Fragrance comparison

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid vs Water Lilies

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 26 ratings analysed

3 wins

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid

mark.

4.1619 votes

Rank #22,813 ChocolateSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Water Lilies

The Gate Fragrances Paris

4.437 votes

Rank #44,767 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid takes 3 of 4 categories.

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid
Choose it for a chocolate and sweet character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Water Lilies
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid3/4

Water Lilies1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid
Sillage & projection: Water Lilies
Value for money: Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchidmark.

Water LiliesThe Gate Fragrances Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 30%Had 23%Want 47%

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

47%Love

37%Like

0%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevitySelf-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid

SillageWater Lilies

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value0

Category winnerSelf-Sanctuary Chocolate OrchidBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

chocolate100%

sweet83%

warm spicy65%

floral48%

cacao30%

white floral100%

floral92%

musky84%

sweet77%

powdery69%

woody61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both sweet and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Dark ChocolateOrchid

No top / heart / base split published

Top

GardeniaTuberosePink PepperPearFruity NotesBergamot

Heart

LotusJasmineYlang-YlangSpicesOrchid

Base

MuskAmberPatchouliSandalwoodVetiverDark ChocolateVanilla

InformationalShared notesDark Chocolate and Orchid. Durations are only published for Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer67

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night67

Spring75

Summer0

Fall100

Winter25

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,813

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#44,767

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSelf-Sanctuary Chocolate OrchidHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid by mark. delivers a direct, dessert-like profile centered on dark chocolate and sweet orchid. When sprayed, it presents a dry, bitter cocoa powder sensation rather than a sugary milk chocolate confection. As it settles, the floral element emerges, balancing the deep cacao aroma with a s…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid or Water Lilies?

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid takes 3 of 4 categories. Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid is rated 4.16/5 from 19 votes; Water Lilies is rated 4.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid for a chocolate and sweet character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Water Lilies for a white floral and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid or Water Lilies?

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid lasts longest (Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid 73/100, Water Lilies 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid or Water Lilies?

Water Lilies projects furthest (Water Lilies 64/100, Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid and Water Lilies smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and floral accords. Common notes include Dark Chocolate and Orchid.

Is Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid or Water Lilies better for summer or winter?

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid suits daytime wear; Water Lilies suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid and Water Lilies?

Self-Sanctuary Chocolate Orchid features Dark Chocolate and Orchid. 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.