Fragrance comparison

L'Instant de Guerlain vs Renaissance

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

Updated 5 Nov 2026 8,165 ratings analysed

L'Instant de Guerlain

Guerlain

4.078,162 votes

Rank #1,647 FloralVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Renaissance

Signature Fragrances

4.673 votes

Rank #39,096 AmberCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Renaissance takes 2 of 3 categories.

L'Instant de Guerlain
Choose it for a floral and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Renaissance
Choose it for a amber and citrus character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

L'Instant de Guerlain1/3

Renaissance2/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Renaissance
Sillage & projection: Renaissance
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Instant de Guerlain

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

L'Instant de GuerlainGuerlain

RenaissanceSignature Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 8,162 votes

Have 43%Had 29%Want 29%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

42%Like

2%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

8,162 votes

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityRenaissance

SillageRenaissance

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

vanilla92%

sweet84%

amber77%

powdery69%

honey61%

amber100%

citrus92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both amber and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Mandarin OrangeRed AppleBergamot

Heart2 to 4 hours

MagnoliaIrisYlang-YlangJasmine

Base6 to 8 hours

White HoneyVanilleAmberBenzoinMusk

Top

LavenderBergamotOrangeMandarin OrangeLemon

Heart

IrisCarnationJasmineYlang-YlangLily-of-the-ValleyRose

Base

SandalwoodTonka BeanAmberMuskVetiverIncenseBenzoinOakmoss

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Bergamot, Iris and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for L'Instant de Guerlain, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring56

Summer27

Fall87

Winter100

Day100

Night83

Spring100

Summer67

Fall67

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex4

Women94

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,647

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews205

Overall rank#39,096

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerL'Instant de GuerlainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Instant de Guerlain by Guerlain is a radiant oriental floral perfume centered on bright citrus, creamy magnolia, and rich white honey. The fragrance opens with a refreshing burst of mandarin orange, red apple, and bergamot before moving into a lush heart of ylang-ylang, iris, and jasmine. As the crisp opening soften…

Reviews →

Renaissance opens bright and aromatic, with lemon, bergamot, orange and lavender giving it a clean citrus lift before the scent turns smoother and warmer. The heart brings powdery florals and iris, while the dry-down settles into amber, woods, musk and incense. It reads more dressed-up than sporty, with a fresh-meets-…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, L'Instant de Guerlain or Renaissance?

Renaissance takes 2 of 3 categories. L'Instant de Guerlain is rated 4.07/5 from 8,162 votes; Renaissance is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose L'Instant de Guerlain for a floral and vanilla character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Renaissance for a amber and citrus character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Instant de Guerlain or Renaissance?

Renaissance lasts longest (Renaissance 100/100, L'Instant de Guerlain 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Instant de Guerlain or Renaissance?

Renaissance projects furthest (Renaissance 100/100, L'Instant de Guerlain 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Instant de Guerlain and Renaissance smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and powdery accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Iris and Ylang-Ylang.

Is L'Instant de Guerlain or Renaissance better for summer or winter?

L'Instant de Guerlain suits daytime wear; Renaissance suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Instant de Guerlain and Renaissance?

L'Instant de Guerlain has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Red Apple and Bergamot, heart notes of Magnolia, Iris, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of White Honey, Vanille, Amber and Benzoin. Renaissance has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot, Orange and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Iris, Carnation, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Amber and Musk.