Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne vs V'E

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 1,158 ratings analysed

5 wins

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Chanel

4.07952 votes

Rank #2,187 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

V'E

Versace

3.89206 votes

Rank #30,977 WoodyYellow Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne takes 5 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, daytime wear.
V'E
Choose it for a woody and yellow floral character. Wins on community sentiment, versatility and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne5/8

V'E3/8

Ratings & consensus: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: V'E
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: V'E
Note pyramid (duration): V'E
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

V'EVersace

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 952 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.89/ 5 · 206 votes

Have 44%Had 27%Want 29%

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

32%Love

44%Like

6%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

206 votes

Category winnerV'EMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage64

♥ 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 value45

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%

woody100%

yellow floral92%

powdery84%

white floral77%

green69%

floral61%

Scent match58%Closely related · both woody, 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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesGreen NotesAfrican Orange FlowerBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart2-4 hrs

NarcissusRoseYlang-YlangCyclamenJasmineOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossHeliotropeVirginia CedarSandalwoodAmberMusk

Category winnerV'ELongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring66

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night92

Spring100

Summer54

Fall88

Winter58

Day100

Night41

Category winnerV'EMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex39

Women55

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

Men5

Unisex32

Women63

Work 38%Casual 30%Date 22%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,187

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews125

Overall rank#30,977

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 →

Versace V'E is an expressive chypre floral built on crisp botanical contrasts. The first spray releases fizzy aldehydes, tart Amalfi lemon, and crushed green leaves. Give it five minutes. Once that initial sharp solvent lift evaporates, a rich heart of narcissus, dewy rose, and powdery orris root unfolds on warm 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 No 5 Eau de Cologne or V'E?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne takes 5 of 8 categories. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is rated 4.07/5 from 952 votes; V'E is rated 3.89/5 from 206 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 V'E for a woody and yellow floral character. Wins on community sentiment, versatility and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or V'E?

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

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or V'E?

Projection is very close: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 65/100, V'E 64/100 for sillage.

Do Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and V'E smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, African Orange Flower and Bergamot.

Is Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or V'E better for summer or winter?

For summer, V'E 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; V'E suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and V'E?

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. V'E has top notes of Aldehydes, Green Notes, African Orange Flower and Bergamot, heart notes of Narcissus, Rose, Ylang-Ylang and Cyclamen, a base of oak moss, Heliotrope, Virginia Cedar and Sandalwood.