Fragrance comparison

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

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 673 ratings analysed

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Chanel

4.38588 votes

Rank #26,172 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

L'Air du Temps by Starck

Nina Ricci

3.7185 votes

Rank #17,264 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Air du Temps by Starck takes 5 of 7 categories.

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

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel2/7

L'Air du Temps by Starck5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel N°5 Elixir SensuelChanel

L'Air du Temps by StarckNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 588 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

3.71/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

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

26%Love

46%Like

1%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityL'Air du Temps by Starck

SillageL'Air du Temps by Starck

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value59

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

yellow floral84%

iris77%

amber69%

powdery61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

Scent match42%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

CarnationRoseBrazilian RosewoodNeroliPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesYlang-YlangOrris RootGardeniaJasmineVioletOrchidRosemary

Base

OakmossVetiverAmberMuskSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoin

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

Spring92

Summer62

Fall100

Winter38

Day100

Night50

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex17

Women78

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

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,172

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,264

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckHigher 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 Starck blends classic mid-century perfumery with a striking modern flacon redesign from 2010. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, rose, and bright bergamot that immediately sets a vintage floral tone. As the opening settles, dry cloves and creamy ylang-ylang join rich jasmine t…

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 by Starck?

L'Air du Temps by Starck takes 5 of 7 categories. Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is rated 4.38/5 from 588 votes; L'Air du Temps by Starck is rated 3.71/5 from 85 votes. Choose Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose L'Air du Temps by Starck for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

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

L'Air du Temps by Starck lasts longest (L'Air du Temps by Starck 69/100, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 65/100), based on community performance votes.

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

L'Air du Temps by Starck projects furthest (L'Air du Temps by Starck 71/100, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 61/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Some overlap: a 42% 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 by Starck better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'Air du Temps by Starck is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is the stronger pick. Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel suits evening wear; L'Air du Temps by Starck suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

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

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 by Starck has top notes of Carnation, Rose, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root and Gardenia, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber and Musk.