Delicate vs Zen Original
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
54%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Delicate takes 4 of 7 categories.
DelicateChoose it for a floral and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zen OriginalChoose it for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Delicate4/7
Zen Original3/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Zen Original
- Community sentiment
- Zen Original
- Longevity
- Delicate
- Sillage & projection
- Delicate
- Value for money
- Zen Original
- Versatility
- Delicate
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Delicate
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
DelicateBoadicea the VictoriousZen OriginalShiseidoWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.01/ 5 · 191 votes
Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%
4.19/ 5 · 438 votes
Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%
Category winnerZen OriginalRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate37%Love
44%Like
3%Ok
16%Dislike
1%Hate
191 votes
45%Love
41%Like
2%Ok
11%Dislike
1%Hate
438 votes
Category winnerZen OriginalMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityDelicate
SillageDelicate
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerZen OriginalBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothfloral100%
green90%
fresh80%
mossy70%
woody60%
yellow floral50%
floral100%
green92%
powdery84%
woody77%
earthy69%
mossy61%
Scent match54%Some overlap · both floral, green and woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
GrassWildflowersBellflowerCloverBergamot
Heart
NarcissusJasmineRose
Base
OakmossWoody NotesSandalwoodCinammon
Top
HiacynthGalbanumBergamotOrange Blossom
Heart
CarnationOrris RootNarcissusJasmineMimosaVioletRose
Base
OakmossMuskSandalwoodCedarAmber
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Narcissus, Jasmine and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer43
Fall85
Winter24
Day100
Night23
Spring100
Summer0
Fall0
Winter82
Day–
Night–
Category winnerDelicateMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#7,736
PerfumerJohn Stephen
Launched—
Reviews14
Overall rank#27,453
PerfumerJosephine Catapano
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerDelicateHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBoadicea the Victorious Delicate rejects its soft name right from the initial spray. It opens with an abrasive, crushed green accord of wild grass, bitter clover, and bergamot that feels raw and electric. Within twenty minutes, the sharp pasture notes yield to a rich floral heart led by indolic jasmine and narcotic na…
Reviews →Shiseido Zen Original opens with a bracing blast of green galbanum and sharp hyacinth, immediately establishing its cold, botanical character. Unlike modern syrupy scents, this dry chypre shifts into a dusty floral heart of narcissus and carnation before settling into a base of oakmoss and cedar. It is a quiet, medita…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Delicate or Zen Original?
Delicate takes 4 of 7 categories. Delicate is rated 4.01/5 from 191 votes; Zen Original is rated 4.19/5 from 438 votes. Choose Delicate for a floral and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zen Original for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Which lasts longer, Delicate or Zen Original?
Delicate lasts longest (Delicate 79/100, Zen Original 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Delicate or Zen Original?
Delicate projects furthest (Delicate 70/100, Zen Original 56/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Delicate and Zen Original smell similar?
Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, green and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Narcissus, Jasmine and Rose.
Is Delicate or Zen Original better for summer or winter?
For summer, Delicate is the stronger pick. For winter, Zen Original is the stronger pick. Delicate suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Delicate and Zen Original?
Delicate has top notes of Grass, Wildflowers, Bellflower and Clover, heart notes of Narcissus, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Oakmoss, Woody Notes, Sandalwood and Cinammon. Zen Original has top notes of Hiacynth, Galbanum, Bergamot and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Carnation, Orris Root, Narcissus and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Sandalwood and Cedar.
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