Fragrance comparison

Oriental Saffron vs Zanzibar

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 94 ratings analysed

3 wins

Oriental Saffron

Bohoboco

4.1889 votes

Rank #28,880 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

Zanzibar

Olfactum

4.405 votes

Rank #40,302 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oriental Saffron takes 3 of 4 categories.

Oriental Saffron
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Zanzibar
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Oriental Saffron3/4

Zanzibar1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Oriental SaffronBohoboco

ZanzibarOlfactum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 30%Had 6%Want 64%

4.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 17%Had 7%Want 76%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

33%Like

12%Ok

7%Dislike

1%Hate

89 votes

40%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityOriental Saffron

SillageOriental Saffron

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value70

Category winnerZanzibarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy91%

woody83%

soft spicy74%

anis65%

metallic56%

amber100%

warm spicy90%

vanilla80%

balsamic70%

cinnamon60%

woody50%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronCuminAniseGingerTurmericCorianderCardamomClove

Heart

Tamboti WoodLabdanumYlang YlangOud

Base

HoneyVanillaMuskPatchouli

Notes

LabdanumCinnamonBenzoinHoneyIncenseTonka BeanVanillaBlack PepperBushman CandleCardamomCuminGinger

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCumin, Ginger, Cardamom and Labdanum. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring29

Summer3

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men35

Unisex60

Women6

Men40

Unisex60

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,880

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#40,302

PerfumerBarry Southers

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerOriental SaffronHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Oriental Saffron opens as a dense swirl of saffron, cumin, anise and cardamom, with a spicy, slightly aromatic edge that quickly turns warmer and darker. The oud, labdanum and woods give it a resinous core, while honey, vanilla and musk soften the dry-down without making it feel fully gourmand. This reads like a bold …

Reviews →

Zanzibar opens with a sudden splash of warm orange blossom before settling into a thick, dry heat. Ginger and cumin cut through the initial sweetness, giving it a rough, sun-baked quality that keeps it from smelling like a standard designer sweet scent. As it hugs the skin, the fragrance turns dusty and resinous, driv…

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, Oriental Saffron or Zanzibar?

Oriental Saffron takes 3 of 4 categories. Oriental Saffron is rated 4.18/5 from 89 votes; Zanzibar is rated 4.40/5 from 5 votes. Choose Oriental Saffron for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Zanzibar for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Oriental Saffron or Zanzibar?

Oriental Saffron lasts longest (Oriental Saffron 80/100, Zanzibar 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oriental Saffron or Zanzibar?

Oriental Saffron projects furthest (Oriental Saffron 67/100, Zanzibar 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oriental Saffron and Zanzibar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Cumin, Ginger, Cardamom and Labdanum.

Is Oriental Saffron or Zanzibar better for summer or winter?

Zanzibar suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oriental Saffron and Zanzibar?

Oriental Saffron has top notes of Saffron, Cumin, Anise and Ginger, heart notes of Tamboti Wood, Labdanum, Ylang Ylang and Oud, a base of Honey, Vanilla, Musk and Patchouli. Zanzibar features Labdanum, Cinnamon, Benzoin, Honey and Incense.