Fragrance comparison

N°18 Eau de Parfum vs A Dream of the Unknowing

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

Updated 2 Nov 2026 372 ratings analysed

N°18 Eau de Parfum

Chanel

3.93365 votes

Rank #33,241 FloralMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

A Dream of the Unknowing

Alkemia Perfumes

3.867 votes

Rank #42,462 GreenIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

N°18 Eau de Parfum
Choose it for a floral and musky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
A Dream of the Unknowing
Choose it for a green and iris character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

N°18 Eau de Parfum2/4

A Dream of the Unknowing2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: N°18 Eau de Parfum
Sillage & projection: A Dream of the Unknowing
Value for money: A Dream of the Unknowing
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: N°18 Eau de Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

N°18 Eau de ParfumChanel

A Dream of the UnknowingAlkemia Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 365 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.86/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 14%Had 7%Want 79%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

33%Like

11%Ok

14%Dislike

2%Hate

365 votes

14%Love

57%Like

29%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityN°18 Eau de Parfum

SillageA Dream of the Unknowing

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value75

Category winnerA Dream of the UnknowingBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

musky90%

woody80%

fruity70%

iris60%

sweet50%

green100%

iris92%

sweet84%

honey77%

floral69%

musky61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both floral, iris and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)Fruity NotesWoody NotesIrisFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

IrisHayHoneyAmbrette (Musk Mallow)TeaTobacco LeafCalamus

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAmbrette (Musk Mallow) and Iris. Durations are only published for N°18 Eau de Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer71

Fall81

Winter35

Day100

Night32

Spring75

Summer75

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night20

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex51

Women44

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,241

PerfumerJacques Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#42,462

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerN°18 Eau de ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel N°18 Eau de Parfum opens with a striking botanical curiosity. The first spray delivers an aromatic burst of ambrette seed that smells surprisingly like aged wine or sweet grappa. Soon, powdery iris petals and subtle fruity notes emerge to soften the vegetal bite. It is not your typical sugary department store f…

Reviews →

A Dream of the Unknowing by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. A Dream of the Unknowing was launched in 2019. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

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, N°18 Eau de Parfum or A Dream of the Unknowing?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. N°18 Eau de Parfum is rated 3.93/5 from 365 votes; A Dream of the Unknowing is rated 3.86/5 from 7 votes. Choose N°18 Eau de Parfum for a floral and musky character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose A Dream of the Unknowing for a green and iris character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, N°18 Eau de Parfum or A Dream of the Unknowing?

N°18 Eau de Parfum lasts longest (N°18 Eau de Parfum 60/100, A Dream of the Unknowing 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, N°18 Eau de Parfum or A Dream of the Unknowing?

A Dream of the Unknowing projects furthest (A Dream of the Unknowing 75/100, N°18 Eau de Parfum 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do N°18 Eau de Parfum and A Dream of the Unknowing smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, iris and musky accords. Common notes include Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Iris.

Is N°18 Eau de Parfum or A Dream of the Unknowing better for summer or winter?

N°18 Eau de Parfum suits daytime wear; A Dream of the Unknowing suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in N°18 Eau de Parfum and A Dream of the Unknowing?

N°18 Eau de Parfum features Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Fruity Notes, Woody Notes, Iris and Floral Notes. A Dream of the Unknowing features Iris, Hay, Honey, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Tea.