Fragrance comparison

Chemistry vs Purple Orchid

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 145 ratings analysed

2 wins

Chemistry

Clinique

3.84139 votes

Rank #34,759 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Purple Orchid

Shirley May

4.176 votes

Rank #55,109 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Chemistry takes 2 of 3 categories.

Chemistry
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Purple Orchid
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Chemistry2/3

Purple Orchid1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ChemistryClinique

Purple OrchidShirley May

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 139 votes

Have 43%Had 31%Want 26%

4.17/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 23%Had 23%Want 54%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

17%Love

83%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityChemistry

SillagePurple Orchid

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

woody77%

green69%

musky61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

floral84%

citrus77%

fresh69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match60%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and citrus

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

RosemaryPineappleNeroliBergamotLemon

Heart

CyclamenCorianderJasmineOakmoss

Base

SandalwoodTonka BeanMuskCedarBrazilian RosewoodCardamon

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Lemon, Coriander and Cyclamen. 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

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men88

Unisex8

Women4

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,759

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#55,109

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerChemistryHigher 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 →

Purple Orchid by Shirley May hits the skin with a surprisingly bright citrus spark before shifting into its true floral identity. A quick splash of lemon and neroli keeps the opening crisp, but cyclamen and jasmine quickly take over the heart. The scent avoids smelling overly sweet by anchoring these petals to an eart…

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 Purple Orchid?

Chemistry takes 2 of 3 categories. Chemistry is rated 3.84/5 from 139 votes; Purple Orchid is rated 4.17/5 from 6 votes. Choose Chemistry for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Purple Orchid for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Chemistry or Purple Orchid?

Chemistry lasts longest (Chemistry 69/100, Purple Orchid 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chemistry or Purple Orchid?

Purple Orchid projects furthest (Purple Orchid 75/100, Chemistry 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chemistry and Purple Orchid smell similar?

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

Is Chemistry or Purple Orchid better for summer or winter?

Chemistry suits daytime wear; Purple Orchid suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chemistry and Purple Orchid?

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. Purple Orchid has top notes of Rosemary, Pineapple, Neroli and Bergamot, heart notes of Cyclamen, Coriander, Jasmine and Oakmoss, a base of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Musk and Cedar.