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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Shocking vs Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

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

Updated 1,300 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shocking takes 4 of 7 categories.

  • Shocking

    Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

  • Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

    Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Shocking4/7
Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne3/7
Ratings & consensus
Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment
Shocking
Longevity
Shocking
Sillage & projection
Shocking
Value for money
Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Versatility
Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Shocking

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
ShockingSchiaparelli
Chanel No 5 Eau de CologneChanel
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.40/ 5 · 348 votes
Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%
4.07/ 5 · 952 votes
Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%
Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
57%Love
29%Like
3%Ok
11%Dislike
1%Hate

343 votes

50%Love
28%Like
2%Ok
20%Dislike
1%Hate

952 votes

Category winnerShockingMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity77
〰 Sillage71
♥ Love / hate82
⏱ Longevity73
〰 Sillage65
♥ Love / hate77
Category winners

LongevityShocking

SillageShocking

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value45
¤ Price value60
Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
musky100%
powdery92%
animalic84%
honey77%
yellow floral69%
woody61%
powdery100%
woody92%
musky84%
white floral77%
earthy69%
iris61%
Scent match53%Some overlap · both powdery, musky and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
AldehydesTarragonBergamot
Heart
White HoneyNarcissusJasmineRoseYlang-Ylang
Base
CivettaMuskSandalwoodAmberClovePatchouli
Top15-30 mins
AldehydesYlang-YlangAfrican Orange FlowerBergamotAmalfi Lemon
Heart2-4 hrs
IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley
Base6-8+ hrs
CivettaMuskAmberSandalwoodoak mossVetiverPatchouliVanille
InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Jasmine and Rose. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring45
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring66
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day81
Night100
Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex34
Women66
Men5
Unisex39
Women55
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,281

PerfumerJean Carles

Launched—

Reviews105

Overall rank#1,867

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews125

Category winnerShockingHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shocking by Schiaparelli is a bold oriental floral from 1937 that defines vintage glamour. It features a sharp opening of aldehydes and tarragon that settles into a rich, honeyed floral heart. The base remains warm and deeply animalic, making it a daring choice for formal evening events or cold autumn nights where you…

Reviews →

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne presents an airy, earthy take on the legendary floral aldehyde formula. The opening bursts with bubbly aldehydes, tart bergamot, and sunny Amalfi lemon before settling into a powdery core of iris, jasmine, and earthy orris root. Unlike the plush modern Eau de Parfum, this vintage cologne ver…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Shocking or Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne?

Shocking takes 4 of 7 categories. Shocking is rated 3.40/5 from 348 votes; Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is rated 4.07/5 from 952 votes. Choose Shocking for a musky and powdery character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Shocking or Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne?

Shocking lasts longest (Shocking 77/100, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shocking or Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne?

Shocking projects furthest (Shocking 71/100, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shocking and Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, musky and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Jasmine and Rose.

Is Shocking or Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne better for summer or winter?

For summer, Shocking is the stronger pick. For winter, Shocking is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shocking and Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne?

Shocking has top notes of Aldehydes, Tarragon and Bergamot, heart notes of White Honey, Narcissus, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Civetta, Musk, Sandalwood and Amber. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, African Orange Flower and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civetta, Musk, Amber and Sandalwood.

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