Fragrance comparison

CH Africa vs Zeno

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 249 ratings analysed

CH Africa

Carolina Herrera

3.99143 votes

Rank #15,495 SmokyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Zeno

Maison Alhambra

3.91106 votes

Rank #7,531 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zeno takes 4 of 7 categories.

CH Africa
Choose it for a smoky and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zeno
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

CH Africa2/7

Zeno4/7

Ratings & consensus: CH Africa
Community sentiment: Zeno
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: CH Africa
Value for money: Zeno
Versatility: Zeno
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Zeno

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CH AfricaCarolina Herrera

ZenoMaison Alhambra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.99/ 5 · 143 votes

Have 25%Had 15%Want 60%

3.91/ 5 · 106 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerCH AfricaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

48%Like

8%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

143 votes

48%Love

36%Like

12%Ok

3%Dislike

1%Hate

98 votes

Category winnerZenoMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageCH Africa

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value43

¤ Price value85

Category winnerZenoBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

warm spicy92%

citrus84%

powdery77%

cinnamon69%

violet61%

woody100%

citrus92%

floral84%

aromatic77%

green69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

OrangeViolet

Heart2-4 hrs

Rooibos TeaCinnamonIris

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseVanilla

Top

GrapefruitBergamotPineappleOrangeRose

Heart

HyacinthLotusLily of the ValleyAppleFreesiaIrisGardeniaViolet

Base

PinePatchouliWhite MuskCedarAmberIncense

InformationalShared notesOrange, Violet, Iris and Incense. Durations are only published for CH Africa, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter56

Day100

Night50

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter35

Day–

Night–

Category winnerZenoMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men7

Unisex11

Women82

Casual 37%Work 31%Date 21%Party 11%

Men0

Unisex21

Women79

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,495

PerfumerOlivier Cresp

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#7,531

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews20

Category winnerZenoHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carolina Herrera CH Africa brings an unusual, evocative spin to the spiced citrus family. The first spray delivers a flash of juicy African tiger orange backed by crisp violet petals, cutting cleanly through the air before settling into a warm, aromatic heart. Earthy rooibos tea and spicy cinnamon take center stage du…

Reviews →

Zeno by Maison Alhambra is a woody aromatic fragrance designed for women. This scent opens with a burst of grapefruit, pineapple, and bergamot, softening into a lush heart of iris, violet, and lily of the valley. It settles into an earthy, resinous base of pine, patchouli, and incense, making it a versatile choice for…

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, CH Africa or Zeno?

Zeno takes 4 of 7 categories. CH Africa is rated 3.99/5 from 143 votes; Zeno is rated 3.91/5 from 106 votes. Choose CH Africa for a smoky and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zeno for a woody and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, CH Africa or Zeno?

They last about the same: CH Africa 61/100, Zeno 61/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, CH Africa or Zeno?

CH Africa projects furthest (CH Africa 63/100, Zeno 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do CH Africa and Zeno smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Orange, Violet, Iris and Incense.

Is CH Africa or Zeno better for summer or winter?

For summer, Zeno is the stronger pick. For winter, CH Africa is the stronger pick. CH Africa suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in CH Africa and Zeno?

CH Africa has top notes of Orange and Violet, heart notes of Rooibos Tea, Cinnamon and Iris, a base of Incense and Vanilla. Zeno has top notes of Grapefruit, Bergamot, Pineapple and Orange, heart notes of Hyacinth, Lotus, Lily of the Valley and Apple, a base of Pine, Patchouli, White Musk and Cedar.