Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition vs Bel Air

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 516 ratings analysed

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition

Chanel

4.44331 votes

Rank #26,713 CitrusAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Bel Air

Molinard

3.73185 votes

Rank #17,370 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Bel Air
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition3/7

Bel Air3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red EditionChanel

Bel AirMolinard

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.44/ 5 · 331 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

3.73/ 5 · 185 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

Category winnerChanel No 5 L'Eau Red EditionRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

31%Like

6%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

331 votes

17%Love

54%Like

16%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

185 votes

Category winnerChanel No 5 L'Eau Red EditionMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate86

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityChanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value54

Category winnerBel AirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aldehydic92%

woody84%

powdery77%

fresh69%

white floral61%

floral100%

white floral92%

citrus84%

powdery77%

woody69%

yellow floral61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both citrus, powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesLemonNeroliOrangeBergamotLimeMandarin Orange

Heart2-3 hrs

Ylang-YlangJasmineMay Rose

Base4-6 hrs

OrrisVanillaCedarWhite Musk

Top

BergamotMandarin OrangeCassisPink PepperNutmeg

Heart

MimosaJasmineMagnoliaTuberoseNeroliMay RoseViolet LeavesOrris

Base

LotusAmberSandalwoodCedarVanillaMusk

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter63

Day100

Night39

Spring100

Summer70

Fall0

Winter38

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBel AirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex14

Women81

Work 38%Casual 33%Date 20%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex1

Women99

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,713

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,370

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerBel AirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition strips away the heavy velvet curtains of the vintage original. It is bright. Crisp lemon, juicy mandarin orange, and sharp lime explode across the opening with fizzy aldehydes. That initial burst feels like cracking open a chilled citrus tonic on a sunny patio. Within twenty minutes, the …

Reviews →

Molinard Bel Air is a bright, breezy floral Eau de Toilette that feels like walking through a sunny garden in southern France. It opens with juicy mandarin orange, sparkling bergamot, and a tart splash of cassis, giving you an immediate burst of fresh energy. As it settles, fluffy yellow mimosa, sweet jasmine, and aqu…

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 Red Edition or Bel Air?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition is rated 4.44/5 from 331 votes; Bel Air is rated 3.73/5 from 185 votes. Choose Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Bel Air for a floral and white floral character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition or Bel Air?

They last about the same: Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition 61/100, Bel Air 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition or Bel Air?

Projection is very close: Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition 60/100, Bel Air 60/100 for sillage.

Do Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition and Bel Air smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Neroli, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Jasmine.

Is Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition or Bel Air better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition and Bel Air?

Chanel No 5 L'Eau Red Edition has top notes of Aldehydes, Lemon, Neroli and Orange, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and May Rose, a base of Orris, Vanilla, Cedar and White Musk. Bel Air has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Cassis and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Mimosa, Jasmine, Magnolia and Tuberose, a base of Lotus, Amber, Sandalwood and Cedar.