Fragrance comparison

L'Eau Froide vs Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 2,574 ratings analysed

5 wins

L'Eau Froide

Serge Lutens · 2011

3.731,424 votes

Rank #4,293 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]

Clean

3.611,150 votes

Rank #36,581 FreshAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Eau Froide takes 5 of 7 categories.

L'Eau Froide
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]
Choose it for a fresh and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

L'Eau Froide5/7

Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]2/7

Ratings & consensus: L'Eau Froide
Community sentiment: L'Eau Froide
Longevity: L'Eau Froide
Sillage & projection: L'Eau Froide
Value for money: Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]
Versatility: Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]
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

Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]Clean

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 1,424 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.61/ 5 · 1,150 votes

Have 49%Had 12%Want 39%

Category winnerL'Eau FroideRating 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

29%Love

30%Like

19%Ok

18%Dislike

4%Hate

1,150 votes

Category winnerL'Eau FroideMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityL'Eau Froide

SillageL'Eau Froide

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value52

Category winnerWarm Cotton [Reserve Blend]Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

amber84%

green77%

marine69%

warm spicy61%

fresh100%

aldehydic92%

ozonic84%

green77%

aquatic69%

musky61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both green

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

AldehydesOzonic notesWatery NotesGinger

Heart2 to 3 hours

Green NotesFloral NotesMintPepper

Base3 to 5 hours

MuskVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesMint, Incense, Ginger and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend], so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter46

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer96

Fall49

Winter42

Day100

Night21

Category winnerWarm Cotton [Reserve Blend]Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men20

Unisex67

Women13

Men1

Unisex78

Women21

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,293

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake

Launched2011

Reviews96

Overall rank#36,581

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

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 →

Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] by Clean smells like a steaming stack of freshly washed white towels pulled straight from the dryer. Launched in 2016, this floral aldehyde fragrance opens with sharp aldehydes, ozonic notes, watery notes, and a zesty prickle of ginger. As the initial burst of steam settles, middle notes of…

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 Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]?

L'Eau Froide takes 5 of 7 categories. L'Eau Froide is rated 3.73/5 from 1,424 votes; Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] is rated 3.61/5 from 1,150 votes. Choose L'Eau Froide for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] for a fresh and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Eau Froide or Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]?

L'Eau Froide lasts longest (L'Eau Froide 64/100, Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Eau Froide or Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]?

L'Eau Froide projects furthest (L'Eau Froide 55/100, Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Eau Froide and Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share green accords. Common notes include Mint, Incense, Ginger and Vetiver.

Is L'Eau Froide or Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] better for summer or winter?

For summer, Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] is the stronger pick. For winter, L'Eau Froide is the stronger pick. Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Eau Froide and Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend]?

L'Eau Froide features Sea water, Mint, Incense, Olibanum and Ginger. Warm Cotton [Reserve Blend] has top notes of Aldehydes, Ozonic notes, Watery Notes and Ginger, heart notes of Green Notes, Floral Notes, Mint and Pepper, a base of Musk, Vetiver and Incense.