Fragrance comparison

Pure Lemon vs Water Lily

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 12 ratings analysed

Pure Lemon

Hej:Pure

3.388 votes

Rank #53,782 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Water Lily

Ninel Perfume

3.004 votes

Rank #63,181 CitrusFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Water Lily takes 2 of 4 categories.

Pure Lemon
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Water Lily
Choose it for a citrus and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Pure Lemon1/4

Water Lily2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Water Lily
Value for money: Water Lily
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Pure Lemon

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Pure LemonHej:Pure

Water LilyNinel Perfume

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.38/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 29%Had 2%Want 69%

3.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 11%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

13%Love

63%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

25%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

0%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

50%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate59

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageWater Lily

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value75

Category winnerWater LilyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic83%

woody65%

fresh spicy48%

white floral30%

citrus100%

floral90%

white floral80%

aquatic70%

fresh60%

aromatic50%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

Orange Blossom

Base

Cedar

Top

BergamotGrapefruitLemonOrangeMandarin Orange

Heart

Water LilyJasmineOsmanthusOrange Blossom

Base

MuskTonka BeanCedarVetiverBenzoin

InformationalShared notesLemon, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Orange Blossom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer100

Fall33

Winter33

Day100

Night20

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night25

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex86

Women14

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,782

PerfumerAlexandra Monet

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#63,181

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPure LemonHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Pure Lemon by Hej:Pure opens with a mouthwatering burst of freshly sliced lemon, tart Italian bergamot, and sweet mandarin orange juice. As the initial splash settles, dewy orange blossom petals emerge to soften the zesty edges with a gentle floral breeze. The drydown rests on clean, pencil-shaving cedar wood that kee…

Reviews →

Ninel Perfume Water Lily hits the skin with a sharp spray of tart grapefruit, bitter bergamot, and sweet orange. That bright citrus splash lasts about fifteen minutes before revealing a clean floral heart dominated by aquatic water lily, white jasmine, and soft orange blossom. As the initial sharpness settles, a quiet…

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, Pure Lemon or Water Lily?

Water Lily takes 2 of 4 categories. Pure Lemon is rated 3.38/5 from 8 votes; Water Lily is rated 3.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Pure Lemon for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Water Lily for a citrus and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Pure Lemon or Water Lily?

They last about the same: Pure Lemon 60/100, Water Lily 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Pure Lemon or Water Lily?

Water Lily projects furthest (Water Lily 50/100, Pure Lemon 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pure Lemon and Water Lily smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and white floral accords. Common notes include Lemon, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Orange Blossom.

Is Pure Lemon or Water Lily better for summer or winter?

Pure Lemon suits daytime wear; Water Lily suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pure Lemon and Water Lily?

Pure Lemon has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Orange Blossom, a base of Cedar. Water Lily has top notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon and Orange, heart notes of Water Lily, Jasmine, Osmanthus and Orange Blossom, a base of Musk, Tonka Bean, Cedar and Vetiver.