the champion is still large.
Performance. This is where the round is decided. Naxos posts 8.8 for longevity and 8.5 for sillage against 6.9 and 6.4. Trench is a close-to-skin scent by design, and Parfumo reviewers say it becomes more intimate after a few hours.
Value. Naxos again. Parfumo users rate its value 7.6 against 5.8 for Trench, and at AlHimyan the Naxos bottle carries the lower price.
Presentation. Naxos, 9.1 against 8.3. Trench is a tidy, well-liked bottle, but the champion still leads.
The verdict
| Scoring component | Weight | Naxos | Trench |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parfumo scent score | 60% | 8.86 | 8.00 |
| Longevity | 15% | 8.77 | 6.90 |
| Sillage | 10% | 8.54 | 6.40 |
| Value for money | 15% | 7.59 | 5.80 |
| Final score | Total | 8.62 | 7.35 |
Winner: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos. The champion sweeps all four categories and takes its twenty-fourth consecutive round, by a margin of 1.27. Trench is a pleasant, clean everyday fragrance for people who want to smell fresh without being noticed, but on scent, performance and value Naxos leads every line.
A note on method. Community figures come from Parfumo (the Trench page was fetched on 30 September 2026 and checked twice with identical results; Naxos figures from the check made on 28 September). Fragrantica's public pages returned an access block, so no Fragrantica score is quoted and its weighting was moved to the Parfumo scent score, as in recent rounds. No figure in this article is estimated.
Which one should you buy?
Buy Naxos if you want a smooth honey-tobacco scent that almost everyone around you will enjoy, from the office to dinner.
Buy Trench if you want a light, clean citrus-and-iris scent for the office, the gym bag or a hot afternoon, and you prefer a fragrance that stays close.
How to wear them in the UAE
Naxos is rich, so two sprays are enough: one on the neck and one on the chest or the kandura collar. It suits cooler evenings, air-conditioned majlis gatherings and the winter months from November onwards.
Trench is made for warm weather. Its bergamot, mandarin and fig opening feels fresh in the heat, and because it wears softly you can spray it generously on the neck, wrists and shirt. Reapply after a few hours, since it settles close to the skin.
Frequently asked questions
What does YSL Trench smell like? Bergamot, mandarin orange and fig on top, neroli and orris butter in the heart, and ambrette, musk and cedar in the base. It is a fresh, citrusy, woody-musky scent.
Who created Trench? Parfumo credits Amandine Clerc-Marie and Alberto Morillas, for the Yves Saint Laurent Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection.
Is Trench for men or women? It is unisex and worn by both.
Which is better for the UAE heat? Trench is lighter and fresher in summer. Naxos is sweeter and shines in autumn, winter and air-conditioned rooms.
How do I order in the UAE? Both are available now at alhimyan.com. Cash on delivery is available across the UAE, delivery is fast, and returns are accepted within seven days.
Shop this round
Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos Unisex Eau de Parfum 100 ml
Yves Saint Laurent Trench Unisex Eau de Parfum 125 ml
Champion standing after Round 78: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos, twenty-four straight wins. A new challenger enters next round.