Fragrance comparison

Creation N° 44 vs Drowning in Zest

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 8 ratings analysed

Creation N° 44

Ulric de Varens · 2009

3.205 votes

Rank #65,021 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Drowning in Zest

The Dua Brand

3.673 votes

Rank #61,146 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2.

Creation N° 44
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Drowning in Zest
Choose it for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Creation N° 442/5

Drowning in Zest2/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Creation N° 44
Value for money: Creation N° 44
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Drowning in Zest
Fragranxe ranking: Drowning in Zest

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Creation N° 44Ulric de Varens

Drowning in ZestThe Dua Brand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.20/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 24%Had 24%Want 53%

3.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 56%Had 13%Want 31%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

40%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

0%Love

67%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate55

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageCreation N° 44

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value63

Category winnerCreation N° 44Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

fruity84%

white floral77%

patchouli69%

warm spicy61%

warm spicy100%

citrus92%

woody84%

amber77%

green69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TangerineBlack CurrantBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

JasminePatchouliCardamom

Base6-8+ hrs

MuskSandalwoodVirginia Cedar

Notes

Black CurrantTurkish RoseBlood OrangeBlack PepperGreen NotesPink PepperSandalwoodTonka BeanPatchouliAmbergrisTangerineBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerDrowning in ZestLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 38%Work 34%Date 20%Party 9%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Casual 37%Work 26%Date 21%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#65,021

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2009

Reviews0

Overall rank#61,146

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDrowning in ZestHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Creation N° 44 by Ulric de Varens hits skin with a burst of bright tangerine, bitter bergamot, and tart black currant. It does not apologize for its opening sharpness. Within ten minutes, the citrus bite softens. Spicy cardamom and earthy patchouli emerge alongside clean jasmine petals, creating a sunbaked Mediterrane…

Reviews →

Drowning in Zest opens with a rush of sweet blood orange, tangy tangerine, and crisp bergamot that smells like a cold citrus soda on a sunny morning. As the bright fruit settles into your skin, smooth vanilla and warm tonka bean rise up, turning the sharp peel into a creamy orange ice pop. A dash of blue ginger, cinna…

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, Creation N° 44 or Drowning in Zest?

No clear winner: the 5 categories split 2–2. Creation N° 44 is rated 3.20/5 from 5 votes; Drowning in Zest is rated 3.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Creation N° 44 for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Drowning in Zest for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Creation N° 44 or Drowning in Zest?

They last about the same: Creation N° 44 67/100, Drowning in Zest 67/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Creation N° 44 or Drowning in Zest?

Creation N° 44 projects furthest (Creation N° 44 83/100, Drowning in Zest 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Creation N° 44 and Drowning in Zest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Tangerine, Black Currant, Bergamot and Patchouli.

Is Creation N° 44 or Drowning in Zest better for summer or winter?

Creation N° 44 suits daytime wear; Drowning in Zest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Creation N° 44 and Drowning in Zest?

Creation N° 44 has top notes of Tangerine, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Patchouli and Cardamom, a base of Musk, Sandalwood and Virginia Cedar. Drowning in Zest features Black Currant, Turkish Rose, Blood Orange, Black Pepper and Green Notes.