Fragrance comparison

Golden Elixir vs Zaya

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 184 ratings analysed

Golden Elixir

Riiffs Perfumes

4.2471 votes

Rank #24,141 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

63%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Zaya

Parfums d'Elmar

4.36113 votes

Rank #9,975 SweetWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zaya takes 4 of 7 categories.

Golden Elixir
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.
Zaya
Choose it for a sweet and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Golden Elixir3/7

Zaya4/7

Ratings & consensus: Zaya
Community sentiment: Golden Elixir
Longevity: Zaya
Sillage & projection: Zaya
Value for money: Golden Elixir
Versatility: Golden Elixir
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Zaya

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Golden ElixirRiiffs Perfumes

ZayaParfums d'Elmar

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.24/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 29%Had 2%Want 68%

4.36/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 69%

Category winnerZayaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

73%Love

17%Like

4%Ok

0%Dislike

6%Hate

52 votes

69%Love

15%Like

6%Ok

3%Dislike

7%Hate

113 votes

Category winnerGolden ElixirMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityZaya

SillageZaya

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value27

Category winnerGolden ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

vanilla86%

fruity72%

warm spicy58%

woody44%

cinnamon30%

sweet100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fruity77%

cinnamon69%

honey61%

Scent match63%Closely related · both sweet, fruity and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CinnamonCognacNutmeg

Heart

PralinePlumDatesDry Wood

Base

VanillaTonka BeanMuskAgarwood

Top15-30 mins

CognacAppleHoneyNutmegBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonOakDatesTonka Bean

Base8-12 hrs

Siam BenzoinPralineVanillaSandalowood

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Cognac, Nutmeg and Praline. Durations are only published for Zaya, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer11

Fall77

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day64

Night100

Category winnerGolden ElixirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men36

Unisex51

Women13

Men37

Unisex49

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,141

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#9,975

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerZayaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Golden Elixir opens with a warm hit of cinnamon, cognac and nutmeg, then settles into a sweet plum-praline core with dates and dry woods underneath. The overall effect is rich, smooth and clearly gourmand. It wears best in cooler weather, especially evenings or dressier casual settings. If you enjoy deep vanilla-tonka…

Reviews →

Parfums d'Elmar Zaya smells like warm spiced apple compote drizzled with golden honey and aged cognac. The opening hits fast. A crisp blast of fresh orchard apple blends into boozy warmth and grated nutmeg before rich honey thickens the air. As the heart takes over, toasted oak wood, sticky dates, and ground cinnamon …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Champaca HeadspaceHeadspaceWINNER vs

Sweet Amoris Сладкий ФлиртOsmoGenes PerfumesRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Ho Hang ClubBalenciagaWINNER vs

Jil Sander Man IIIJil SanderRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Very ValentinoValentinoRUNNER-UP vs

Sonia RykielSonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Poseidon VictoriaInstituto EspañolRUNNER-UP vs

Guipure & SilkJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Golden Elixir or Zaya?

Zaya takes 4 of 7 categories. Golden Elixir is rated 4.24/5 from 71 votes; Zaya is rated 4.36/5 from 113 votes. Choose Golden Elixir for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Zaya for a sweet and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Golden Elixir or Zaya?

Zaya lasts longest (Zaya 81/100, Golden Elixir 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Golden Elixir or Zaya?

Zaya projects furthest (Zaya 72/100, Golden Elixir 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Golden Elixir and Zaya smell similar?

Closely related: a 63% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, fruity and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Cognac, Nutmeg and Praline.

Is Golden Elixir or Zaya better for summer or winter?

For summer, Golden Elixir is the stronger pick. For winter, Golden Elixir is the stronger pick. Zaya suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Golden Elixir and Zaya?

Golden Elixir has top notes of Cinnamon, Cognac and Nutmeg, heart notes of Praline, Plum, Dates and Dry Wood, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Musk and Agarwood. Zaya has top notes of Cognac, Apple, Honey and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cinnamon, Oak, Dates and Tonka Bean, a base of Siam Benzoin, Praline, Vanilla and Sandalowood.