Fragrance comparison

Madame vs Zen Original

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 2,633 ratings analysed

5 wins

Madame

Rochas

4.162,195 votes

Rank #785 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Zen Original

Shiseido

4.19438 votes

Rank #27,593 FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Madame takes 5 of 7 categories.

Madame
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
Zen Original
Choose it for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.

Madame5/7

Zen Original2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MadameRochas

Zen OriginalShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 2,195 votes

Have 63%Had 38%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 hate

39%Love

44%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,186 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

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityMadame

SillageMadame

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value60

Category winnerMadameBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

white floral92%

green84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

aldehydic61%

floral100%

green92%

powdery84%

woody77%

earthy69%

mossy61%

Scent match60%Closely related · both woody, green and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesHiacynthGreen NotesNeroliHoneysuckleBergamotOrange BlossomLemon

Heart

IrisNarcissusOrris RootYlang-YlangBulgarian RoseVioletLily-of-the-ValleyJasmine

Base

OakmossSandalwoodVetiverMuskCedarAmberTonka Bean

Top

HiacynthGalbanumBergamotOrange Blossom

Heart

CarnationOrris RootNarcissusJasmineMimosaVioletRose

Base

OakmossMuskSandalwoodCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesHiacynth, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Narcissus. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter96

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter82

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMadameMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex12

Women86

Men3

Unisex25

Women72

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#785

PerfumerGuy Robert

Launched—

Reviews199

Overall rank#27,593

PerfumerJosephine Catapano

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMadameHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Madame Rochas is a classic floral aldehyde that centers on a bright, crisp bouquet of hyacinth, iris, and ylang-ylang. Created in 1960, it offers an airy, sophisticated profile that remains a staple for lovers of vintage perfumery. This scent performs beautifully in warmer weather, leaving a clean, powdery, and slight…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Madame or Zen Original?

Madame takes 5 of 7 categories. Madame is rated 4.16/5 from 2,195 votes; Zen Original is rated 4.19/5 from 438 votes. Choose Madame for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Zen Original for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Madame or Zen Original?

Madame lasts longest (Madame 71/100, Zen Original 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Madame or Zen Original?

Madame projects furthest (Madame 65/100, Zen Original 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Madame and Zen Original smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, green and powdery accords. Common notes include Hiacynth, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Narcissus.

Is Madame or Zen Original better for summer or winter?

For summer, Madame is the stronger pick. For winter, Madame is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Madame and Zen Original?

Madame has top notes of Aldehydes, Hiacynth, Green Notes and Neroli, heart notes of Iris, Narcissus, Orris Root and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Musk. 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.