Fragrance comparison

Byredo vs Zen Original

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,204 ratings analysed

Byredo

3.95766 votes

Rank #4,538 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Zen Original

Shiseido

4.19438 votes

Rank #27,593 FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zen Original takes 4 of 7 categories.

Byredo
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Zen Original
Choose it for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Byredo2/7

Zen Original4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ByredoByredo

Zen OriginalShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 766 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.19/ 5 · 438 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

Category winnerZen OriginalRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

37%Like

11%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

766 votes

45%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

438 votes

Category winnerZen OriginalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageByredo

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value60

Category winnerZen OriginalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

violet84%

aromatic77%

iris69%

earthy61%

floral100%

green92%

powdery84%

woody77%

earthy69%

mossy61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GinPink Pepper

Heart

VioletOrris Root

Base

Balsam FirOakmoss

Top

HiacynthGalbanumBergamotOrange Blossom

Heart

CarnationOrris RootNarcissusJasmineMimosaVioletRose

Base

OakmossMuskSandalwoodCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesViolet, Orris Root and Oakmoss. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter42

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter82

Day–

Night–

Category winnerZen OriginalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men6

Unisex66

Women29

Men3

Unisex25

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,538

PerfumerJérôme Epinette

Launched—

Reviews73

Overall rank#27,593

PerfumerJosephine Catapano

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerByredoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Byredo by Byredo acts as a minimalist, unisex scent built on a foundation of aromatic gin, violet, and balsam fir. Launched in 2016 by Jérôme Epinette, it emphasizes a crisp, clean aesthetic that feels deliberate and quiet. This fragrance works well in professional settings where you need a subtle, modern presence tha…

Reviews →

Shiseido Zen Original opens with a bracing blast of green galbanum and sharp hyacinth, immediately establishing its cold, botanical character. Unlike modern syrupy scents, this dry chypre shifts into a dusty floral heart of narcissus and carnation before settling into a base of oakmoss and cedar. It is a quiet, medita…

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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Head-to-head activity from live history

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Byredo or Zen Original?

Zen Original takes 4 of 7 categories. Byredo is rated 3.95/5 from 766 votes; Zen Original is rated 4.19/5 from 438 votes. Choose Byredo for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Zen Original for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Byredo or Zen Original?

They last about the same: Byredo 61/100, Zen Original 61/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Byredo or Zen Original?

Projection is very close: Byredo 58/100, Zen Original 56/100 for sillage.

Do Byredo and Zen Original smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and earthy accords. Common notes include Violet, Orris Root and Oakmoss.

Is Byredo or Zen Original better for summer or winter?

For summer, Byredo is the stronger pick. For winter, Zen Original is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Byredo and Zen Original?

Byredo has top notes of Gin and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Violet and Orris Root, a base of Balsam Fir and Oakmoss. Zen Original has top notes of Hiacynth, Galbanum, Bergamot and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Carnation, Orris Root, Narcissus and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Sandalwood and Cedar.