Fragrance comparison

Play vs Zara Black

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 122 ratings analysed

Play

Sergey Gubanov

4.405 votes

Rank #44,190 CitrusLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Zara Black

Zara · 2017

3.91117 votes

Rank #15,034 CitrusWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zara Black takes 3 of 4 categories.

Play
Choose it for a citrus and leather character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Zara Black
Choose it for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Play1/4

Zara Black3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PlaySergey Gubanov

Zara BlackZara

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 29%Had 8%Want 63%

3.91/ 5 · 117 votes

Have 50%Had 34%Want 16%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

15%Love

59%Like

10%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

117 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityPlay

SillageZara Black

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value81

Category winnerZara BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

leather90%

smoky80%

woody70%

rose60%

sweet50%

citrus77%

warm spicy46%

sweet30%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both citrus and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

OrangeCinnamonThymePineappleCedar

Heart

BirchRed RoseSandalwoodJasmine

Base

VanillaPatchouliCypressCaramelChocolate

Top

Orange

Heart

Cinnamon

Base

Vanilla

InformationalShared notesOrange, Cinnamon and Vanilla. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Spring59

Summer44

Fall97

Winter100

Day100

Night83

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men25

Unisex50

Women25

Men0

Unisex13

Women87

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#44,190

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#15,034

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2017

Reviews7

Category winnerZara BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Play by Sergey Gubanov opens with a bright burst of orange and pineapple, quickly grounding itself in cinnamon and cedar. This unisex fragrance released in 2016 balances fresh citrus top notes against a warm, resinous base of vanilla and chocolate. It functions best as a versatile everyday scent, working comfortably i…

Reviews →

Zara Black matches cool autumn evenings with a simple, sweet profile that feels cozy. A bright splash of orange leads into a warm cinnamon heart, eventually settling into a soft vanilla base. It is a straightforward, budget-friendly option for anyone who wants an uncomplicated spicy gourmand for casual lounging at hom…

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, Play or Zara Black?

Zara Black takes 3 of 4 categories. Play is rated 4.40/5 from 5 votes; Zara Black is rated 3.91/5 from 117 votes. Choose Play for a citrus and leather character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Zara Black for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Play or Zara Black?

Play lasts longest (Play 67/100, Zara Black 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Play or Zara Black?

Zara Black projects furthest (Zara Black 58/100, Play 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Play and Zara Black smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and sweet accords. Common notes include Orange, Cinnamon and Vanilla.

Is Play or Zara Black better for summer or winter?

Play suits day or night wear; Zara Black suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Play and Zara Black?

Play has top notes of Orange, Cinnamon, Thyme and Pineapple, heart notes of Birch, Red Rose, Sandalwood and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Patchouli, Cypress and Caramel. Zara Black has top notes of Orange, heart notes of Cinnamon, a base of Vanilla.