Fragrance comparison

Green Cactus vs Zelen

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 120 ratings analysed

Green Cactus

Phil Julian

4.336 votes

Rank #38,177 GreenCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Zelen

Boka

4.42114 votes

Rank #2,859 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zelen takes 4 of 4 categories.

Green Cactus
Choose it for a green and citrus character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zelen
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Green Cactus0/4

Zelen4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Green CactusPhil Julian

ZelenBoka

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 6%Had 8%Want 87%

4.42/ 5 · 114 votes

Have 87%Had 13%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

73%Love

14%Like

7%Ok

3%Dislike

3%Hate

88 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityZelen

SillageZelen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value54

Category winnerZelenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

citrus88%

fresh spicy77%

aromatic65%

fruity53%

sweet42%

citrus100%

woody91%

aromatic83%

earthy74%

green65%

fresh spicy56%

Scent match56%Closely related · both citrus, green and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

prickly pearBergamotLimeYuzu

Heart

Green TeaAloe VeraCactusMintFigCardamomPink Pepper

Base

—

Top

LimeYuzuBergamot

Heart

Pink PepperBeeswaxCardamom

Base

Haitian VetiverVirginia CedarMysore Sandalwood

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lime, Yuzu and Cardamom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer67

Fall33

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Spring100

Summer96

Fall73

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men60

Unisex20

Women20

Men33

Unisex63

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#38,177

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#2,859

PerfumerBoris Zrnic

Launched—

Reviews51

Category winnerZelenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Christian Carbonnel builds Green Cactus by Phil Julian around a sharp, juicy opening of prickly pear, tart lime, and bright yuzu. The top notes hit with an immediate splash of cooling citrus before settling into a crushed green tea leaf and aloe vera heart. As the scent warms on skin, fresh mint leaves and subtle pink…

Reviews →

Zelen is a bright green vetiver built around bitter citrus, cool spice, and a creamy beeswax twist. Lime, yuzu, and bergamot give it a sparkling start, then cardamom, pink pepper, and woods pull it into a smoother, more textured dry-down. It suits readers who like polished citrus woods with a natural feel rather than …

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Green Cactus or Zelen?

Zelen takes 4 of 4 categories. Green Cactus is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes; Zelen is rated 4.42/5 from 114 votes. Choose Green Cactus for a green and citrus character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zelen for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Green Cactus or Zelen?

Zelen lasts longest (Zelen 79/100, Green Cactus 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Green Cactus or Zelen?

Zelen projects furthest (Zelen 66/100, Green Cactus 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Green Cactus and Zelen smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, green and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lime, Yuzu and Cardamom.

Is Green Cactus or Zelen better for summer or winter?

Green Cactus suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Green Cactus and Zelen?

Green Cactus has top notes of prickly pear, Bergamot, Lime and Yuzu, heart notes of Green Tea, Aloe Vera, Cactus and Mint. Zelen has top notes of Lime, Yuzu and Bergamot, heart notes of Pink Pepper, Beeswax and Cardamom, a base of Haitian Vetiver, Virginia Cedar and Mysore Sandalwood.