Fragrance comparison

L’Eau vs Kobako Vintage Edition

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 2,114 ratings analysed

5 wins

L’Eau

Serge Lutens · 2009

3.701,888 votes

Rank #2,954 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Kobako Vintage Edition

Bourjois

3.58226 votes

Rank #10,760 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L’Eau takes 5 of 7 categories.

L’Eau
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Kobako Vintage Edition
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

L’Eau5/7

Kobako Vintage Edition2/7

Ratings & consensus: L’Eau
Community sentiment: L’Eau
Longevity: Kobako Vintage Edition
Sillage & projection: Kobako Vintage Edition
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

Kobako Vintage EditionBourjois

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.70/ 5 · 1,888 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.58/ 5 · 226 votes

Have 48%Had 52%Want 0%

Category winnerL’EauRating 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

20%Love

48%Like

0%Ok

31%Dislike

0%Hate

226 votes

Category winnerL’EauMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityKobako Vintage Edition

SillageKobako Vintage Edition

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value25

Category winnerL’EauBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic92%

fresh84%

aldehydic77%

green69%

musky61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

musky84%

animalic77%

powdery69%

white floral61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both 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

AldehydesCinnamonClovesCitruses

Heart

Orris RootRoseGardeniaGalbanumCarnationJasmineMagnoliaLily

Base

OakmossCivetLeatherMuskBenzoinOlibanumAmberTonka Bean

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

Spring32

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerL’EauMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men15

Unisex64

Women21

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

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#10,760

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews17

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 released Kobako Vintage Edition in 1936, crafted by perfumer Ernest Beaux as a dense floral chypre anchored by heavy spices and rich animalics. The scent opens with a sharp burst of aldehydes, bitter galbanum, and dark clove, immediately establishing a formal vintage feel. As the top notes settle, heavy carna…

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 Vintage Edition?

L’Eau takes 5 of 7 categories. L’Eau is rated 3.70/5 from 1,888 votes; Kobako Vintage Edition is rated 3.58/5 from 226 votes. Choose L’Eau for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Kobako Vintage Edition for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, L’Eau or Kobako Vintage Edition?

Kobako Vintage Edition lasts longest (Kobako Vintage Edition 83/100, L’Eau 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L’Eau or Kobako Vintage Edition?

Kobako Vintage Edition projects furthest (Kobako Vintage Edition 77/100, L’Eau 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L’Eau and Kobako Vintage Edition smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Citruses, Musk and Magnolia.

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

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

What are the notes in L’Eau and Kobako Vintage Edition?

L’Eau features Aldehydes, Citruses, Mint, Musk and Clary Sage. Kobako Vintage Edition has top notes of Aldehydes, Cinnamon, Cloves and Citruses, heart notes of Orris Root, Rose, Gardenia and Galbanum, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Musk.