Fragrance comparison

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 1,285 ratings analysed

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition

Chanel

4.16178 votes

Rank #33,890 CitrusAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

14%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #24,766 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories.

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition
Choose it for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition1/7

Ivoire de Balmain5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

N°5 L’EAU – Limited EditionChanel

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 178 votes

Have 57%Had 6%Want 37%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainRating 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

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aldehydic88%

fresh77%

woody65%

powdery53%

sweet42%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match14%Clearly different · both woody

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

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Lemon, Bergamot 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

Winter68

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%

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,890

PerfumerOlivier Polge

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,766

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher 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 →

Ivoire de Balmain stands as a definitive green chypre. It opens with a sharp, herbal punch of galbanum and marigold before settling into a sophisticated, mossy floral core. This is a scent for those who appreciate traditional, crisp structure. It feels most at home during cool spring mornings, providing an immediate s…

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 Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 5 of 7 categories. N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is rated 4.16/5 from 178 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition for a citrus and aldehydic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Lemon, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang.

Is N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

For summer, N°5 L’EAU – Limited Edition is the stronger pick. For winter, Ivoire de Balmain 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 Ivoire de Balmain?

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. Ivoire de Balmain has top notes of Aldehydes, Chamomile, Galbanum and Marigold, heart notes of Orris Root, Narcissus, Carnation and Nutmeg, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Incense.