Fragrance comparison

Nu vs Oscar

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 2,070 ratings analysed

4 wins

Yves Saint Laurent

4.272,000 votes

Rank #633 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

Oscar

Zimaya

4.2970 votes

Rank #9,685 AromaticCaramel

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nu takes 4 of 7 categories.

Nu
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Oscar
Choose it for a aromatic and caramel character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.

Nu4/7

Oscar3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NuYves Saint Laurent

OscarZimaya

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.27/ 5 · 2,000 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 70 votes

Have 33%Had 4%Want 64%

Category winnerNuRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

36%Like

1%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

2,000 votes

53%Love

34%Like

6%Ok

3%Dislike

4%Hate

70 votes

Category winnerOscarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityNu

SillageNu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value87

Category winnerOscarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

amber69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

caramel92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match47%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

CardamomBergamot

Heart

Black PepperIncenseOrchidJasmine

Base

SandalwoodVetiverMuskFrankincense

Top

OrangeClary SageCardamom

Heart

CaramelBlack PepperTonkaIncense

Base

MuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Black Pepper, Incense and Vetiver. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring28

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring98

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOscarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex52

Women44

Men75

Unisex23

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#633

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews140

Overall rank#9,685

PerfumerImran Fazlani

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerNuHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yves Saint Laurent Nu is a spicy, smoky woody fragrance centered on fresh green cardamom, cool frankincense, and smooth sandalwood. Created in 2001 under Tom Ford's creative direction, it opens with a brisk punch of bergamot and crushed black pepper before mellowing into creamy orchid petals and resinous incense. The …

Reviews →

Oscar by Zimaya opens with a zesty burst of bright orange and crisp clary sage paired with warm cardamom. As the sharp citrus initial impression settles down after ten minutes, a rich heart of buttery caramel, black pepper, and dark incense takes center stage on skin. Tonka bean adds a smooth gourmand sweetness while …

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, Nu or Oscar?

Nu takes 4 of 7 categories. Nu is rated 4.27/5 from 2,000 votes; Oscar is rated 4.29/5 from 70 votes. Choose Nu for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Oscar for a aromatic and caramel character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Nu or Oscar?

Nu lasts longest (Nu 78/100, Oscar 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nu or Oscar?

Nu projects furthest (Nu 70/100, Oscar 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nu and Oscar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Black Pepper, Incense and Vetiver.

Is Nu or Oscar better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Nu and Oscar?

Nu has top notes of Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Black Pepper, Incense, Orchid and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Vetiver, Musk and Frankincense. Oscar has top notes of Orange, Clary Sage and Cardamom, heart notes of Caramel, Black Pepper, Tonka and Incense, a base of Musk and Vetiver.