Fragrance comparison

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel vs Chanel No 5 Parfum

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 14,029 ratings analysed

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Chanel

4.38588 votes

Rank #26,172 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Chanel No 5 Parfum

Chanel

3.6813,441 votes

Rank #31,349 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.
Chanel No 5 Parfum
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel4/8

Chanel No 5 Parfum4/8

Ratings & consensus: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Community sentiment: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Longevity: Chanel No 5 Parfum
Sillage & projection: Chanel No 5 Parfum
Value for money: Chanel No 5 Parfum
Versatility: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Note pyramid (duration): Chanel No 5 Parfum
Fragranxe ranking: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel N°5 Elixir SensuelChanel

Chanel No 5 ParfumChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 588 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

3.68/ 5 · 13,441 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

Category winnerChanel N°5 Elixir SensuelRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

35%Like

1%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

588 votes

38%Love

28%Like

2%Ok

31%Dislike

2%Hate

13,441 votes

Category winnerChanel N°5 Elixir SensuelMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityChanel No 5 Parfum

SillageChanel No 5 Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value38

Category winnerChanel No 5 ParfumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

yellow floral84%

iris77%

amber69%

powdery61%

powdery100%

woody92%

aldehydic84%

iris77%

fresh69%

white floral61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and iris

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Neroli

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangIrisJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberWoodsy NotesMusk

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangNeroliBergamotLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-12 hrs

CivetMuskSandalwoodAmberMossVanillaVetiverPatchouli

Category winnerChanel No 5 ParfumLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day86

Night100

Spring52

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day58

Night100

Category winnerChanel N°5 Elixir SensuelMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex17

Women78

Date 40%Work 26%Casual 21%Party 12%

Men2

Unisex17

Women81

Date 42%Work 24%Casual 18%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,172

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#31,349

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerChanel N°5 Elixir SensuelHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel reinterprets the iconic bouquet into a plush, tactile fluid that glides across pulse points like liquid silk. The opening dispenses with piercing aldehyde fizz. Instead, clean neroli surfaces alongside sunny ylang-ylang and velvety iris root. It feels calm. Golden jasmine petals emerge within…

Reviews →

Chanel No 5 Parfum is the original, ultra-concentrated pure perfume extract created in 1921. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sparkling aldehydes, bright lemon, and sunny ylang-ylang. The initial sharpness softens within minutes. A velvety heart of powdery iris, rich Grasse jasmine, and May rose rises to take ov…

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, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or Chanel No 5 Parfum?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is rated 4.38/5 from 588 votes; Chanel No 5 Parfum is rated 3.68/5 from 13,441 votes. Choose Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Chanel No 5 Parfum for a powdery and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or Chanel No 5 Parfum?

Chanel No 5 Parfum lasts longest (Chanel No 5 Parfum 75/100, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or Chanel No 5 Parfum?

Chanel No 5 Parfum projects furthest (Chanel No 5 Parfum 64/100, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel and Chanel No 5 Parfum smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and iris accords. Common notes include Neroli, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Jasmine.

Is Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or Chanel No 5 Parfum better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is the stronger pick. Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel suits evening wear; Chanel No 5 Parfum suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel and Chanel No 5 Parfum?

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel has top notes of Neroli, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Jasmine, a base of Amber, Woodsy Notes and Musk. Chanel No 5 Parfum has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Musk, Sandalwood and Amber.