Fragrance comparison

A Dream of the Unknowing vs Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18

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

Updated 2 Nov 2026 883 ratings analysed

A Dream of the Unknowing

Alkemia Perfumes

3.867 votes

Rank #42,462 GreenIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18

Chanel

3.84876 votes

Rank #33,269 FloralMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

A Dream of the Unknowing
Choose it for a green and iris character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18
Choose it for a floral and musky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

A Dream of the Unknowing2/4

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 182/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18
Sillage & projection: A Dream of the Unknowing
Value for money: A Dream of the Unknowing
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

A Dream of the UnknowingAlkemia Perfumes

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18Chanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 14%Had 7%Want 79%

3.84/ 5 · 876 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

57%Like

29%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

35%Love

38%Like

4%Ok

22%Dislike

1%Hate

876 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityLes Exclusifs de Chanel No 18

SillageA Dream of the Unknowing

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value31

Category winnerA Dream of the UnknowingBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

iris92%

sweet84%

honey77%

floral69%

musky61%

floral100%

musky91%

iris83%

woody74%

fruity65%

powdery56%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both iris, floral and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IrisHayHoneyAmbrette (Musk Mallow)TeaTobacco LeafCalamus

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)IrisFruity NotesWoody NotesFlowers

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesIris and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). Durations are only published for Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer75

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night20

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter34

Day100

Night24

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men6

Unisex37

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,462

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#33,269

PerfumerJacques Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLes Exclusifs de Chanel No 18Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

A Dream of the Unknowing by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. A Dream of the Unknowing was launched in 2019. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 takes a radically different path from typical powdery floral perfumes. Instead of soapy rose petals, it opens with a distinctive burst of fermented pear and crisp ambrette musk that smells like chilled fruit brandy or green olive brine. Within twenty minutes, the tart vapor relaxes into 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, A Dream of the Unknowing or Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. A Dream of the Unknowing is rated 3.86/5 from 7 votes; Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 is rated 3.84/5 from 876 votes. Choose A Dream of the Unknowing for a green and iris character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 for a floral and musky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, A Dream of the Unknowing or Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18?

They last about the same: Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 55/100, A Dream of the Unknowing 53/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, A Dream of the Unknowing or Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18?

A Dream of the Unknowing projects furthest (A Dream of the Unknowing 75/100, Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do A Dream of the Unknowing and Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share iris, floral and musky accords. Common notes include Iris and Ambrette (Musk Mallow).

Is A Dream of the Unknowing or Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 better for summer or winter?

A Dream of the Unknowing suits daytime wear; Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in A Dream of the Unknowing and Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18?

A Dream of the Unknowing features Iris, Hay, Honey, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Tea. Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 18 features Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Iris, Fruity Notes, Woody Notes and Flowers.