Fragrance comparison

Nostos vs No. 5 Midnight + Swim

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 31 ratings analysed

3 wins

Nostos

L'Erbolario

4.0728 votes

Rank #20,717 MarineSalty

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

No. 5 Midnight + Swim

Crow · 2011

4.673 votes

Rank #47,194 MarineFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nostos takes 3 of 4 categories.

Nostos
Choose it for a marine and salty character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
No. 5 Midnight + Swim
Choose it for a marine and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Nostos3/4

No. 5 Midnight + Swim1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Nostos
Sillage & projection: No. 5 Midnight + Swim
Value for money: Nostos
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nostos

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NostosL'Erbolario

No. 5 Midnight + SwimCrow

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 28 votes

Have 14%Had 18%Want 68%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 8%Had 3%Want 89%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

61%Like

0%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

28 votes

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityNostos

SillageNo. 5 Midnight + Swim

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value25

Category winnerNostosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

marine100%

salty77%

aromatic53%

aquatic30%

marine100%

floral90%

salty80%

fresh70%

woody60%

herbal50%

Scent match57%Closely related · both marine and salty

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Sea waterSalt

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

WildflowersSea waterSaltWoodsy Notes

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSea water and Salt. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer100

Fall17

Winter22

Day100

Night22

Spring83

Summer100

Fall33

Winter33

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,717

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#47,194

PerfumerEmily Lape

Launched2011

Reviews0

Category winnerNostosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Erbolario Nostos hits the nose with direct sea water and harsh salt crystals right from the initial spray. This Italian creation bypasses the synthetic melon notes common in mass market nineties aquatics. Instead, it relies on a raw aromatic structure that feels like walking along a storm-swept coastal bluff. Marine…

Reviews →

No. 5 Midnight + Swim by Crow captures the refreshing feel of a late-night dip in coastal waters surrounded by blooming shoreline vegetation. Built on an alcohol-free water base, this scent opens with an immediate splash of brisk sea water, mineral salt, and breezy ozone that avoids the sharp chemical sting common in …

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, Nostos or No. 5 Midnight + Swim?

Nostos takes 3 of 4 categories. Nostos is rated 4.07/5 from 28 votes; No. 5 Midnight + Swim is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Nostos for a marine and salty character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose No. 5 Midnight + Swim for a marine and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.