Fragrance comparison

L’Eau vs Esprit du Roi

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 2,126 ratings analysed

L’Eau

Serge Lutens · 2009

3.701,888 votes

Rank #2,954 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,824 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

L’Eau
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

L’Eau3/7

Esprit du Roi3/7

Ratings & consensus: Esprit du Roi
Community sentiment: Esprit du Roi
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Esprit du Roi
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

L’EauSerge Lutens

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.70/ 5 · 1,888 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerEsprit du RoiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

28%Love

42%Like

21%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

263 votes

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

Category winnerEsprit du RoiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageEsprit du Roi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value47

Category winnerL’EauBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

fresh84%

aldehydic77%

green69%

musky61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both aromatic, citrus and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AldehydesCitrusesMintMuskClary SageMagnolia

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Citruses, Mint 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

Spring90

Summer100

Fall38

Winter27

Day100

Night27

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerL’EauMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex64

Women21

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,954

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Launched2009

Reviews164

Overall rank#6,824

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerL’EauHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

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 or Esprit du Roi?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. L’Eau is rated 3.70/5 from 1,888 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose L’Eau for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, L’Eau or Esprit du Roi?

They last about the same: L’Eau 63/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, L’Eau or Esprit du Roi?

Esprit du Roi projects furthest (Esprit du Roi 57/100, L’Eau 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L’Eau and Esprit du Roi smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, citrus and green accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Citruses, Mint and Musk.

Is L’Eau or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?

For summer, L’Eau is the stronger pick. For winter, Esprit du Roi is the stronger pick. L’Eau suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L’Eau and Esprit du Roi?

L’Eau features Aldehydes, Citruses, Mint, Musk and Clary Sage. Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris.