Fragrance comparison

Retrospection vs Ultimate Zest

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 37 ratings analysed

4 wins

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #19,247 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Ultimate Zest

Parfums Vintage

4.673 votes

Rank #42,089 WoodyCamphor

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Retrospection takes 4 of 5 categories.

Retrospection
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.
Ultimate Zest
Choose it for a woody and camphor character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Retrospection4/5

Ultimate Zest0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

RetrospectionJMP Artisan Perfumes

Ultimate ZestParfums Vintage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

4.67/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 20%Had 0%Want 80%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

35%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

34 votes

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageRetrospection

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value58

Category winnerRetrospectionBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

woody100%

camphor88%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy65%

citrus53%

fresh42%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood

Notes

EucalyptusAustralian SandalwoodGingerMandarin OrangeVineCascaloneJuniperMuskIndian SandalwoodPink GrapefruitFrankincenseAmbrocenide

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerRetrospectionLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day83

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#19,247

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#42,089

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerRetrospectionHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Retrospection by JMP Artisan Perfumes resurrects the bold, unapologetic swagger of traditional masculine perfumery from the late twentieth century. Created by Polish independent perfumer Jakub Pietrynka, this composition opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, soapy aldehydes, and zesty bergamot. Within minutes, …

Reviews →

Ultimate Zest by Parfums Vintage is a brisk woody aromatic fragrance that combines sharp citrus oils with crisp herbal and coniferous undertones. The opening introduces pink grapefruit, kaffir lime, citron, and mandarin orange, accented by a cool burst of eucalyptus, aldehydes, and gin-soaked juniper berries. As the i…

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

Citrus BrasilisGranadoWINNER vs

Humor à VistaNaturaRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Michalsky Berlin Fame For MenMichael MichalskyWINNER vs

Sport RacingJacques BattiniRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Versailles ShotgunVersaillesRUNNER-UP vs

Black AvaritiaMemoize LondonWINNER

1 person compared this today

Dans Ma Bulle Eau de ToiletteCarvenWINNER vs

NefertariAtelier Segall & BaruttiRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Retrospection or Ultimate Zest?

Retrospection takes 4 of 5 categories. Retrospection is rated 3.59/5 from 34 votes; Ultimate Zest is rated 4.67/5 from 3 votes. Choose Retrospection for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Ultimate Zest for a woody and camphor character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Retrospection or Ultimate Zest?

They last about the same: Retrospection 80/100, Ultimate Zest 80/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Retrospection or Ultimate Zest?

Retrospection projects furthest (Retrospection 71/100, Ultimate Zest 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Retrospection and Ultimate Zest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Musk and Sandalwood.

Is Retrospection or Ultimate Zest better for summer or winter?

Retrospection suits evening wear; Ultimate Zest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Retrospection and Ultimate Zest?

Retrospection has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Wormwood, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Beeswax. Ultimate Zest features Eucalyptus, Australian Sandalwood, Ginger, Mandarin Orange and Vine.