Fragrance comparison

Kobako Vintage Edition vs L’Eau

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 2,114 ratings analysed

Kobako Vintage Edition

Bourjois

3.58226 votes

Rank #10,765 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

L’Eau

Serge Lutens · 2009

3.701,888 votes

Rank #2,953 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L’Eau takes 5 of 7 categories.

Kobako Vintage Edition
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
L’Eau
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Kobako Vintage Edition2/7

L’Eau5/7

Ratings & consensus: L’Eau
Community sentiment: L’Eau
Longevity: Kobako Vintage Edition
Sillage & projection: Kobako Vintage Edition
Value for money: L’Eau
Versatility: L’Eau
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L’Eau

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Kobako Vintage EditionBourjois

L’EauSerge Lutens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.58/ 5 · 226 votes

Have 48%Had 52%Want 0%

3.70/ 5 · 1,888 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerL’EauRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

20%Love

48%Like

0%Ok

31%Dislike

0%Hate

226 votes

28%Love

42%Like

21%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

263 votes

Category winnerL’EauMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityKobako Vintage Edition

SillageKobako Vintage Edition

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value51

Category winnerL’EauBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

musky84%

animalic77%

powdery69%

white floral61%

citrus100%

aromatic92%

fresh84%

aldehydic77%

green69%

musky61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesCinnamonClovesCitruses

Heart

Orris RootRoseGardeniaGalbanumCarnationJasmineMagnoliaLily

Base

OakmossCivetLeatherMuskBenzoinOlibanumAmberTonka Bean

Notes

AldehydesCitrusesMintMuskClary SageMagnolia

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Citruses, Magnolia and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring32

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring90

Summer100

Fall38

Winter27

Day100

Night27

Category winnerL’EauMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Men15

Unisex64

Women21

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,765

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#2,953

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Launched2009

Reviews164

Category winnerL’EauHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bourjois released Kobako Vintage Edition in 1936, crafted by perfumer Ernest Beaux as a dense floral chypre anchored by heavy spices and rich animalics. The scent opens with a sharp burst of aldehydes, bitter galbanum, and dark clove, immediately establishing a formal vintage feel. As the top notes settle, heavy carna…

Reviews →

L’Eau Serge Lutens is a masterpiece of minimalist perfumery. Designed as an anti-perfume, it leans into the sharp, cooling crispness of white mint, clean aldehydes, and citrus. It mimics the sensation of slipping into freshly laundered cotton sheets on a humid morning. This unisex fragrance provides a serene, unobtrus…

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, Kobako Vintage Edition or L’Eau?

L’Eau takes 5 of 7 categories. Kobako Vintage Edition is rated 3.58/5 from 226 votes; L’Eau is rated 3.70/5 from 1,888 votes. Choose Kobako Vintage Edition for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose L’Eau for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Kobako Vintage Edition or L’Eau?

Kobako Vintage Edition lasts longest (Kobako Vintage Edition 83/100, L’Eau 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Kobako Vintage Edition or L’Eau?

Kobako Vintage Edition projects furthest (Kobako Vintage Edition 77/100, L’Eau 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Kobako Vintage Edition and L’Eau smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Citruses, Magnolia and Musk.

Is Kobako Vintage Edition or L’Eau better for summer or winter?

For summer, L’Eau is the stronger pick. For winter, Kobako Vintage Edition is the stronger pick. L’Eau suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Kobako Vintage Edition and L’Eau?

Kobako Vintage Edition has top notes of Aldehydes, Cinnamon, Cloves and Citruses, heart notes of Orris Root, Rose, Gardenia and Galbanum, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Musk. L’Eau features Aldehydes, Citruses, Mint, Musk and Clary Sage.