Fragrance comparison

Byblos Woman vs Zen

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 5,697 ratings analysed

Byblos Woman

Byblos

3.6736 votes

Rank #20,638 FruityAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Zen

Shiseido

4.075,661 votes

Rank #26,931 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zen takes 4 of 7 categories.

Byblos Woman
Choose it for a fruity and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zen
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Byblos Woman3/7

Zen4/7

Ratings & consensus: Zen
Community sentiment: Zen
Longevity: Zen
Sillage & projection: Byblos Woman
Value for money: Zen
Versatility: Byblos Woman
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Byblos Woman

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Byblos WomanByblos

ZenShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.67/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 18%Had 35%Want 47%

4.07/ 5 · 5,661 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerZenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

22%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

28%Dislike

0%Hate

36 votes

38%Love

44%Like

6%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

5,661 votes

Category winnerZenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityZen

SillageByblos Woman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value55

Category winnerZenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

aromatic92%

citrus84%

floral77%

fresh spicy69%

powdery61%

citrus100%

woody92%

floral84%

patchouli77%

fruity69%

sweet61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both citrus, fruity and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GrapefruitPeachBlack CurrantRed AppleOrangePear

Heart

FreesiaJasmineVioletRose

Base

TeaLavenderelemiIncenseMuskSandalwoodVirginia CedarTonka Bean

Top

GrapefruitPineappleBergamotOrangeRose

Heart

FreesiaRed AppleLotusHyacinthGardeniaLily-of-the-ValleyVioletOrris

Base

PatchouliCedarMuskAmberIncensePine

InformationalShared notesGrapefruit, Red Apple, Orange and Freesia. 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

Summer53

Fall16

Winter16

Day100

Night17

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Category winnerByblos WomanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Men1

Unisex16

Women82

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,638

PerfumerViolaine David

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#26,931

PerfumerMichel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerByblos WomanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Byblos Woman is a bright floral fruity fragrance launched in 2005. It features a punchy opening of grapefruit, peach, and black currant. The heart settles into a bouquet of freesia, jasmine, and rose, while the base grounds the composition in tea, incense, and sandalwood. This scent works well for casual spring daytim…

Reviews →

Shiseido Zen opens with a sharp, fizzy splash of grapefruit and pineapple that feels bright and energetic. As it settles, the initial citrus bite softens into a clean floral heart dominated by freesia and red apple. It carries a breezy, watery texture rather than a heavy sweetness, making it particularly refreshing du…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Byblos Woman or Zen?

Zen takes 4 of 7 categories. Byblos Woman is rated 3.67/5 from 36 votes; Zen is rated 4.07/5 from 5,661 votes. Choose Byblos Woman for a fruity and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zen for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Byblos Woman or Zen?

They last about the same: Zen 65/100, Byblos Woman 63/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Byblos Woman or Zen?

Byblos Woman projects furthest (Byblos Woman 72/100, Zen 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Byblos Woman and Zen smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, fruity and floral accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Red Apple, Orange and Freesia.

Is Byblos Woman or Zen better for summer or winter?

For summer, Byblos Woman is the stronger pick. For winter, Zen is the stronger pick. Byblos Woman suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Byblos Woman and Zen?

Byblos Woman has top notes of Grapefruit, Peach, Black Currant and Red Apple, heart notes of Freesia, Jasmine, Violet and Rose, a base of Tea, Lavender, elemi and Incense. Zen has top notes of Grapefruit, Pineapple, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Freesia, Red Apple, Lotus and Hyacinth, a base of Patchouli, Cedar, Musk and Amber.