Fragrance comparison

Calm Lake vs Signature

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 478 ratings analysed

3 wins

Calm Lake

Zara

3.9010 votes

Rank #21,693 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Signature

Kenneth Cole

4.23468 votes

Rank #23,648 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Calm Lake takes 3 of 5 categories.

Calm Lake
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Signature
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in spring.

Calm Lake3/5

Signature2/5

Ratings & consensus: Signature
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Signature
Sillage & projection: Calm Lake
Value for money: Calm Lake
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Calm Lake

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Calm LakeZara

SignatureKenneth Cole

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 52%Had 0%Want 48%

4.23/ 5 · 468 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

Category winnerSignatureRating 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

42%Love

47%Like

4%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

468 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity37

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevitySignature

SillageCalm Lake

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value77

Category winnerCalm LakeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody83%

aromatic65%

fresh48%

powdery30%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

citrus84%

powdery77%

floral69%

violet61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pimento

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Cedar

Top

VioletGrapefruitOrangePimentoCardamom

Heart

Water LilyOrris Root

Base

PapyrusGuaiac WoodSpicesAmberPatchouli

InformationalShared notesPimento and Cardamom. 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter41

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men96

Unisex3

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,693

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#23,648

PerfumerFrank Voelkl

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCalm LakeHigher 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 →

Kenneth Cole Signature opens with a bright flash of grapefruit and violet leaf before settling into a dry, paper-like papyrus and guaiac wood core. Created by perfumer Frank Voelkl in 2005, it offers an approachable woody scent tailored for office wear and mild spring mornings.

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 Signature?

Calm Lake takes 3 of 5 categories. Calm Lake is rated 3.90/5 from 10 votes; Signature is rated 4.23/5 from 468 votes. Choose Calm Lake for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Signature for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Calm Lake or Signature?

Signature lasts longest (Signature 61/100, Calm Lake 37/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Calm Lake or Signature?

Calm Lake projects furthest (Calm Lake 69/100, Signature 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Calm Lake and Signature smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Pimento and Cardamom.

Is Calm Lake or Signature better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Calm Lake and Signature?

Calm Lake has top notes of Pimento, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Cedar. Signature has top notes of Violet, Grapefruit, Orange and Pimento, heart notes of Water Lily and Orris Root, a base of Papyrus, Guaiac Wood, Spices and Amber.