Fragrance comparison

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel vs L'Air du Temps

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 7,136 ratings analysed

4 wins

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Chanel

4.38588 votes

Rank #26,172 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

L'Air du Temps

Nina Ricci

3.716,548 votes

Rank #2,942 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel takes 4 of 7 categories.

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
L'Air du Temps
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel4/7

L'Air du Temps3/7

Ratings & consensus: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Community sentiment: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Longevity: L'Air du Temps
Sillage & projection: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Value for money: L'Air du Temps
Versatility: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Air du Temps

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel N°5 Elixir SensuelChanel

L'Air du TempsNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 588 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

3.71/ 5 · 6,548 votes

Have 54%Had 46%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

29%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

25%Dislike

1%Hate

6,548 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityL'Air du Temps

SillageChanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value58

Category winnerL'Air du TempsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

yellow floral84%

iris77%

amber69%

powdery61%

warm spicy100%

floral92%

woody84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

aromatic61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, white floral and powdery

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

Top

CarnationAldehydesRoseNeroliBrazilian RosewoodPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesGardeniaJasmineYlang-YlangVioletOrris RootRosemaryOrchid

Base

SpicesIrisOakmossMuskSandalwoodBenzoinAmberVetiver

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day86

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter42

Day–

Night–

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%

Men1

Unisex10

Women89

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,172

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#2,942

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews205

Category winnerL'Air du TempsHigher 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 →

L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci centers on a sharp, spicy carnation surrounded by crisp aldehydes and green gardenia. Bergamot brightens the initial spray, while clove, iris, and sandalwood create a clean, powdery finish. It wears light on spring mornings, offering a dry soapy feel that suits formal daytime wear and clea…

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 L'Air du Temps?

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel takes 4 of 7 categories. Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is rated 4.38/5 from 588 votes; L'Air du Temps is rated 3.71/5 from 6,548 votes. Choose Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose L'Air du Temps for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or L'Air du Temps?

They last about the same: L'Air du Temps 66/100, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 65/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or L'Air du Temps?

Projection is very close: Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 61/100, L'Air du Temps 59/100 for sillage.

Do Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel and L'Air du Temps smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, white floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Neroli, Ylang-Ylang, Iris and Jasmine.

Is Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel or L'Air du Temps 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. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel and L'Air du Temps?

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. L'Air du Temps has top notes of Carnation, Aldehydes, Rose and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Gardenia, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Spices, Iris, Oakmoss and Musk.