Fragrance comparison

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition vs Bois des Iles

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 2,085 ratings analysed

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

Chanel

4.16178 votes

Rank #33,890 CitrusAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

7 wins

Bois des Iles

Chanel

4.341,907 votes

Rank #26,212 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bois des Iles takes 7 of 8 categories.

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Bois des Iles
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition1/8

Bois des Iles7/8

Ratings & consensus: Bois des Iles
Community sentiment: Bois des Iles
Longevity: Bois des Iles
Sillage & projection: Bois des Iles
Value for money: Bois des Iles
Versatility: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Note pyramid (duration): Bois des Iles
Fragranxe ranking: Bois des Iles

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

N°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionChanel

Bois des IlesChanel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 178 votes

Have 57%Had 6%Want 37%

4.34/ 5 · 1,907 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerBois des IlesRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

37%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

178 votes

53%Love

36%Like

2%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

1,907 votes

Category winnerBois des IlesMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityBois des Iles

SillageBois des Iles

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value32

Category winnerBois des IlesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aldehydic88%

fresh77%

woody65%

powdery53%

sweet42%

woody100%

powdery92%

amber84%

aldehydic77%

iris69%

fresh61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both aldehydic, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesLimeLemonOrangeBergamotMandarin OrangeNeroli

Heart2-3 hrs

Ylang-YlangMay RoseJasmine

Base4-6 hrs

White MuskOrris RootCedarVanila

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesCorianderNeroliPeachBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangIrisOrris RootJasmineRoseLilacLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmberBenzoinTonka BeanOpoponaxVanillaMuskVetiver

Category winnerBois des IlesLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall51

Winter35

Day100

Night26

Spring89

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex17

Women82

Casual 41%Work 37%Date 16%Party 7%

Men3

Unisex56

Women41

Date 34%Work 32%Casual 23%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,890

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,212

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBois des IlesHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel N°5 L'EAU Limited Edition strips away the heavy powder of the original 1921 formula in favor of sheer sunshine. A burst of sharp lemon, juicy mandarin orange, and bubbly aldehydes hits first with immediate sparkle. It smells like a chilled glass of citrus tonic water poured over fresh white flower petals. Withi…

Reviews →

Chanel Bois des Iles greets you with a sparkling fizz of aldehydes and sweet mandarin orange before settling into warm woods. The opening is bright and crisp like vintage bath soap. Give it twenty minutes on skin. Soon, buttery sandalwood and powdery iris take over, creating an intimate, cozy warmth reminiscent of gin…

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, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Bois des Iles?

Bois des Iles takes 7 of 8 categories. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is rated 4.16/5 from 178 votes; Bois des Iles is rated 4.34/5 from 1,907 votes. Choose N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Bois des Iles for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Bois des Iles?

Bois des Iles lasts longest (Bois des Iles 61/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Bois des Iles?

Bois des Iles projects furthest (Bois des Iles 56/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition and Bois des Iles smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aldehydic, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Neroli.

Is N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Bois des Iles better for summer or winter?

For summer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is the stronger pick. For winter, Bois des Iles is the stronger pick. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition suits daytime wear; Bois des Iles suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition and Bois des Iles?

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition has top notes of Aldehydes, Lime, Lemon and Orange, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, May Rose and Jasmine, a base of White Musk, Orris Root, Cedar and Vanila. Bois des Iles has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Neroli and Peach, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Orris Root and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Amber, Benzoin and Tonka Bean.