Fragrance comparison

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

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 615 ratings analysed

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel

Chanel

4.38588 votes

Rank #26,172 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

L'Air du Temps Noel

Nina Ricci

4.0427 votes

Rank #21,125 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Air du Temps Noel takes 4 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 Noel
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel2/7

L'Air du Temps Noel4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel N°5 Elixir SensuelChanel

L'Air du Temps NoelNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.38/ 5 · 588 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

4.04/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 7%Had 5%Want 88%

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

30%Love

56%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

27 votes

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

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityL'Air du Temps Noel

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value38

Category winnerL'Air du Temps NoelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

yellow floral84%

iris77%

amber69%

powdery61%

woody100%

powdery92%

warm spicy84%

floral77%

aromatic69%

white floral61%

Scent match40%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

RoseCarnationBergamotPeachNeroliBrazilian Rosewood

Heart

JasmineVioletRosemaryOrris RootYlang-YlangGardeniaClovesOrchid

Base

MuskVetiverSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoinOakmossCedar

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

Spring50

Summer42

Fall75

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Category winnerL'Air du Temps NoelMost 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#21,125

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews10

Category winnerL'Air du Temps NoelHigher 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 Noel by Nina Ricci puts Francis Fabron's classic 1948 formula inside a rare 2008 black crystal Lalique flacon. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, bergamot, and rosewood, creating a vintage soapy aura that immediately signals classic French perfumery. As the scent settles on skin…

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 Noel?

L'Air du Temps Noel takes 4 of 7 categories. Chanel N°5 Elixir Sensuel is rated 4.38/5 from 588 votes; L'Air du Temps Noel is rated 4.04/5 from 27 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 Noel for a woody and powdery character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

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

L'Air du Temps Noel lasts longest (L'Air du Temps Noel 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 Noel?

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

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

Some overlap: a 40% 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 Noel better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'Air du Temps Noel 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 Noel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

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

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 Noel has top notes of Rose, Carnation, Bergamot and Peach, heart notes of Jasmine, Violet, Rosemary and Orris Root, a base of Musk, Vetiver, Spices and Iris.