Fragrance comparison

Alpona vs Norell

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 527 ratings analysed

Alpona

Caron

4.45141 votes

Rank #7,314 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Norell

4.17386 votes

Rank #1,848 AromaticGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Norell takes 5 of 7 categories.

Alpona
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Norell
Choose it for a aromatic and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Alpona2/7

Norell5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AlponaCaron

NorellNorell

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.45/ 5 · 141 votes

Have 37%Had 9%Want 54%

4.17/ 5 · 386 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerAlponaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

35%Like

1%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

141 votes

44%Love

41%Like

1%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

386 votes

Category winnerAlponaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityNorell

SillageNorell

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value63

Category winnerNorellBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

mossy65%

earthy56%

aromatic100%

green92%

floral84%

warm spicy77%

yellow floral69%

woody61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LemonBergamotGrapefruitRose

Heart2-4 hrs

ThymeOrangeJasmineOrchid

Base8-10 hrs

OakmossMyrrhCedarSandalwoodPatchouliMusk

Top

NarcissusGalbanumHiacynthLavenderBergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

CarnationArum LilyCorianderRoseMimosaIrisGardeniaYlang-Ylang

Base

OakmossVetiverMyrrhMuskAmberCedarSandalwoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesLemon, Bergamot, Rose and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Alpona, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring81

Summer38

Fall100

Winter56

Day100

Night46

Spring79

Summer55

Fall100

Winter72

Day100

Night77

Category winnerNorellMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex36

Women64

Casual 40%Work 34%Date 17%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex30

Women70

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,314

PerfumerErnest Daltroff

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#1,848

PerfumerJosephine Catapano

Launched—

Reviews89

Category winnerNorellHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Alpona by Caron delivers a sharp, historic contrast that catches modern noses off guard. The opening bursts with tart grapefruit, sharp lemon peel, and bitter bergamot. It wakes you up fast. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash subsides, revealing a dry heart of aromatic thyme, sunny orange blossom, and head…

Reviews →

Norell by Norell, composed by Josephine Catapano in 1968, opens with an unmistakable snap of bitter galbanum and hyacinth. Lemon and bergamot provide a bright citrus flash, but green resin dominates the immediate atmosphere. As the sharp top notes soften, a complex heart of clove-spiced carnation, narcissus, ylang-yla…

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, Alpona or Norell?

Norell takes 5 of 7 categories. Alpona is rated 4.45/5 from 141 votes; Norell is rated 4.17/5 from 386 votes. Choose Alpona for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Norell for a aromatic and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Alpona or Norell?

They last about the same: Norell 76/100, Alpona 75/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Alpona or Norell?

Norell projects furthest (Norell 68/100, Alpona 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Alpona and Norell smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Lemon, Bergamot, Rose and Oakmoss.

Is Alpona or Norell better for summer or winter?

For summer, Norell is the stronger pick. For winter, Norell is the stronger pick. Alpona suits daytime wear; Norell suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alpona and Norell?

Alpona has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit and Rose, heart notes of Thyme, Orange, Jasmine and Orchid, a base of Oakmoss, Myrrh, Cedar and Sandalwood. Norell has top notes of Narcissus, Galbanum, Hiacynth and Lavender, heart notes of Carnation, Arum Lily, Coriander and Rose, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Myrrh and Musk.