Fragrance comparison

ELITE vs Luminous Waves

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 15 ratings analysed

ELITE

Athena Fragrances

3.001 votes

Rank #71,760 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Luminous Waves

Volaré

4.5714 votes

Rank #20,319 AmberMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Luminous Waves takes 3 of 4 categories.

ELITE
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Luminous Waves
Choose it for a amber and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

ELITE1/4

Luminous Waves3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ELITEAthena Fragrances

Luminous WavesVolaré

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 71%Had 0%Want 29%

4.57/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 68%Had 5%Want 28%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

0%Like

100%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

64%Love

29%Like

7%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity20

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate50

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityLuminous Waves

SillageLuminous Waves

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value81

Category winnerELITEBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

citrus80%

amber70%

musky60%

marine50%

amber100%

musky83%

fresh spicy65%

fresh48%

rose30%

Scent match62%Closely related · both amber, fresh spicy and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GrapefruitBergamotGinger

Heart

Aquatic notesRosemaryLabdanumSage

Base

Ambroxan

Top

GingerGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

GeraniumWater NotesRosemarySage

Base

LabdanumAmberAmbroxan

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Bergamot, Ginger and Rosemary. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night–

Spring83

Summer100

Fall50

Winter33

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men75

Unisex13

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#71,760

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,319

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerLuminous WavesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

ELITE by Athena Fragrances snaps open with a sour, bitter grapefruit burst backed by fizzy ginger and zesty bergamot. The immediate impression feels sharp, cold, and instantly cooling on skin. Within minutes, salty aquatic notes rise to soften the upfront citrus bite. As the sharp top quietens, piney rosemary and dry…

Reviews →

Luminous Waves is a bright aromatic freshie with a brisk grapefruit and ginger opening, watery herbs through the middle, and a smooth ambery Ambroxan base. It leans clean, modern, and easy to wear. It suits warm weather, daytime use, and anyone who likes fresh scents with a little spice. Performance looks mixed, so it…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, ELITE or Luminous Waves?

Luminous Waves takes 3 of 4 categories. ELITE is rated 3.00/5 from 1 votes; Luminous Waves is rated 4.57/5 from 14 votes. Choose ELITE for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Luminous Waves for a amber and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, ELITE or Luminous Waves?

Luminous Waves lasts longest (Luminous Waves 70/100, ELITE 20/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, ELITE or Luminous Waves?

Luminous Waves projects furthest (Luminous Waves 47/100, ELITE 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do ELITE and Luminous Waves smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, fresh spicy and musky accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Bergamot, Ginger and Rosemary.

Is ELITE or Luminous Waves better for summer or winter?

ELITE suits daytime wear; Luminous Waves suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in ELITE and Luminous Waves?

ELITE has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot and Ginger, heart notes of Aquatic notes, Rosemary, Labdanum and Sage, a base of Ambroxan. Luminous Waves has top notes of Ginger, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Geranium, Water Notes, Rosemary and Sage, a base of Labdanum, Amber and Ambroxan.