Fragrance comparison

Aura vs Water Lily

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 13 ratings analysed

Aura

Marilyn Miglin

3.449 votes

Rank #50,596 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Water Lily

Ninel Perfume

3.004 votes

Rank #66,631 CitrusFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Aura
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Water Lily
Choose it for a citrus and floral character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Aura2/4

Water Lily2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AuraMarilyn Miglin

Water LilyNinel Perfume

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.44/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 33%Had 11%Want 56%

3.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 11%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

22%Like

0%Ok

44%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

0%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

50%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate61

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityWater Lily

SillageAura

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value75

Category winnerWater LilyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

vanilla69%

balsamic61%

citrus100%

floral90%

white floral80%

aquatic70%

fresh60%

aromatic50%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both citrus and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

CypressMandarin OrangeBergamotOrange

Heart1 to 2 hours

MarigoldWater LilyJasmine Sambac

Base3 to 4 hours

BenzoinSandalwoodVanillaPatchouli

Top

BergamotGrapefruitLemonOrangeMandarin Orange

Heart

Water LilyJasmineOsmanthusOrange Blossom

Base

MuskTonka BeanCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Bergamot, Orange and Water Lily. Durations are only published for Aura, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer20

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night75

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night25

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,596

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#66,631

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAuraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aura by Marilyn Miglin delivers a distinctive balance between brisk citrus brightness and warm, resinous depth. The opening immediately presents tart bergamot, orange, and sweet mandarin orange, sharpened by an aromatic, pine-like cypress note. This brisk green start gradually softens into a quiet floral heart where w…

Reviews →

Ninel Perfume Water Lily hits the skin with a sharp spray of tart grapefruit, bitter bergamot, and sweet orange. That bright citrus splash lasts about fifteen minutes before revealing a clean floral heart dominated by aquatic water lily, white jasmine, and soft orange blossom. As the initial sharpness settles, a quiet…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

JeansMahoganyRUNNER-UP vs

Viva La Juicy So IntenseJuicy CoutureWINNER

1 person compared this today

Bad Boy Cobalt Parfum ElectriqueCarolina HerreraWINNER vs

Shiyaaka Shadow Khadlaj Perfumes for menKhadlaj PerfumesRUNNER-UP

2 people compared this today

Tiara Lux EditionHouse Of SillageRUNNER-UP vs

Knize Ten Golden EditionKnizeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Liyali Al HilmiyaNabeelWINNER vs

On ElJesus Del PozoRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Aura or Water Lily?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Aura is rated 3.44/5 from 9 votes; Water Lily is rated 3.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Aura for a citrus and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Water Lily for a citrus and floral character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Aura or Water Lily?

Water Lily lasts longest (Water Lily 60/100, Aura 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aura or Water Lily?

Aura projects furthest (Aura 56/100, Water Lily 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aura and Water Lily smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Orange and Water Lily.

Is Aura or Water Lily better for summer or winter?

Aura suits daytime wear; Water Lily suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aura and Water Lily?

Aura has top notes of Cypress, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Marigold, Water Lily and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Patchouli. Water Lily has top notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange, heart notes of Water Lily, Jasmine, Osmanthus and Orange Blossom, a base of Musk, Tonka Bean, Cedar and Vetiver.