Fragrance comparison

Black Pepper & Cedarwood vs Chinese Peony

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 91 ratings analysed

Black Pepper & Cedarwood

Zara

3.2284 votes

Rank #12,843 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Chinese Peony

Mith

3.297 votes

Rank #52,547 FloralWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Black Pepper & Cedarwood
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Chinese Peony
Choose it for a floral and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer.

Black Pepper & Cedarwood2/4

Chinese Peony2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Chinese Peony
Sillage & projection: Black Pepper & Cedarwood
Value for money: Chinese Peony
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Pepper & Cedarwood

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Pepper & CedarwoodZara

Chinese PeonyMith

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.22/ 5 · 84 votes

Have 47%Had 11%Want 42%

3.29/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 16%Had 8%Want 76%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

15%Dislike

1%Hate

72 votes

14%Love

14%Like

57%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

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate57

Category winners

LongevityChinese Peony

SillageBlack Pepper & Cedarwood

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value75

Category winnerChinese PeonyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy83%

warm spicy65%

powdery48%

aromatic30%

floral100%

woody92%

fresh84%

fruity77%

rose69%

white floral61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black Pepper

Heart

Rose

Base

Cedar

Top

BlackcurrantBlack PepperRaspberryLemon

Heart

Lily of the ValleyPeonyFreesiaRose

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliCedarAmberMuskMoss

InformationalShared notesBlack Pepper, Rose and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer52

Fall0

Winter85

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men72

Unisex28

Women0

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,843

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#52,547

PerfumerEmilie Coppermann

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerBlack Pepper & CedarwoodHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Pepper & Cedarwood by Zara is an austere, bone-dry woody fragrance that cuts out the typical designer sweetness in favor of a raw, lumberyard-style cedar wood and crackling black pepper. Designed for those who appreciate the dry, pencil-shaving feel of cedar wood, this minimalist release offers a clean, masculin…

Reviews →

Chinese Peony opens with a tart, slightly green cassis effect, sharpened by lemon and black pepper before the florals settle in. Peony, rose and freesia keep it airy rather than lush, while soft woods, musk and moss give it a clean, misty finish. It reads as a fresh floral fruity with a spa-like feel, more delicate an…

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, Black Pepper & Cedarwood or Chinese Peony?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Black Pepper & Cedarwood is rated 3.22/5 from 84 votes; Chinese Peony is rated 3.29/5 from 7 votes. Choose Black Pepper & Cedarwood for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Chinese Peony for a floral and woody character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer.

Which lasts longer, Black Pepper & Cedarwood or Chinese Peony?

Chinese Peony lasts longest (Chinese Peony 77/100, Black Pepper & Cedarwood 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Pepper & Cedarwood or Chinese Peony?

Black Pepper & Cedarwood projects furthest (Black Pepper & Cedarwood 56/100, Chinese Peony 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Pepper & Cedarwood and Chinese Peony smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Rose and Cedar.

What are the notes in Black Pepper & Cedarwood and Chinese Peony?

Black Pepper & Cedarwood has top notes of Black Pepper, heart notes of Rose, a base of Cedar. Chinese Peony has top notes of Blackcurrant, Black Pepper, Raspberry and Lemon, heart notes of Lily of the Valley, Peony, Freesia and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Cedar and Amber.