Fragrance comparison

Opus 1870 vs Zelen

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,731 ratings analysed

Opus 1870

Penhaligon's

4.021,617 votes

Rank #1,355 WoodyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Zelen

Boka

4.42114 votes

Rank #2,859 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zelen takes 5 of 7 categories.

Opus 1870
Choose it for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Zelen
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Opus 18701/7

Zelen5/7

Ratings & consensus: Zelen
Community sentiment: Tie
Longevity: Zelen
Sillage & projection: Zelen
Value for money: Zelen
Versatility: Zelen
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Opus 1870

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Opus 1870Penhaligon's

ZelenBoka

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 1,617 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

4.42/ 5 · 114 votes

Have 87%Had 13%Want 0%

Category winnerZelenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

39%Like

6%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

1,382 votes

73%Love

14%Like

7%Ok

3%Dislike

3%Hate

88 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityZelen

SillageZelen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value54

Category winnerZelenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fresh spicy92%

warm spicy84%

citrus77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

citrus100%

woody91%

aromatic83%

earthy74%

green65%

fresh spicy56%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PepperYuzuCorianderJuniperCardamomBergamotPink Pepper

Heart

IncenseRoseCinnamonOrris Root

Base

Virginia CedarSandalwoodMuskLeatherAmberVanilla

Top

LimeYuzuBergamot

Heart

Pink PepperBeeswaxCardamom

Base

Haitian VetiverVirginia CedarMysore Sandalwood

InformationalShared notesYuzu, Cardamom, Bergamot and Pink Pepper. 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

Winter58

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer96

Fall73

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Category winnerZelenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men65

Unisex33

Women2

Men33

Unisex63

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,355

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews154

Overall rank#2,859

PerfumerBoris Zrnic

Launched—

Reviews51

Category winnerOpus 1870Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Opus 1870 opens with bright yuzu and cracked pepper, then settles into soft cedar, sandalwood, rose and a faint incense haze. It feels polished, quietly masculine and easy to wear. This suits someone who likes classic tailoring over loud statement scents. The trade-off is performance, which many wearers find moderate …

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, Opus 1870 or Zelen?

Zelen takes 5 of 7 categories. Opus 1870 is rated 4.02/5 from 1,617 votes; Zelen is rated 4.42/5 from 114 votes. Choose Opus 1870 for a woody and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Zelen for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Opus 1870 or Zelen?

Zelen lasts longest (Zelen 79/100, Opus 1870 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opus 1870 or Zelen?

Zelen projects furthest (Zelen 66/100, Opus 1870 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opus 1870 and Zelen smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Yuzu, Cardamom, Bergamot and Pink Pepper.

Is Opus 1870 or Zelen better for summer or winter?

For summer, Zelen is the stronger pick. For winter, Opus 1870 is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opus 1870 and Zelen?

Opus 1870 has top notes of Pepper, Yuzu, Coriander and Juniper, heart notes of Incense, Rose, Cinnamon and Orris Root, a base of Virginia Cedar, Sandalwood, Musk and Leather. 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.