Fragrance comparison

Pastel vs Zen Gold

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 112 ratings analysed

Pastel

JAFRA

3.7010 votes

Rank #61,696 White FloralMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Zen Gold

Shiseido

4.09102 votes

Rank #30,380 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zen Gold takes 3 of 5 categories.

Pastel
Choose it for a white floral and musky character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Zen Gold
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Pastel2/5

Zen Gold3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PastelJAFRA

Zen GoldShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.70/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 52%Had 25%Want 23%

4.09/ 5 · 102 votes

Have 32%Had 20%Want 48%

Category winnerZen GoldRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

40%Like

0%Ok

30%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

36%Love

49%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

102 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityZen Gold

SillagePastel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value68

Category winnerPastelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

musky83%

floral65%

citrus48%

powdery30%

woody100%

floral83%

amber65%

animalic48%

powdery30%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both floral and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Green NotesAldehydesFruits

Heart

JasmineFlowersSpicy NotesOrange

Base

MuskAmberBalsamic NotesWoodsy Notes

Top

Flowers

Heart

Woodsy NotesAmber

Base

—

InformationalShared notesFlowers, Amber and Woodsy Notes. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer0

Fall100

Winter20

Day100

Night50

Spring78

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,696

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#30,380

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerZen GoldHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Pastel by JAFRA is a floral fragrance for women that balances aldehydes and green notes with a heart of jasmine and orange. This classic scent profile settles into a base of musk and amber, providing a versatile option for daily wear. It is a light and clean composition suited for office settings, spring afternoons, o…

Reviews →

Shiseido Zen Gold enters the room with a bright, clean floral haze that quickly shifts into something much heavier. Unlike the breezy citrus top of the original Zen, this limited version relies on an unnamed blend of abstract flowers to construct its opening. The heart changes the tone completely, letting thick amber …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP vs

NorthMendittorosaWINNER

1 person compared this today

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Pastel or Zen Gold?

Zen Gold takes 3 of 5 categories. Pastel is rated 3.70/5 from 10 votes; Zen Gold is rated 4.09/5 from 102 votes. Choose Pastel for a white floral and musky character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Zen Gold for a woody and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Pastel or Zen Gold?

They last about the same: Zen Gold 71/100, Pastel 69/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Pastel or Zen Gold?

Pastel projects furthest (Pastel 71/100, Zen Gold 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pastel and Zen Gold smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and powdery accords. Common notes include Flowers, Amber and Woodsy Notes.

Is Pastel or Zen Gold better for summer or winter?

Pastel suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pastel and Zen Gold?

Pastel has top notes of Green Notes, Aldehydes and Fruits, heart notes of Jasmine, Flowers, Spicy Notes and Orange, a base of Musk, Amber, Balsamic Notes and Woodsy Notes. Zen Gold has top notes of Flowers, heart notes of Woodsy Notes and Amber.