Fragrance comparison

L'Air du Temps by Starck vs Water Lilies

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 92 ratings analysed

3 wins

L'Air du Temps by Starck

Nina Ricci

3.7185 votes

Rank #16,528 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Water Lilies

The Gate Fragrances Paris

4.437 votes

Rank #42,965 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Air du Temps by Starck takes 3 of 4 categories.

L'Air du Temps by Starck
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Water Lilies
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

L'Air du Temps by Starck3/4

Water Lilies1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Water Lilies
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Value for money: L'Air du Temps by Starck
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Air du Temps by Starck

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

L'Air du Temps by StarckNina Ricci

Water LiliesThe Gate Fragrances Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.71/ 5 · 85 votes

Have 37%Had 20%Want 43%

4.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 8%Had 4%Want 88%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

46%Like

1%Ok

27%Dislike

0%Hate

85 votes

71%Love

14%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityWater Lilies

SillageL'Air du Temps by Starck

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value0

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

floral84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

white floral100%

floral92%

musky84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

woody61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both floral, white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationRoseBrazilian RosewoodNeroliPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesYlang-YlangOrris RootGardeniaJasmineVioletOrchidRosemary

Base

OakmossVetiverAmberMuskSpicesIrisSandalwoodBenzoin

Top

GardeniaTuberosePink PepperPearFruity NotesBergamot

Heart

LotusJasmineYlang-YlangSpicesOrchid

Base

MuskAmberPatchouliSandalwoodVetiverDark ChocolateVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Gardenia and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring92

Summer62

Fall100

Winter38

Day100

Night50

Spring75

Summer0

Fall100

Winter25

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,528

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#42,965

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerL'Air du Temps by StarckHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Air du Temps by Starck blends classic mid-century perfumery with a striking modern flacon redesign from 2010. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of spicy carnation, rose, and bright bergamot that immediately sets a vintage floral tone. As the opening settles, dry cloves and creamy ylang-ylang join rich jasmine t…

Reviews →

Water Lilies by The Gate Fragrances Paris marries lush gardenia and creamy tuberose with a surprisingly rich gourmand foundation. The scent opens with bright bergamot, crisp pear, and a prickly kick of pink pepper before sinking into a dense floral core of aquatic lotus, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. As hours pass on skin…

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, L'Air du Temps by Starck or Water Lilies?

L'Air du Temps by Starck takes 3 of 4 categories. L'Air du Temps by Starck is rated 3.71/5 from 85 votes; Water Lilies is rated 4.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose L'Air du Temps by Starck for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Water Lilies for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Air du Temps by Starck or Water Lilies?

They last about the same: Water Lilies 70/100, L'Air du Temps by Starck 69/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, L'Air du Temps by Starck or Water Lilies?

L'Air du Temps by Starck projects furthest (L'Air du Temps by Starck 71/100, Water Lilies 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Air du Temps by Starck and Water Lilies smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Gardenia and Jasmine.

Is L'Air du Temps by Starck or Water Lilies better for summer or winter?

L'Air du Temps by Starck suits daytime wear; Water Lilies suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Air du Temps by Starck and Water Lilies?

L'Air du Temps by Starck has top notes of Carnation, Rose, Brazilian Rosewood and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Ylang-Ylang, Orris Root and Gardenia, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber and Musk. Water Lilies has top notes of Gardenia, Tuberose, Pink Pepper and Pear, heart notes of Lotus, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Spices, a base of Musk, Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood.