Fragrance comparison

New York vs Nocturnal Life

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

Updated 17 Oct 2026 957 ratings analysed

4 wins

New York

Nicolai Parfumeur Createur

4.19604 votes

Rank #2,087 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Nocturnal Life

Zara

4.16353 votes

Rank #2,527 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

New York takes 4 of 7 categories.

New York
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Nocturnal Life
Choose it for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

New York4/7

Nocturnal Life3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

New YorkNicolai Parfumeur Createur

Nocturnal LifeZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 604 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.16/ 5 · 353 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerNew YorkRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

37%Like

4%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

604 votes

53%Love

30%Like

11%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

321 votes

Category winnerNocturnal LifeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityNew York

SillageNew York

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value82

Category winnerNocturnal LifeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

warm spicy70%

lavender60%

herbal50%

warm spicy100%

cinnamon90%

amber80%

smoky70%

aromatic60%

fresh spicy50%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Amalfi LemonBergamotThymeArtemisia

Heart

LavenderCinnamonClovesChamomile

Base

VanillaIncenseStyraxCivetCastoreumMusk

Top

Bergamot

Heart

CinnamonJuniper Berries

Base

Incense

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cinnamon and Incense. 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

Winter76

Day–

Night–

Spring19

Summer9

Fall100

Winter95

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNocturnal LifeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men64

Unisex31

Women5

Men3

Unisex44

Women53

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,087

PerfumerPatricia de Nicolai

Launched—

Reviews65

Overall rank#2,527

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews75

Category winnerNew YorkHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

New York by Nicolai Parfumeur Createur is a refined woody spicy scent built on a classic foundation of citrus, herbs, and warm aromatics. Launched in 1989, it delivers a polished, gentlemanly profile that suits formal settings or office wear. It relies on a balanced heart of lavender and clove, settling into a sophist…

Reviews →

Nocturnal Life by Zara opens with a sharp bergamot before settling into a warm, spicy heart of cinnamon and juniper berries. The base provides a soft, lingering incense that anchors the composition. It is a cozy, gourmand-leaning scent that feels most at home during a chilly autumn evening or when you want to feel com…

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, New York or Nocturnal Life?

New York takes 4 of 7 categories. New York is rated 4.19/5 from 604 votes; Nocturnal Life is rated 4.16/5 from 353 votes. Choose New York for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Nocturnal Life for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, New York or Nocturnal Life?

New York lasts longest (New York 69/100, Nocturnal Life 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, New York or Nocturnal Life?

New York projects furthest (New York 61/100, Nocturnal Life 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do New York and Nocturnal Life smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cinnamon and Incense.

Is New York or Nocturnal Life better for summer or winter?

For summer, Nocturnal Life is the stronger pick. For winter, Nocturnal Life is the stronger pick. Nocturnal Life suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in New York and Nocturnal Life?

New York has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Bergamot, Thyme and Artemisia, heart notes of Lavender, Cinnamon, Cloves and Chamomile, a base of Vanilla, Incense, Styrax and Civet. Nocturnal Life has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Cinnamon and Juniper Berries, a base of Incense.