Fragrance comparison

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition vs Eau Sans Pareil

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 520 ratings analysed

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

Chanel

4.16178 votes

Rank #33,890 CitrusAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Eau Sans Pareil

Penhaligon's

3.82342 votes

Rank #5,929 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Eau Sans Pareil takes 4 of 7 categories.

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Eau Sans Pareil
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition3/7

Eau Sans Pareil4/7

Ratings & consensus: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Community sentiment: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Longevity: Eau Sans Pareil
Sillage & projection: Eau Sans Pareil
Value for money: Eau Sans Pareil
Versatility: N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Eau Sans Pareil

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

N°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionChanel

Eau Sans PareilPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 178 votes

Have 57%Had 6%Want 37%

3.82/ 5 · 342 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionRating 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

35%Love

42%Like

7%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

293 votes

Category winnerN°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEau Sans Pareil

SillageEau Sans Pareil

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value46

Category winnerEau Sans PareilBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aldehydic88%

fresh77%

woody65%

powdery53%

sweet42%

woody100%

sweet92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

rose61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and sweet

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

Top

RaspberryCypressAldehydesPineappleKumquatBergamotMarigoldMandarin Orange

Heart

RoseCloveYlang-YlangJasmineOrris RootAfrican Orange FlowerLicoriceLily-of-the-Valley

Base

oak mossVetiverPatchouliVirginia CedarAmberMuskBenzoinVanille

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ylang-Ylang. Durations are only published for N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall51

Winter35

Day100

Night26

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter59

Day–

Night–

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%

Men14

Unisex51

Women36

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,890

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#5,929

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEau Sans PareilHigher 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 →

Eau Sans Pareil is a sparkling, green-fruity chypre with tart raspberry, citrus, cypress and aldehydes up front. On skin, reviewers often describe it as airy, sharp, woody and lightly powdery rather than simple sweetness. It suits people who enjoy vintage-leaning fruit, moss and clean woods. Sample first if jammy ras…

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 Eau Sans Pareil?

Eau Sans Pareil takes 4 of 7 categories. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is rated 4.16/5 from 178 votes; Eau Sans Pareil is rated 3.82/5 from 342 votes. Choose N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Eau Sans Pareil for a woody and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Eau Sans Pareil?

Eau Sans Pareil lasts longest (Eau Sans Pareil 69/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Eau Sans Pareil?

Eau Sans Pareil projects furthest (Eau Sans Pareil 63/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition and Eau Sans Pareil smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and sweet accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Ylang-Ylang.

Is N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Eau Sans Pareil better for summer or winter?

For summer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is the stronger pick. For winter, Eau Sans Pareil is the stronger pick. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition and Eau Sans Pareil?

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. Eau Sans Pareil has top notes of Raspberry, Cypress, Aldehydes and Pineapple, heart notes of Rose, Clove, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Patchouli and Virginia Cedar.