Fragrance comparison

Unusual Flower vs Swear

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

Updated 15 Oct 2026 27 ratings analysed

2 wins

Unusual Flower

Zara

3.5225 votes

Rank #22,087 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

Swear

Shirley May

4.502 votes

Rank #50,602 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Unusual Flower takes 2 of 4 categories.

Unusual Flower
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Swear
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Unusual Flower2/4

Swear1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Unusual FlowerZara

SwearShirley May

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.52/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 40%Had 16%Want 44%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 11%Had 22%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

20%Love

36%Like

20%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

25 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageSwear

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value50

Category winnerUnusual FlowerBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky88%

powdery77%

floral65%

sweet53%

fresh spicy42%

woody100%

citrus92%

powdery84%

fruity77%

musky69%

floral61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both citrus, powdery and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

OrchidVerbena

Base

Musk

Top

Mandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

JasmineOrchidBlackberry

Base

SandalwoodCedarMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Mandarin Orange, Orchid and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall67

Winter33

Day100

Night36

Spring0

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex8

Women92

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,087

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#50,602

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerUnusual FlowerHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Zara Unusual Flower opens with a sharp burst of bergamot and crisp mandarin orange. The fragrance quickly settles into a leafy middle phase dominated by lemon verbena and powdery orchid, giving it a cool green bite that feels fresh and unexpected for a budget scent. As it dries down over three to four hours, clean mus…

Reviews →

Swear by Shirley May opens with a sharp burst of mandarin orange and bergamot, bringing a bright and slightly bitter freshness. As it warms on the skin, a dominant woody character emerges, softened by the powdery textures of orchid and jasmine. A subtle sweetness from a blackberry note keeps the middle phase interesti…

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, Unusual Flower or Swear?

Unusual Flower takes 2 of 4 categories. Unusual Flower is rated 3.52/5 from 25 votes; Swear is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Unusual Flower for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Swear for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Unusual Flower or Swear?

They last about the same: Unusual Flower 60/100, Swear 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Unusual Flower or Swear?

Swear projects furthest (Swear 67/100, Unusual Flower 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Unusual Flower and Swear smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, powdery and musky accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Orchid and Musk.

Is Unusual Flower or Swear better for summer or winter?

Unusual Flower suits daytime wear; Swear suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Unusual Flower and Swear?

Unusual Flower has top notes of Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Orchid and Verbena, a base of Musk. Swear has top notes of Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Orchid and Blackberry, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Musk and Amber.