Fragrance comparison

A*Men Stellar vs Drowning in Zest

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 318 ratings analysed

3 wins

A*Men Stellar

Mugler

3.99315 votes

Rank #6,150 AromaticAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Drowning in Zest

The Dua Brand

3.673 votes

Rank #62,132 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

A*Men Stellar takes 3 of 5 categories.

A*Men Stellar
Choose it for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Drowning in Zest
Choose it for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

A*Men Stellar3/5

Drowning in Zest2/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: A*Men Stellar
Sillage & projection: A*Men Stellar
Value for money: Drowning in Zest
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Drowning in Zest
Fragranxe ranking: A*Men Stellar

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

A*Men StellarMugler

Drowning in ZestThe Dua Brand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.99/ 5 · 315 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 56%Had 13%Want 31%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

26%Like

12%Ok

10%Dislike

5%Hate

315 votes

0%Love

67%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityA*Men Stellar

SillageA*Men Stellar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value63

Category winnerDrowning in ZestBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

amber92%

coffee84%

green77%

warm spicy69%

vanilla61%

warm spicy100%

citrus92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both amber, warm spicy and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-40 mins

PistachioBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderMint

Base6-8+ hrs

Tonka BeanCoffeeStyraxMusk

Notes

Black CurrantTurkish RoseBlood OrangeBlack PepperGreen NotesPink PepperSandalwoodTonka BeanPatchouliAmbergrisTangerineBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerDrowning in ZestLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring64

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex21

Women4

Date 35%Casual 26%Party 24%Work 15%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Casual 37%Work 26%Date 21%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,150

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews67

Overall rank#62,132

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerA*Men StellarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mugler A*Men Stellar delivers a bold twist on the iconic gourmand line by leading with roasted pistachio and bright Italian bergamot. The first spray reveals an immediate nutty sweetness that quickly meets crisp French lavender and cool garden mint. As the fragrance warms on your skin, rich roasted coffee and dark ton…

Reviews →

Drowning in Zest opens with a rush of sweet blood orange, tangy tangerine, and crisp bergamot that smells like a cold citrus soda on a sunny morning. As the bright fruit settles into your skin, smooth vanilla and warm tonka bean rise up, turning the sharp peel into a creamy orange ice pop. A dash of blue ginger, cinna…

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, A*Men Stellar or Drowning in Zest?

A*Men Stellar takes 3 of 5 categories. A*Men Stellar is rated 3.99/5 from 315 votes; Drowning in Zest is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose A*Men Stellar for a aromatic and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Drowning in Zest for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, A*Men Stellar or Drowning in Zest?

A*Men Stellar lasts longest (A*Men Stellar 71/100, Drowning in Zest 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, A*Men Stellar or Drowning in Zest?

Projection is very close: A*Men Stellar 59/100, Drowning in Zest 58/100 for sillage.

Do A*Men Stellar and Drowning in Zest smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and green accords. Common notes include Bergamot and Tonka Bean.

Is A*Men Stellar or Drowning in Zest better for summer or winter?

A*Men Stellar suits evening wear; Drowning in Zest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in A*Men Stellar and Drowning in Zest?

A*Men Stellar has top notes of Pistachio and Bergamot, heart notes of Lavender and Mint, a base of Tonka Bean, Coffee, Styrax and Musk. Drowning in Zest features Black Currant, Turkish Rose, Blood Orange, Black Pepper and Green Notes.