Fragrance comparison

Calm Lake vs Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 157 ratings analysed

Calm Lake

Zara

3.9010 votes

Rank #21,693 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum

Molton Brown

3.75147 votes

Rank #10,817 Fresh SpicyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum takes 3 of 5 categories.

Calm Lake
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum
Choose it for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Calm Lake2/5

Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum3/5

Ratings & consensus: Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum
Sillage & projection: Calm Lake
Value for money: Calm Lake
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Calm LakeZara

Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de ParfumMolton Brown

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 52%Had 0%Want 48%

3.75/ 5 · 147 votes

Have 81%Had 19%Want 0%

Category winnerRe-charge Black Pepper Eau de ParfumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

10%Love

80%Like

0%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

29%Love

35%Like

18%Ok

15%Dislike

2%Hate

147 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity37

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityRe-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum

SillageCalm Lake

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value49

Category winnerCalm LakeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody83%

aromatic65%

fresh48%

powdery30%

fresh spicy100%

warm spicy92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

lavender69%

soft spicy61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pimento

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Cedar

Top

LavenderCorianderBergamotCardamom

Heart

Black PepperPimentoPink PepperAmber

Base

OakmossCedarLeatherVetiver

InformationalShared notesPimento, Cardamom 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

Summer50

Fall33

Winter17

Day100

Night40

Spring63

Summer30

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men78

Unisex20

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,693

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#10,817

PerfumerJacques Chabert

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerRe-charge Black Pepper Eau de ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Calm Lake by Zara is a straightforward woody spicy fragrance that leans into minimalism. Released in 2018, it combines sharp pimento notes with a cardamom center, resting on a clean cedar base. It acts as a polite, daily-wear scent for office settings or casual spring days when you want something fresh, simple, and un…

Reviews →

Molton Brown Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum opens with an energetic blast of cracked black pepper, bright bergamot, and sweet cardamom. As the sharp initial punch settles, aromatic coriander and green lavender blend into a smooth heart of pimento berry and golden amber. The drydown reveals a grounded base of dry…

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, Calm Lake or Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum?

Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum takes 3 of 5 categories. Calm Lake is rated 3.90/5 from 10 votes; Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum is rated 3.75/5 from 147 votes. Choose Calm Lake for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum for a fresh spicy and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Calm Lake or Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum?

Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum lasts longest (Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum 66/100, Calm Lake 37/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Calm Lake or Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum?

Calm Lake projects furthest (Calm Lake 69/100, Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Calm Lake and Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Pimento, Cardamom and Cedar.

Is Calm Lake or Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum better for summer or winter?

Calm Lake suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Calm Lake and Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum?

Calm Lake has top notes of Pimento, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Cedar. Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Parfum has top notes of Lavender, Coriander, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Black Pepper, Pimento, Pink Pepper and Amber, a base of Oakmoss, Cedar, Leather and Vetiver.