Fragrance comparison

Chemistry vs Nautica

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,085 ratings analysed

5 wins

Chemistry

Clinique

3.84139 votes

Rank #34,759 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Nautica

3.43946 votes

Rank #6,761 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chemistry takes 5 of 7 categories.

Chemistry
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Nautica
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Chemistry5/7

Nautica2/7

Ratings & consensus: Chemistry
Community sentiment: Chemistry
Longevity: Chemistry
Sillage & projection: Chemistry
Value for money: Nautica
Versatility: Chemistry
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nautica

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ChemistryClinique

NauticaNautica

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 139 votes

Have 43%Had 31%Want 26%

3.43/ 5 · 946 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

Category winnerChemistryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

40%Like

4%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

139 votes

13%Love

55%Like

12%Ok

17%Dislike

2%Hate

908 votes

Category winnerChemistryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityChemistry

SillageChemistry

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value84

Category winnerNauticaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

woody77%

green69%

musky61%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

fresh spicy77%

fresh69%

aldehydic61%

Scent match60%Closely related · both aromatic, citrus and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

MintNeroliLavenderLemon

Heart2 to 3 hours

GingerCorianderPepperCyclamen

Base3 to 5 hours

MuskOakmossSandalwoodCedarAmber

Top

AldehydesLimeLemonBergamotNeroliCypressTarragonClary Sage

Heart

JasmineCyclamenGeraniumRoseCaraway

Base

SandalwoodMuskCedarOakmossPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Lemon, Cyclamen and Musk. Durations are only published for Chemistry, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring98

Summer100

Fall59

Winter28

Day100

Night22

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter10

Day–

Night–

Category winnerChemistryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,759

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#6,761

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews124

Category winnerNauticaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chemistry by Clinique opens with a bright burst of sharp lemon, crisp mint, and clean lavender, quickly rounded out by sweet neroli. As the citrus sparkle settles, a fresh spicy heart emerges with prickly ginger, coriander, black pepper, and light floral cyclamen. The base dries down into traditional woody and mossy t…

Reviews →

Nautica by Nautica is a crisp, aromatic woody chypre launched in 1992. It opens with a bright blast of lemon and lime, balanced by herbaceous clary sage and a backbone of cedar and oakmoss. This is a clean, soapy, and unpretentious scent that feels like a crisp white shirt on a hot spring or summer day.

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, Chemistry or Nautica?

Chemistry takes 5 of 7 categories. Chemistry is rated 3.84/5 from 139 votes; Nautica is rated 3.43/5 from 946 votes. Choose Chemistry for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Nautica for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Chemistry or Nautica?

Chemistry lasts longest (Chemistry 69/100, Nautica 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chemistry or Nautica?

Chemistry projects furthest (Chemistry 57/100, Nautica 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chemistry and Nautica smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Neroli, Lemon, Cyclamen and Musk.

Is Chemistry or Nautica better for summer or winter?

For summer, Chemistry is the stronger pick. For winter, Chemistry is the stronger pick. Chemistry suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chemistry and Nautica?

Chemistry has top notes of Mint, Neroli, Lavender and Lemon, heart notes of Ginger, Coriander, Pepper and Cyclamen, a base of Musk, Oakmoss, Sandalwood and Cedar. Nautica has top notes of Aldehydes, Lime, Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Cyclamen, Geranium and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar and Oakmoss.