Fragrance comparison

L’Eau vs Kobako

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 2,564 ratings analysed

L’Eau

Serge Lutens · 2009

3.701,888 votes

Rank #2,953 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Kobako

Bourjois

3.71676 votes

Rank #5,001 White FloralAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kobako takes 4 of 7 categories.

L’Eau
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Kobako
Choose it for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

L’Eau3/7

Kobako4/7

Ratings & consensus: Kobako
Community sentiment: L’Eau
Longevity: Kobako
Sillage & projection: Kobako
Value for money: Kobako
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

KobakoBourjois

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.70/ 5 · 1,888 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.71/ 5 · 676 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerKobakoRating 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

26%Love

43%Like

8%Ok

18%Dislike

4%Hate

676 votes

Category winnerL’EauMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityKobako

SillageKobako

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value87

Category winnerKobakoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

fresh84%

aldehydic77%

green69%

musky61%

white floral100%

animalic92%

musky84%

aldehydic77%

powdery69%

fresh61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both aldehydic, fresh and musky

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

AldehydesCinnamonCitruses

Heart

LilyJasmineIrisMagnoliaRoseGardenia

Base

CivetAmbergrisMusk

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Citruses, Musk and Magnolia. 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

Spring42

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerL’EauMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex64

Women21

Men1

Unisex26

Women73

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,953

PerfumerChristopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Launched2009

Reviews164

Overall rank#5,001

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews38

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 →

Bourjois Kobako opens with a sharp burst of soapy aldehydes and warm cinnamon before settling into a dense floral heart of jasmine and iris. Created by Ernest Beaux in 1936, this vintage formula shifts into a heavy base dominated by dirty civet and ambergris. It suits cold winter evenings when you want a nostalgic, an…

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 Kobako?

Kobako takes 4 of 7 categories. L’Eau is rated 3.70/5 from 1,888 votes; Kobako is rated 3.71/5 from 676 votes. Choose L’Eau for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Kobako for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, L’Eau or Kobako?

Kobako lasts longest (Kobako 72/100, L’Eau 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L’Eau or Kobako?

Kobako projects furthest (Kobako 69/100, L’Eau 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L’Eau and Kobako smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aldehydic, fresh and musky accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Citruses, Musk and Magnolia.

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

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

What are the notes in L’Eau and Kobako?

L’Eau features Aldehydes, Citruses, Mint, Musk and Clary Sage. Kobako has top notes of Aldehydes, Cinnamon and Citruses, heart notes of Lily, Jasmine, Iris and Magnolia, a base of Civet, Ambergris and Musk.