Fragrance comparison

New York Muse vs Water Lilies

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 67 ratings analysed

New York Muse

Parfums Elite

3.7360 votes

Rank #17,693 FloralPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Water Lilies

The Gate Fragrances Paris

4.437 votes

Rank #43,393 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

New York Muse
Choose it for a floral and patchouli character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Water Lilies
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

New York Muse2/4

Water Lilies2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Water Lilies
Sillage & projection: Water Lilies
Value for money: New York Muse
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: New York Muse

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

New York MuseParfums Elite

Water LiliesThe Gate Fragrances Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 60 votes

Have 41%Had 32%Want 27%

4.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 8%Had 4%Want 88%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

62%Like

2%Ok

18%Dislike

2%Hate

60 votes

71%Love

14%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityWater Lilies

SillageWater Lilies

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value0

Category winnerNew York MuseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

patchouli92%

citrus84%

woody77%

powdery69%

warm spicy61%

white floral100%

floral92%

musky84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

woody61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both floral, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Blood OrangeGardeniaLotus

Heart2-3 hrs

OrchidPeonyViolet

Base4-6 hrs

PatchouliMusk

Top

GardeniaTuberosePink PepperPearFruity NotesBergamot

Heart

LotusJasmineYlang-YlangSpicesOrchid

Base

MuskAmberPatchouliSandalwoodVetiverDark ChocolateVanilla

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Lotus, Orchid and Patchouli. Durations are only published for New York Muse, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer48

Fall71

Winter52

Day100

Night44

Spring75

Summer0

Fall100

Winter25

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 41%Work 35%Date 15%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,693

PerfumerEmilie Coppermann

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#43,393

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNew York MuseHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

New York Muse by Parfums Elite delivers a vibrant, easygoing mix of juicy blood orange, watery lotus, and soft gardenia petals right from the first spray. Give it two minutes for the initial alcohol rush to burn off. Once the mist settles on skin, a creamy heart of powdery violet, sweet orchid, and lush peony takes ce…

Reviews →

Water Lilies by The Gate Fragrances Paris marries lush gardenia and creamy tuberose with a surprisingly rich gourmand foundation. The scent opens with bright bergamot, crisp pear, and a prickly kick of pink pepper before sinking into a dense floral core of aquatic lotus, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. As hours pass on skin…

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, New York Muse or Water Lilies?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. New York Muse is rated 3.73/5 from 60 votes; Water Lilies is rated 4.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose New York Muse for a floral and patchouli character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Water Lilies for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, New York Muse or Water Lilies?

Water Lilies lasts longest (Water Lilies 70/100, New York Muse 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, New York Muse or Water Lilies?

Water Lilies projects furthest (Water Lilies 64/100, New York Muse 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do New York Muse and Water Lilies smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Lotus, Orchid and Patchouli.

Is New York Muse or Water Lilies better for summer or winter?

New York Muse suits daytime wear; Water Lilies suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in New York Muse and Water Lilies?

New York Muse has top notes of Blood Orange, Gardenia and Lotus, heart notes of Orchid, Peony and Violet, a base of Patchouli and Musk. Water Lilies has top notes of Gardenia, Tuberose, Pink Pepper and Pear, heart notes of Lotus, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and Spices, a base of Musk, Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood.