Fragrance comparison

Zaya vs Nova Noir

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 122 ratings analysed

Zaya

Parfums d'Elmar

4.36113 votes

Rank #9,975 SweetWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Nova Noir

Maison de l'Avenir

4.569 votes

Rank #29,181 VanillaWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Zaya
Choose it for a sweet and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Nova Noir
Choose it for a vanilla and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Zaya2/4

Nova Noir2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ZayaParfums d'Elmar

Nova NoirMaison de l'Avenir

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.36/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 69%

4.56/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 20%Had 2%Want 77%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

69%Love

15%Like

6%Ok

3%Dislike

7%Hate

113 votes

67%Love

22%Like

11%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevityZaya

SillageNova Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value27

¤ Price value81

Category winnerNova NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fruity77%

cinnamon69%

honey61%

vanilla100%

warm spicy92%

sweet84%

woody77%

amber69%

fruity61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both sweet, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CognacAppleHoneyNutmegBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonOakDatesTonka Bean

Base8-12 hrs

Siam BenzoinPralineVanillaSandalowood

Top

CinnamonLiquorFruity NotesAppleBergamotLemonLavender

Heart

TonkaEugenolOakJasmineGreen Notes

Base

VanillaSandalwoodPralineAmberLabdanumMuskPatchouliCopaiba balm

InformationalShared notesApple, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Oak. Durations are only published for Zaya, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day64

Night100

Spring40

Summer0

Fall60

Winter100

Day60

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men37

Unisex49

Women14

Men43

Unisex57

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,975

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#29,181

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerZayaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums d'Elmar Zaya smells like warm spiced apple compote drizzled with golden honey and aged cognac. The opening hits fast. A crisp blast of fresh orchard apple blends into boozy warmth and grated nutmeg before rich honey thickens the air. As the heart takes over, toasted oak wood, sticky dates, and ground cinnamon …

Reviews →

Nova Noir is a warm, resinous option for cool evenings. It centers on a sweet vanilla base cut with sharp cinnamon and dark boozy top notes. The blend works best during autumn nights when you want an approachable, cozy trail that projects moderately without overpowering a room.

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Zaya or Nova Noir?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Zaya is rated 4.36/5 from 113 votes; Nova Noir is rated 4.56/5 from 9 votes. Choose Zaya for a sweet and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nova Noir for a vanilla and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Zaya or Nova Noir?

Zaya lasts longest (Zaya 81/100, Nova Noir 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Zaya or Nova Noir?

Nova Noir projects furthest (Nova Noir 75/100, Zaya 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Zaya and Nova Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Apple, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Oak.

Is Zaya or Nova Noir better for summer or winter?

Zaya suits evening wear; Nova Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Zaya and Nova Noir?

Zaya has top notes of Cognac, Apple, Honey and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cinnamon, Oak, Dates and Tonka Bean, a base of Siam Benzoin, Praline, Vanilla and Sandalowood. Nova Noir has top notes of Cinnamon, Liquor, Fruity Notes and Apple, heart notes of Tonka, Eugenol, Oak and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Praline and Amber.