Fragrance comparison

Black Pepper & Cedarwood vs Paithani

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 289 ratings analysed

Black Pepper & Cedarwood

Zara

3.2284 votes

Rank #12,843 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Paithani

Penhaligon's

3.90205 votes

Rank #4,521 Warm SpicyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Paithani takes 5 of 7 categories.

Black Pepper & Cedarwood
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring.
Paithani
Choose it for a warm spicy and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Black Pepper & Cedarwood2/7

Paithani5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black Pepper & CedarwoodZara

PaithaniPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.22/ 5 · 84 votes

Have 47%Had 11%Want 42%

3.90/ 5 · 205 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerPaithaniRating 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

38%Love

41%Like

10%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

150 votes

Category winnerPaithaniMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityPaithani

SillagePaithani

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value47

Category winnerBlack Pepper & CedarwoodBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy83%

warm spicy65%

powdery48%

aromatic30%

warm spicy100%

leather92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match55%Closely related · both woody, fresh spicy and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black Pepper

Heart

Rose

Base

Cedar

Top

CardamomNutmegBlack Pepper

Heart

MilkRoseMate

Base

LeatherAmberwoodLabdanumCedar

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–

Spring46

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack Pepper & CedarwoodMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men72

Unisex28

Women0

Men24

Unisex57

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,843

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Overall rank#4,521

PerfumerAlex Lee

Launched—

Reviews45

Category winnerPaithaniHigher 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 →

Paithani is a warm spicy leather fragrance with a chai-like softness: cardamom, nutmeg and pepper over milky rose, cedar, labdanum and amberwood. On skin it often reads as warm suede, spiced tea and polished wood, with a dry, aromatic edge rather than heavy sweetness. It suits people who enjoy bold spice, soft leather…

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 Paithani?

Paithani takes 5 of 7 categories. Black Pepper & Cedarwood is rated 3.22/5 from 84 votes; Paithani is rated 3.90/5 from 205 votes. Choose Black Pepper & Cedarwood for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring. Choose Paithani for a warm spicy and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black Pepper & Cedarwood or Paithani?

Paithani lasts longest (Paithani 76/100, Black Pepper & Cedarwood 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Pepper & Cedarwood or Paithani?

Paithani projects furthest (Paithani 70/100, Black Pepper & Cedarwood 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Pepper & Cedarwood and Paithani smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Black Pepper, Rose and Cedar.

Is Black Pepper & Cedarwood or Paithani better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Pepper & Cedarwood is the stronger pick. For winter, Paithani is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Pepper & Cedarwood and Paithani?

Black Pepper & Cedarwood has top notes of Black Pepper, heart notes of Rose, a base of Cedar. Paithani has top notes of Cardamom, Nutmeg and Black Pepper, heart notes of Milk, Rose and Mate, a base of Leather, Amberwood, Labdanum and Cedar.