Fragrance comparison

Câline vs N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 274 ratings analysed

4 wins

Câline

Jean Patou

4.1196 votes

Rank #30,606 FreshAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

Chanel

4.16178 votes

Rank #33,890 CitrusAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Câline takes 4 of 7 categories.

Câline
Choose it for a fresh and aldehydic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Câline4/7

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition3/7

Ratings & consensus: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Community sentiment: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Longevity: Câline
Sillage & projection: Câline
Value for money: Câline
Versatility: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Câline

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CâlineJean Patou

N°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 96 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

4.16/ 5 · 178 votes

Have 57%Had 6%Want 37%

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

39%Like

4%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

96 votes

44%Love

37%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

178 votes

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityCâline

SillageCâline

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value30

Category winnerCâlineBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh100%

aldehydic92%

citrus84%

white floral77%

woody69%

floral61%

citrus100%

aldehydic88%

fresh77%

woody65%

powdery53%

sweet42%

Scent match58%Closely related · both citrus, aldehydic and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesNeroliBergamotMimosaBasilMandarin Orange

Heart

JasminePatchouliCarnationGingerCorianderRoseYlang-YlangCyclamen

Base

oak mossVirginia CedarMuskSandalwoodAmberFrench labdanum

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesLimeLemonOrangeBergamotMandarin OrangeNeroli

Heart2-3 hrs

Ylang-YlangMay RoseJasmine

Base4-6 hrs

White MuskOrris RootCedarVanila

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Neroli, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange. Durations are only published for N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer63

Fall0

Winter60

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall51

Winter35

Day100

Night26

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex28

Women67

Men1

Unisex17

Women82

Casual 41%Work 37%Date 16%Party 7%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,606

PerfumerHenri Giboulet

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#33,890

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCâlineHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Câline by Jean Patou is a crisp vintage chypre floral launched in 1964. It opens with sharp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and basil, before settling into a warm heart of carnation and jasmine. A classic mossy base of oakmoss and sandalwood makes it perfect for spring afternoons when you want a green, sophisticated skin sc…

Reviews →

Chanel N°5 L'EAU Limited Edition strips away the heavy powder of the original 1921 formula in favor of sheer sunshine. A burst of sharp lemon, juicy mandarin orange, and bubbly aldehydes hits first with immediate sparkle. It smells like a chilled glass of citrus tonic water poured over fresh white flower petals. Withi…

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, Câline or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

Câline takes 4 of 7 categories. Câline is rated 4.11/5 from 96 votes; N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is rated 4.16/5 from 178 votes. Choose Câline for a fresh and aldehydic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Câline or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

Câline lasts longest (Câline 58/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Câline or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

Câline projects furthest (Câline 64/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Câline and N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aldehydic and fresh accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Neroli, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange.

Is Câline or N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition better for summer or winter?

For summer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is the stronger pick. For winter, Câline is the stronger pick. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Câline and N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition?

Câline has top notes of Aldehydes, Neroli, Bergamot and Mimosa, heart notes of Jasmine, Patchouli, Carnation and Ginger, a base of oak moss, Virginia Cedar, Musk and Sandalwood. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition has top notes of Aldehydes, Lime, Lemon and Orange, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, May Rose and Jasmine, a base of White Musk, Orris Root, Cedar and Vanila.