Fragrance comparison

Raffinee vs Norell

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 705 ratings analysed

Raffinee

Houbigant

4.04319 votes

Rank #23,427 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Norell

4.17386 votes

Rank #1,850 AromaticGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Norell takes 5 of 7 categories.

Raffinee
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Norell
Choose it for a aromatic and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Raffinee1/7

Norell5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RaffineeHoubigant

NorellNorell

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 319 votes

Have 59%Had 41%Want 0%

4.17/ 5 · 386 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerNorellRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

42%Like

2%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

319 votes

44%Love

41%Like

1%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

386 votes

Category winnerNorellMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityRaffinee

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value63

Category winnerNorellBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

aromatic100%

green92%

floral84%

warm spicy77%

yellow floral69%

woody61%

Scent match55%Closely related · both aromatic, warm spicy and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CarnationPlumClary SageOrange BlossomBergamotRoseJasmineLemon

Heart2-4 hrs

Orris RootTonka BeanMimosaTuberoseYlang-YlangHiacynthOrchidOsmanthus

Base8-12 hrs

SpicesCinnamonIncenseSandalwoodVanillaMuskCypressVetiver

Top

NarcissusGalbanumHiacynthLavenderBergamotLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

CarnationArum LilyCorianderRoseMimosaIrisGardeniaYlang-Ylang

Base

OakmossVetiverMyrrhMuskAmberCedarSandalwoodVanilla

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Bergamot, Rose and Lemon. Durations are only published for Raffinee, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer19

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring79

Summer55

Fall100

Winter72

Day100

Night77

Category winnerNorellMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex20

Women77

Date 38%Party 36%Casual 15%Work 11%

Men0

Unisex30

Women70

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,427

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,850

PerfumerJosephine Catapano

Launched—

Reviews89

Category winnerNorellHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Raffinee by Houbigant is an unapologetic powerhouse from 1982 that captures the bold theatrical spirit of early eighties perfumery. The spray opens with a punchy burst of dark stewed plum, sharp clary sage, and clove-like carnation. You get a brief alcoholic sting for two minutes before the dense oils grip the skin. O…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Raffinee or Norell?

Norell takes 5 of 7 categories. Raffinee is rated 4.04/5 from 319 votes; Norell is rated 4.17/5 from 386 votes. Choose Raffinee for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Norell for a aromatic and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Raffinee or Norell?

They last about the same: Raffinee 78/100, Norell 76/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Raffinee or Norell?

Projection is very close: Raffinee 68/100, Norell 68/100 for sillage.

Do Raffinee and Norell smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, warm spicy and floral accords. Common notes include Carnation, Bergamot, Rose and Lemon.

Is Raffinee or Norell better for summer or winter?

For summer, Norell is the stronger pick. For winter, Raffinee is the stronger pick. Raffinee suits evening wear; Norell suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Raffinee and Norell?

Raffinee has top notes of Carnation, Plum, Clary Sage and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Mimosa and Tuberose, a base of Spices, Cinnamon, Incense and Sandalwood. 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.