Fragrance comparison

Queen Nzinga vs JF9 Black

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 150 ratings analysed

5 wins

Queen Nzinga

Marissa Zappas

4.0998 votes

Rank #10,370 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

JF9 Black

JAFRA

3.7952 votes

Rank #26,598 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Queen Nzinga takes 5 of 7 categories.

Queen Nzinga
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
JF9 Black
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Queen Nzinga5/7

JF9 Black2/7

Ratings & consensus: Queen Nzinga
Community sentiment: Queen Nzinga
Longevity: Queen Nzinga
Sillage & projection: Queen Nzinga
Value for money: JF9 Black
Versatility: JF9 Black
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Queen Nzinga

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Queen NzingaMarissa Zappas

JF9 BlackJAFRA

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 98 votes

Have 16%Had 2%Want 82%

3.79/ 5 · 52 votes

Have 64%Had 29%Want 8%

Category winnerQueen NzingaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

40%Like

10%Ok

6%Dislike

3%Hate

98 votes

19%Love

50%Like

23%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

52 votes

Category winnerQueen NzingaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity51

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityQueen Nzinga

SillageQueen Nzinga

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value86

Category winnerJF9 BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy86%

fresh spicy72%

aromatic58%

rose44%

herbal30%

woody100%

aromatic92%

vanilla84%

warm spicy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

TamarindAmberGeranium

No top / heart / base split published

Top

TamarindLavenderItalian LemonGrapefruitTarragonMandarin OrangeGalbanum

Heart

CedarPatchouliCorianderJasmineGeraniumLily-of-the-Valley

Base

VanillaSandalwoodTonka BeanVetiverMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesTamarind, Amber and Geranium. Durations are only published for Queen Nzinga, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring24

Summer12

Fall100

Winter79

Day90

Night100

Spring50

Summer16

Fall100

Winter91

Day53

Night100

Category winnerJF9 BlackMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex46

Women51

Men98

Unisex2

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,370

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews27

Overall rank#26,598

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerQueen NzingaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Queen Nzinga by Marissa Zappas is an assertive amber fragrance shaped by an unconventional balance of tangy tamarind and crisp geranium. Built around a core of rich, powdery resin, it opens with a distinct burst of tart fruitiness that immediately sets it apart from traditional sweet oriental scents. As the sharpness …

Reviews →

JF9 Black by JAFRA is an Oriental Woody scent for men launched in 2012. It opens with a bright blend of tamarind, lavender, and lemon, followed by a woody heart of cedar and patchouli. The dry-down warms the skin with vanilla, tonka bean, and sandalwood, creating a versatile profile suitable for everyday office wear o…

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, Queen Nzinga or JF9 Black?

Queen Nzinga takes 5 of 7 categories. Queen Nzinga is rated 4.09/5 from 98 votes; JF9 Black is rated 3.79/5 from 52 votes. Choose Queen Nzinga for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose JF9 Black for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Queen Nzinga or JF9 Black?

Queen Nzinga lasts longest (Queen Nzinga 73/100, JF9 Black 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Queen Nzinga or JF9 Black?

Queen Nzinga projects furthest (Queen Nzinga 61/100, JF9 Black 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Queen Nzinga and JF9 Black smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Tamarind, Amber and Geranium.

Is Queen Nzinga or JF9 Black better for summer or winter?

For summer, JF9 Black is the stronger pick. For winter, JF9 Black is the stronger pick. Queen Nzinga suits evening wear; JF9 Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Queen Nzinga and JF9 Black?

Queen Nzinga features Tamarind, Amber and Geranium. JF9 Black has top notes of Tamarind, Lavender, Italian Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of Cedar, Patchouli, Coriander and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean and Vetiver.