Fragrance comparison

L'Eau Froide vs Royal Amber

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 1,428 ratings analysed

L'Eau Froide

Serge Lutens · 2011

3.731,424 votes

Rank #4,293 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Royal Amber

RoseMary

4.754 votes

Rank #31,731 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Royal Amber takes 3 of 4 categories.

L'Eau Froide
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Royal Amber
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

L'Eau Froide1/4

Royal Amber3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Royal Amber
Sillage & projection: Royal Amber
Value for money: Royal Amber
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Eau Froide

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

L'Eau FroideSerge Lutens

Royal AmberRoseMary

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 1,424 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 13%Had 13%Want 73%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

39%Like

17%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

168 votes

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate94

Category winners

LongevityRoyal Amber

SillageRoyal Amber

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value75

Category winnerRoyal AmberBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

green77%

marine69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

citrus61%

Scent match57%Closely related · both aromatic, amber and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Sea waterMintIncenseOlibanumGingerVetiverMuskPepper

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CitronMandarin OrangeCardamomGingerMint

Heart

Tonka BeanGeraniumPepperWhite WoodPatchouliVetiver

Base

AmberMusk

InformationalShared notesMint, Ginger, Vetiver 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter46

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men20

Unisex67

Women13

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,293

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake

Launched2011

Reviews96

Overall rank#31,731

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerL'Eau FroideHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Eau Froide by Serge Lutens is a bracing unisex scent that defies traditional aquatic conventions. It balances sharp, cooling mint with resinous olibanum and incense, creating a crisp, clean aesthetic. Perfect for intense summer heat or high-humidity days, it offers an invigorating experience that feels both glacial …

Reviews →

RoseMary Royal Amber opens with a sharp burst of citron, ginger, and cool mint before settling into a warm amber core. Cardamom and pepper bring a dry spice that prevents the resinous base from turning overly sweet. White woods and patchouli steady the dry-down. It suits crisp autumn evenings when you want a rich ambe…

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'Eau Froide or Royal Amber?

Royal Amber takes 3 of 4 categories. L'Eau Froide is rated 3.73/5 from 1,424 votes; Royal Amber is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose L'Eau Froide for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Royal Amber for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Eau Froide or Royal Amber?

Royal Amber lasts longest (Royal Amber 80/100, L'Eau Froide 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Eau Froide or Royal Amber?

Royal Amber projects furthest (Royal Amber 82/100, L'Eau Froide 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Eau Froide and Royal Amber smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, amber and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Mint, Ginger, Vetiver and Musk.

Is L'Eau Froide or Royal Amber better for summer or winter?

Royal Amber suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Eau Froide and Royal Amber?

L'Eau Froide features Sea water, Mint, Incense, Olibanum and Ginger. Royal Amber has top notes of Citron, Mandarin Orange, Cardamom and Ginger, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Geranium, Pepper and White Wood, a base of Amber and Musk.