Fragrance comparison

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) vs L'Air du Temps

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 6,752 ratings analysed

4 wins

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)

Chanel

3.91204 votes

Rank #31,127 AldehydicPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%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 (Vintage) takes 4 of 7 categories.

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Choose it for a aldehydic and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
L'Air du Temps
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Chanel N°5 (Vintage)4/7

L'Air du Temps3/7

Ratings & consensus: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Community sentiment: L'Air du Temps
Longevity: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Sillage & projection: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
Value for money: L'Air du Temps
Versatility: Chanel N°5 (Vintage)
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 (Vintage)Chanel

L'Air du TempsNina Ricci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.91/ 5 · 204 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

3.71/ 5 · 6,548 votes

Have 54%Had 46%Want 0%

Category winnerChanel N°5 (Vintage)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

19%Like

3%Ok

24%Dislike

3%Hate

204 votes

29%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

25%Dislike

1%Hate

6,548 votes

Category winnerL'Air du TempsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityChanel N°5 (Vintage)

SillageChanel N°5 (Vintage)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value43

¤ Price value58

Category winnerL'Air du TempsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aldehydic100%

powdery92%

woody84%

fresh77%

white floral69%

iris61%

warm spicy100%

floral92%

woody84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

aromatic61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both powdery, woody and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-40 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangNeroliLemonBergamot

Heart3-5 hrs

RoseIrisJasmineOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base8-14 hrs

CivetAmberSandalwoodMuskVanillaOakmossPatchouliVetiver

Top

CarnationAldehydesRoseNeroliBrazilian RosewoodPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesGardeniaJasmineYlang-YlangVioletOrris RootRosemaryOrchid

Base

SpicesIrisOakmossMuskSandalwoodBenzoinAmberVetiver

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Chanel N°5 (Vintage), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer54

Fall92

Winter100

Day74

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter42

Day–

Night–

Category winnerChanel N°5 (Vintage)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex31

Women67

Date 34%Party 27%Work 22%Casual 17%

Men1

Unisex10

Women89

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,127

PerfumerErnest Beaux

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 (Vintage) hits the nose with an icy, effervescent snap of fatty aldehydes, sharp bergamot, and golden ylang-ylang. The first spray is intense. It crackles with crisp citrus and soapy brightness before softening into velvety Grasse jasmine, powdery iris, and lush May rose. Beneath the clean floral bouquet si…

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 (Vintage) or L'Air du Temps?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) takes 4 of 7 categories. Chanel N°5 (Vintage) is rated 3.91/5 from 204 votes; L'Air du Temps is rated 3.71/5 from 6,548 votes. Choose Chanel N°5 (Vintage) for a aldehydic and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose L'Air du Temps for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or L'Air du Temps?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) lasts longest (Chanel N°5 (Vintage) 76/100, L'Air du Temps 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or L'Air du Temps?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) projects furthest (Chanel N°5 (Vintage) 67/100, L'Air du Temps 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel N°5 (Vintage) and L'Air du Temps smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Bergamot.

Is Chanel N°5 (Vintage) or L'Air du Temps better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel N°5 (Vintage) is the stronger pick. Chanel N°5 (Vintage) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel N°5 (Vintage) and L'Air du Temps?

Chanel N°5 (Vintage) has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli and Lemon, heart notes of Rose, Iris, Jasmine and Orris Root, a base of Civet, Amber, Sandalwood 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.