Fragrance comparison

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

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 732 ratings analysed

4 wins

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Chanel

4.38588 votes

Rank #26,172 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or

Nina Ricci

3.35144 votes

Rank #29,151 WoodyWarm Spicy

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 versatility. Best in spring, evening wear.
L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel4/7

L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or3/7

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

L'Air du Temps Cristal d'OrNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 588 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

3.35/ 5 · 144 votes

Have 27%Had 34%Want 38%

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

17%Love

40%Like

3%Ok

38%Dislike

1%Hate

144 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 / hate59

Category winners

LongevityL'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or

SillageL'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value88

Category winnerL'Air du Temps Cristal d'OrBest 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%

aromatic61%

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

CarnationBrazilian RosewoodRoseBergamotNeroliPeach

Heart

Ylang-YlangGardeniaClovesJasmineVioletOrris RootRosemaryOrchid

Base

OakmossMuskBenzoinIrisVetiverAmberSpicesCedar

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

Winter65

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%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,172

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#29,151

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews2

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 →

Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or opens with sharp carnation, bitter bergamot, and sweet peach before settling into a cool floral heart. Clove, gardenia, and ylang-ylang create a soapy, spicy warmth that clings closely to skin. As time passes, the dry-down turns dry and woody, anchored by dark oakmoss, cedar, and…

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 Cristal d'Or?

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 Cristal d'Or is rated 3.35/5 from 144 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 L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

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

L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or lasts longest (L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or 75/100, 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 Cristal d'Or?

L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or projects furthest (L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or 64/100, Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel and L'Air du Temps Cristal d'Or 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 Cristal d'Or 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 Cristal d'Or?

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 Cristal d'Or has top notes of Carnation, Brazilian Rosewood, Rose and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Gardenia, Cloves and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Benzoin and Iris.