Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 L'Eau vs Madame

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 8,890 ratings analysed

Chanel No 5 L'Eau

Chanel

4.136,695 votes

Rank #29,439 CitrusAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Madame

Rochas

4.162,195 votes

Rank #766 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Madame takes 6 of 7 categories.

Chanel No 5 L'Eau
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Madame
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Chanel No 5 L'Eau1/7

Madame6/7

Ratings & consensus: Madame
Community sentiment: Chanel No 5 L'Eau
Longevity: Madame
Sillage & projection: Madame
Value for money: Madame
Versatility: Madame
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Madame

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel No 5 L'EauChanel

MadameRochas

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 6,695 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.16/ 5 · 2,195 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerMadameRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

40%Like

6%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

6,695 votes

39%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,186 votes

Category winnerChanel No 5 L'EauMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityMadame

SillageMadame

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value67

Category winnerMadameBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aldehydic91%

fresh83%

woody74%

powdery65%

yellow floral56%

woody100%

white floral92%

green84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

aldehydic61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, aldehydic and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesLemonNeroliBergamotMandarin OrangeLimeOrange

Heart2-3 hrs

Ylang-YlangJasmineMay Rose

Base4-6 hrs

White MuskOrris RootCedarVanila

Top

AldehydesHiacynthGreen NotesNeroliHoneysuckleBergamotOrange BlossomLemon

Heart

IrisNarcissusOrris RootYlang-YlangBulgarian RoseVioletLily-of-the-ValleyJasmine

Base

OakmossSandalwoodVetiverMuskCedarAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Lemon, Neroli and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 L'Eau, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter40

Day100

Night26

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter96

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMadameMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex15

Women84

Work 40%Casual 37%Date 16%Party 7%

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,439

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#766

PerfumerGuy Robert

Launched—

Reviews199

Category winnerMadameHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel No 5 L'Eau strips away the heavy antique powder of the original 1921 icon to reveal a crystal clear, sunlight-drenched citrus floral. The opening bursts with crisp lemon, zesty mandarin, and sparkling aldehydes that fizz like chilled club soda on warm skin. Within thirty minutes, dewy May rose and clean jasmine…

Reviews →

Madame Rochas is a classic floral aldehyde that centers on a bright, crisp bouquet of hyacinth, iris, and ylang-ylang. Created in 1960, it offers an airy, sophisticated profile that remains a staple for lovers of vintage perfumery. This scent performs beautifully in warmer weather, leaving a clean, powdery, and slight…

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 L'Eau or Madame?

Madame takes 6 of 7 categories. Chanel No 5 L'Eau is rated 4.13/5 from 6,695 votes; Madame is rated 4.16/5 from 2,195 votes. Choose Chanel No 5 L'Eau for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Madame for a woody and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chanel No 5 L'Eau or Madame?

Madame lasts longest (Madame 71/100, Chanel No 5 L'Eau 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 L'Eau or Madame?

Madame projects furthest (Madame 65/100, Chanel No 5 L'Eau 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel No 5 L'Eau and Madame smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aldehydic and powdery accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Lemon, Neroli and Bergamot.

Is Chanel No 5 L'Eau or Madame better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chanel No 5 L'Eau is the stronger pick. For winter, Madame is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 L'Eau suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 L'Eau and Madame?

Chanel No 5 L'Eau has top notes of Aldehydes, Lemon, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and May Rose, a base of White Musk, Orris Root, Cedar and Vanila. Madame has top notes of Aldehydes, Hiacynth, Green Notes and Neroli, heart notes of Iris, Narcissus, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Musk.