Fragrance comparison

Clean Simply Soap vs Zen

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 5,808 ratings analysed

Clean Simply Soap

Clean

2.67147 votes

Rank #55,428 FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Zen

Shiseido

4.075,661 votes

Rank #25,078 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zen takes 4 of 7 categories.

Clean Simply Soap
Choose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zen
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Clean Simply Soap3/7

Zen4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Clean Simply SoapClean

ZenShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.67/ 5 · 147 votes

Have 37%Had 22%Want 41%

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

12%Love

18%Like

2%Ok

61%Dislike

7%Hate

147 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

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate42

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityClean Simply Soap

SillageClean Simply Soap

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value55

Category winnerZenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

powdery91%

citrus83%

musky74%

violet65%

tropical56%

citrus100%

woody92%

floral84%

patchouli77%

fruity69%

sweet61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both floral and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

BergamotFrangipani

Heart2 to 3 hours

LotusVioletRose

Base4 to 8 hours

Musk

Top

GrapefruitPineappleBergamotOrangeRose

Heart

FreesiaRed AppleLotusHyacinthGardeniaLily-of-the-ValleyVioletOrris

Base

PatchouliCedarMuskAmberIncensePine

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lotus, Violet and Rose. Durations are only published for Clean Simply Soap, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall45

Winter45

Day100

Night23

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Category winnerClean Simply SoapMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex62

Women38

Men1

Unisex16

Women82

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,428

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,078

PerfumerMichel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerZenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Clean Simply Soap is an eau de parfum built around a crisp, sudsy floral profile. The fragrance starts with bright bergamot and sweet frangipani, giving the opening a sunny citrus lift with a hint of lush tropical petal. As it settles, watery lotus mixes with powdery violet and Damascus rose oil, producing an effect l…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Clean Simply Soap or Zen?

Zen takes 4 of 7 categories. Clean Simply Soap is rated 2.67/5 from 147 votes; Zen is rated 4.07/5 from 5,661 votes. Choose Clean Simply Soap for a floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zen for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Clean Simply Soap or Zen?

Clean Simply Soap lasts longest (Clean Simply Soap 72/100, Zen 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Clean Simply Soap or Zen?

Projection is very close: Clean Simply Soap 59/100, Zen 58/100 for sillage.

Do Clean Simply Soap and Zen smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lotus, Violet and Rose.

Is Clean Simply Soap or Zen better for summer or winter?

For summer, Clean Simply Soap is the stronger pick. For winter, Zen is the stronger pick. Clean Simply Soap suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Clean Simply Soap and Zen?

Clean Simply Soap has top notes of Bergamot and Frangipani, heart notes of Lotus, Violet and Rose, a base of Musk. 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.