Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne vs Charles Street

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,040 ratings analysed

6 wins

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Chanel

4.07952 votes

Rank #2,073 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Charles Street

Mark Birley

4.0688 votes

Rank #9,808 LeatherFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 8 categories.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Charles Street
Choose it for a leather and fruity character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne6/8

Charles Street2/8

Ratings & consensus: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: Charles Street
Longevity: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Sillage & projection: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Versatility: Charles Street
Note pyramid (duration): Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Fragranxe ranking: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel No 5 Eau de CologneChanel

Charles StreetMark Birley

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 952 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

4.06/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 33%Had 16%Want 51%

Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

28%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

1%Hate

952 votes

33%Love

53%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

88 votes

Category winnerCharles StreetMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityChanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

SillageChanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value56

Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

musky84%

white floral77%

earthy69%

iris61%

leather100%

fruity92%

sweet84%

powdery77%

warm spicy69%

white floral61%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both powdery and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangAfrican Orange FlowerBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

CivettaMuskAmberSandalwoodoak mossVetiverPatchouliVanille

Top30 to 45 minutes

CoffeeNutmegAngelicaCarrot SeedsThyme

Heart2 to 3 hours

RaspberrySaffronRoseIrisAfrican Orange FlowerLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineTuberose

Base4 to 6 hours

LeatherVanilleAmberoak mossPatchouli

Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring66

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day81

Night100

Spring72

Summer56

Fall100

Winter84

Day92

Night100

Category winnerCharles StreetMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex39

Women55

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,073

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews125

Overall rank#9,808

PerfumerChristian Plesch

Launched—

Reviews23

Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne presents an airy, earthy take on the legendary floral aldehyde formula. The opening bursts with bubbly aldehydes, tart bergamot, and sunny Amalfi lemon before settling into a powdery core of iris, jasmine, and earthy orris root. Unlike the plush modern Eau de Parfum, this vintage cologne ver…

Reviews →

Charles Street by Mark Birley is a woody spicy fragrance built around smooth leather, roasted coffee, and subtle fruit sweetness. Released in 2011 and composed by perfumer Christian Plesch, it takes an understated approach to traditional leather perfumery. The scent opens with an unexpected pairing of dark coffee, gra…

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 No 5 Eau de Cologne or Charles Street?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne takes 6 of 8 categories. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is rated 4.07/5 from 952 votes; Charles Street is rated 4.06/5 from 88 votes. Choose Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Charles Street for a leather and fruity character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Charles Street?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 73/100, Charles Street 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Charles Street?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne projects furthest (Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 65/100, Charles Street 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and Charles Street smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery and white floral accords. Common notes include African Orange Flower, Iris, Jasmine and Rose.

Is Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Charles Street better for summer or winter?

For summer, Charles Street is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne suits evening wear; Charles Street suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and Charles Street?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, African Orange Flower and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civetta, Musk, Amber and Sandalwood. Charles Street has top notes of Coffee, Nutmeg, Angelica and Carrot Seeds, heart notes of Raspberry, Saffron, Rose and Iris, a base of Leather, Vanille, Amber and oak moss.