Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne vs Memoire

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 1,000 ratings analysed

4 wins

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Chanel

4.07952 votes

Rank #2,187 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

Memoire

Shiseido

3.9048 votes

Rank #21,485 PowderyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne takes 4 of 7 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, daytime wear.
Memoire
Choose it for a powdery and musky character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne4/7

Memoire3/7

Ratings & consensus: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: Memoire
Longevity: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Sillage & projection: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Memoire
Versatility: Memoire
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
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

MemoireShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 952 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.90/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 38%Had 15%Want 48%

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

29%Love

52%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

4%Hate

48 votes

Category winnerMemoireMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate72

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 value88

Category winnerMemoireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

musky84%

white floral77%

earthy69%

iris61%

powdery100%

musky92%

white floral84%

amber77%

floral69%

rose61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both powdery, musky 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

Top

AldehydesNeroliGardeniaBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart

RoseHeliotropeJasmineCarnationYlang-YlangAfrican Orange FlowerOrchid

Base

MuskCivettaSandalwoodStyraxAmberBenzoinVanille

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, African Orange Flower and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring66

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night92

Spring100

Summer69

Fall69

Winter69

Day100

Night53

Category winnerMemoireMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex39

Women55

Work 35%Casual 30%Date 25%Party 10%

Men0

Unisex13

Women88

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,187

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews125

Overall rank#21,485

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

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 →

Shiseido Memoire opens with a punch of bright bergamot and dry aldehydes that immediately recalls classic mid-century perfumery. As the initial fizz of citrus settles on the skin, a powdery floral heart of rose, carnation, and sweet heliotrope emerges, shifting the character from clean to softly romantic. It wears lig…

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 Memoire?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne takes 4 of 7 categories. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is rated 4.07/5 from 952 votes; Memoire is rated 3.90/5 from 48 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, daytime wear. Choose Memoire for a powdery and musky character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

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

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne lasts longest (Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 73/100, Memoire 60/100), based on community performance votes.

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

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

Do Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and Memoire smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, musky and white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, African Orange Flower and Bergamot.

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

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

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

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. Memoire has top notes of Aldehydes, Neroli, Gardenia and Bergamot, heart notes of Rose, Heliotrope, Jasmine and Carnation, a base of Musk, Civetta, Sandalwood and Styrax.