Fragrance comparison

Why Not A Cologne vs Zen Concentrated

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 204 ratings analysed

Why Not A Cologne

Mark Buxton

3.9042 votes

Rank #34,591 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

7 wins

Zen Concentrated

Shiseido

4.33162 votes

Rank #26,006 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zen Concentrated takes 7 of 7 categories.

Why Not A Cologne
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zen Concentrated
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Why Not A Cologne0/7

Zen Concentrated7/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Why Not A CologneMark Buxton

Zen ConcentratedShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.90/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

4.33/ 5 · 162 votes

Have 30%Had 17%Want 53%

Category winnerZen ConcentratedRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

57%Like

7%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

42 votes

56%Love

33%Like

2%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

162 votes

Category winnerZen ConcentratedMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityZen Concentrated

SillageZen Concentrated

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value41

¤ Price value53

Category winnerZen ConcentratedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

woody90%

sweet80%

leather70%

floral60%

fresh50%

citrus100%

woody92%

patchouli84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

aromatic61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, fruity and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Red ApplePineappleMagnolia

Heart1 to 2 hours

Floral Notes

Base3 to 4 hours

Teak WoodLeather

Top

PineappleGrapefruitBergamotMagnoliaRosePeach

Heart

GardeniaLotusJasmineHyacinthFreesiaViolet

Base

PatchouliSea waterVirginia CedarIncenseMuskLeatherVanilleAmber

InformationalShared notesPineapple, Magnolia and Leather. Durations are only published for Why Not A Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer88

Fall47

Winter12

Day100

Night53

Spring100

Summer70

Fall90

Winter88

Day100

Night50

Category winnerZen ConcentratedMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men76

Unisex24

Women0

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,591

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#26,006

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerZen ConcentratedHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Why Not A Cologne by Mark Buxton offers an energetic burst of fresh fruit over a warm, structured foundation. Released in 2021, the scent opens with crisp red apple, sweet tropical pineapple, and a touch of light magnolia flower. As the bright initial burst softens, gentle floral notes settle into the heart before res…

Reviews →

Shiseido Zen Concentrated introduces itself with a bright, crisp splash of pineapple and grapefruit, backed by the subtle floral sweetness of peach and magnolia. As it develops, the citrus sharpness softens into a dense bouquet of gardenia, hyacinth, and jasmine, creating a rich texture. The base anchors the experienc…

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, Why Not A Cologne or Zen Concentrated?

Zen Concentrated takes 7 of 7 categories. Why Not A Cologne is rated 3.90/5 from 42 votes; Zen Concentrated is rated 4.33/5 from 162 votes. Choose Why Not A Cologne for a fruity and woody character. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zen Concentrated for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Why Not A Cologne or Zen Concentrated?

Zen Concentrated lasts longest (Zen Concentrated 77/100, Why Not A Cologne 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Why Not A Cologne or Zen Concentrated?

Zen Concentrated projects furthest (Zen Concentrated 70/100, Why Not A Cologne 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Why Not A Cologne and Zen Concentrated smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fruity and sweet accords. Common notes include Pineapple, Magnolia and Leather.

Is Why Not A Cologne or Zen Concentrated better for summer or winter?

For summer, Why Not A Cologne is the stronger pick. For winter, Zen Concentrated is the stronger pick. Why Not A Cologne suits daytime wear; Zen Concentrated suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Why Not A Cologne and Zen Concentrated?

Why Not A Cologne has top notes of Red Apple, Pineapple and Magnolia, heart notes of Floral Notes, a base of Teak Wood and Leather. Zen Concentrated has top notes of Pineapple, Grapefruit, Bergamot and Magnolia, heart notes of Gardenia, Lotus, Jasmine and Hyacinth, a base of Patchouli, Sea water, Virginia Cedar and Incense.