Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne vs Saso

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 1,028 ratings analysed

4 wins

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Chanel

4.07952 votes

Rank #2,187 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

Saso

Shiseido

4.1276 votes

Rank #29,409 PowderyWoody

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.
Saso
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne4/7

Saso3/7

Ratings & consensus: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: Saso
Longevity: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Sillage & projection: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Saso
Versatility: Saso
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

SasoShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 952 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

4.12/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

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

38%Love

47%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

76 votes

Category winnerSasoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate78

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 value63

Category winnerSasoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

musky84%

white floral77%

earthy69%

iris61%

powdery100%

woody92%

white floral84%

floral77%

green69%

sweet61%

Scent match61%Closely related · both powdery, woody 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

AldehydesFruity NotesHyacinthGreen NotesBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart

Ylang-YlangJasmineOrris RootRoseLily-of-the-ValleyViolet

Base

VetiverCivettaMuskSandalwoodAmberBenzoinTonka BeanVanille

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Amalfi Lemon. 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

Spring43

Summer46

Fall89

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Category winnerSasoMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex39

Women55

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

Men0

Unisex24

Women76

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,187

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews125

Overall rank#29,409

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

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 Saso opens with a sharp burst of soapy aldehydes and green notes that feels crisp like a cool spring morning. As it settles on skin, a dense bouquet of ylang-ylang and powdery hyacinth takes over, steering the scent away from simple freshness and into a rich, classic floral territory. The base slowly warms wi…

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 Saso?

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; Saso is rated 4.12/5 from 76 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 Saso for a powdery and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

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

They last about the same: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 73/100, Saso 72/100 for longevity in community votes.

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

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne projects furthest (Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 65/100, Saso 54/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Amalfi Lemon.

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

For summer, Saso 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; Saso suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

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

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. Saso has top notes of Aldehydes, Fruity Notes, Hyacinth and Green Notes, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Orris Root and Rose, a base of Vetiver, Civetta, Musk and Sandalwood.