Fragrance comparison

Pure Blue vs Norell

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 388 ratings analysed

Pure Blue

Chris Adams

2.002 votes

Rank #78,745 IrisWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Norell

4.17386 votes

Rank #1,968 AromaticGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Norell takes 3 of 4 categories.

Pure Blue
Choose it for a iris and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection.
Norell
Choose it for a aromatic and green character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Pure Blue1/4

Norell3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Norell
Sillage & projection: Pure Blue
Value for money: Norell
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Norell

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Pure BlueChris Adams

NorellNorell

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 17%Had 8%Want 75%

4.17/ 5 · 386 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

100%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

44%Love

41%Like

1%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

386 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate25

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityNorell

SillagePure Blue

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value63

Category winnerNorellBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

iris100%

woody92%

earthy84%

powdery77%

citrus69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

green92%

floral84%

warm spicy77%

yellow floral69%

woody61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both aromatic and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

BergamotCardamomMandarin Orange

Heart2-3 hrs

IrisGreen Tea

Base4-6 hrs

VetiverMossCedar

Top

NarcissusGalbanumHiacynthLavenderBergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

CarnationArum LilyCorianderRoseMimosaIrisGardeniaYlang-Ylang

Base

OakmossVetiverMyrrhMuskAmberCedarSandalwoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Mandarin Orange, Iris and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Pure Blue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day–

Night100

Spring79

Summer55

Fall100

Winter72

Day100

Night77

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men0

Unisex30

Women70

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#78,745

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,968

PerfumerJosephine Catapano

Launched—

Reviews89

Category winnerNorellHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chris Adams Pure Blue opens with a sharp splash of bitter bergamot and mandarin orange, quickly dried out by a dash of crushed cardamom. Rather than taking a salty aquatic direction, the scent heads straight into cool powdery iris and herbal green tea leaves. The heart feels neat and starchy, recalling crisp cotton sh…

Reviews →

Norell by Norell, composed by Josephine Catapano in 1968, opens with an unmistakable snap of bitter galbanum and hyacinth. Lemon and bergamot provide a bright citrus flash, but green resin dominates the immediate atmosphere. As the sharp top notes soften, a complex heart of clove-spiced carnation, narcissus, ylang-yla…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Pure Blue or Norell?

Norell takes 3 of 4 categories. Pure Blue is rated 2.00/5 from 2 votes; Norell is rated 4.17/5 from 386 votes. Choose Pure Blue for a iris and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection. Choose Norell for a aromatic and green character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Pure Blue or Norell?

Norell lasts longest (Norell 76/100, Pure Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Pure Blue or Norell?

Pure Blue projects furthest (Pure Blue 75/100, Norell 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pure Blue and Norell smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Iris and Vetiver.

Is Pure Blue or Norell better for summer or winter?

Pure Blue suits evening wear; Norell suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pure Blue and Norell?

Pure Blue has top notes of Bergamot, Cardamom and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Iris and Green Tea, a base of Vetiver, Moss and Cedar. Norell has top notes of Narcissus, Galbanum, Hiacynth and Lavender, heart notes of Carnation, Arum Lily, Coriander and Rose, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Myrrh and Musk.