Fragrance comparison

Zaffiro vs Zen

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 5,668 ratings analysed

Zaffiro

Paolo Gigli

4.007 votes

Rank #54,382 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Zen

Shiseido

4.075,661 votes

Rank #23,913 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Zaffiro
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Zen
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Zaffiro2/4

Zen2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ZaffiroPaolo Gigli

ZenShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 27%Had 25%Want 47%

4.07/ 5 · 5,661 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

29%Like

14%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

38%Love

44%Like

6%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

5,661 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityZaffiro

SillageZaffiro

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value55

Category winnerZenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

citrus92%

green84%

rose77%

marine69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

woody92%

floral84%

patchouli77%

fruity69%

sweet61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-35 mins

Lily-of-the-ValleyMandarin OrangeGardeniaRoseMintOrangeHyacinth

Heart2-4 hrs

SeaweedPlum

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberWhite MuskViolet

Top

GrapefruitPineappleBergamotOrangeRose

Heart

FreesiaRed AppleLotusHyacinthGardeniaLily-of-the-ValleyVioletOrris

Base

PatchouliCedarMuskAmberIncensePine

InformationalShared notesLily-of-the-Valley, Gardenia, Rose and Orange. Durations are only published for Zaffiro, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer50

Fall50

Winter25

Day100

Night39

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 35%Work 32%Date 20%Party 13%

Men1

Unisex16

Women82

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#54,382

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,913

PerfumerMichel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerZenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paolo Gigli Zaffiro takes an unusual route for a Mediterranean warm weather scent. Instead of a simple splash of cologne, it merges brisk mandarin orange and crushed garden mint with an unexpected marine floral core. The opening crackles with juicy orange peel and dewy hyacinth. Soon after, an intriguing pairing of sa…

Reviews →

Shiseido Zen opens with a sharp, fizzy splash of grapefruit and pineapple that feels bright and energetic. As it settles, the initial citrus bite softens into a clean floral heart dominated by freesia and red apple. It carries a breezy, watery texture rather than a heavy sweetness, making it particularly refreshing du…

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, Zaffiro or Zen?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Zaffiro is rated 4.00/5 from 7 votes; Zen is rated 4.07/5 from 5,661 votes. Choose Zaffiro for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Zen for a citrus and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Zaffiro or Zen?

Zaffiro lasts longest (Zaffiro 72/100, Zen 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Zaffiro or Zen?

Zaffiro projects furthest (Zaffiro 75/100, Zen 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Zaffiro and Zen smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Lily-of-the-Valley, Gardenia, Rose and Orange.

Is Zaffiro or Zen better for summer or winter?

Zaffiro suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Zaffiro and Zen?

Zaffiro has top notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Mandarin Orange, Gardenia and Rose, heart notes of Seaweed and Plum, a base of Amber, White Musk and Violet. Zen has top notes of Grapefruit, Pineapple, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Freesia, Red Apple, Lotus and Hyacinth, a base of Patchouli, Cedar, Musk and Amber.