Fragrance comparison

A*Men Ultra Zest vs Secret Spice

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 2,022 ratings analysed

A*Men Ultra Zest

Mugler

4.282,017 votes

Rank #1,494 CitrusWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Secret Spice

Exceed

4.005 votes

Rank #56,377 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2.

A*Men Ultra Zest
Choose it for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Secret Spice
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

A*Men Ultra Zest2/5

Secret Spice2/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Secret Spice
Sillage & projection: A*Men Ultra Zest
Value for money: Secret Spice
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: A*Men Ultra Zest

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

A*Men Ultra ZestMugler

Secret SpiceExceed

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 2,017 votes

Have 73%Had 27%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 20%Had 5%Want 75%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

35%Like

2%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

2,017 votes

60%Love

20%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

20%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevitySecret Spice

SillageA*Men Ultra Zest

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value75

Category winnerSecret SpiceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

warm spicy92%

vanilla84%

fresh spicy77%

patchouli69%

sweet61%

warm spicy100%

amber88%

aromatic77%

sweet65%

balsamic53%

coffee42%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both warm spicy and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-45 mins

Blood OrangeTangerineGingerMint

Heart2-4 hrs

CoffeeCinnamonBlack Pepper

Base6-9+ hrs

PatchouliVanillaTonka Bean

Top20-30 mins

CardamomMandarin OrangeBlack PepperBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

MyrrhCoffeeGingerCinnamon

Base6-10 hrs

TobaccoPeru BalsamTonka BeanVanilla

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer84

Fall0

Winter27

Day100

Night41

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day39

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men65

Unisex32

Women3

Casual 38%Date 24%Work 21%Party 18%

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Date 36%Party 25%Casual 23%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,494

PerfumerJacques Huclier, Quentin Bisch

Launched—

Reviews204

Overall rank#56,377

PerfumerRosella Patrizia Cezza

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerA*Men Ultra ZestHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

A*Men Ultra Zest by Mugler hits the skin with a loud flash of juicy blood orange, tart tangerine, and brisk garden mint. It smells remarkably like an icy citrus popsicle melting over a dark espresso bar. Within twenty minutes, the initial citrus blast softens as warm cinnamon and roasted coffee beans push through the …

Reviews →

Secret Spice by Exceed is a cozy, rich winter fragrance that smells like a freshly brewed spiced mocha next to an unlit sweet cigar. It kicks off with a sharp burst of cracked black pepper, aromatic cardamom, and a splash of sweet mandarin orange before settling into a thick, comforting heart of roasted coffee and war…

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 Ultra Zest or Secret Spice?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2. A*Men Ultra Zest is rated 4.28/5 from 2,017 votes; Secret Spice is rated 4.00/5 from 5 votes. Choose A*Men Ultra Zest for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Secret Spice for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, A*Men Ultra Zest or Secret Spice?

Secret Spice lasts longest (Secret Spice 80/100, A*Men Ultra Zest 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, A*Men Ultra Zest or Secret Spice?

A*Men Ultra Zest projects furthest (A*Men Ultra Zest 59/100, Secret Spice 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do A*Men Ultra Zest and Secret Spice smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Ginger, Coffee, Cinnamon and Black Pepper.

Is A*Men Ultra Zest or Secret Spice better for summer or winter?

A*Men Ultra Zest suits daytime wear; Secret Spice suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in A*Men Ultra Zest and Secret Spice?

A*Men Ultra Zest has top notes of Blood Orange, Tangerine, Ginger and Mint, heart notes of Coffee, Cinnamon and Black Pepper, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Secret Spice has top notes of Cardamom, Mandarin Orange, Black Pepper and Bergamot, heart notes of Myrrh, Coffee, Ginger and Cinnamon, a base of Tobacco, Peru Balsam, Tonka Bean and Vanilla.