Fragrance comparison

Zaya vs Odyssey Black Forest

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 161 ratings analysed

5 wins

Zaya

Parfums d'Elmar

4.36113 votes

Rank #9,975 SweetWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Odyssey Black Forest

Armaf

4.0048 votes

Rank #13,349 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zaya takes 5 of 7 categories.

Zaya
Choose it for a sweet and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Odyssey Black Forest
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Zaya5/7

Odyssey Black Forest2/7

Ratings & consensus: Zaya
Community sentiment: Zaya
Longevity: Zaya
Sillage & projection: Zaya
Value for money: Odyssey Black Forest
Versatility: Odyssey Black Forest
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

Odyssey Black ForestArmaf

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.36/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 69%

4.00/ 5 · 48 votes

Have 21%Had 2%Want 77%

Category winnerZayaRating 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

40%Love

35%Like

15%Ok

6%Dislike

4%Hate

48 votes

Category winnerZayaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityZaya

SillageZaya

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value27

¤ Price value72

Category winnerOdyssey Black ForestBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

fruity77%

cinnamon69%

honey61%

sweet100%

vanilla86%

caramel72%

cherry58%

cinnamon44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both sweet, warm spicy and cinnamon

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

CaramelCherryCinnamonLactonesWhite Blossom

Heart

DatesHoneyNutmeg

Base

PralineVanillaTonka BeanMuskWoody Notes

InformationalShared notesHoney, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Dates. 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

Spring45

Summer3

Fall86

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerOdyssey Black ForestMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men37

Unisex49

Women14

Men10

Unisex68

Women23

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,975

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#13,349

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

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 →

Armaf Odyssey Black Forest lands on the skin with a heavy, thick sweetness that immediately conjures up a fresh slice of cherry chocolate cake. The fragrance opens with a sticky caramel and a medicinal cherry note, wrapped in lactonic warmth that mimics steamed milk. As the scent settles, the initial fruitiness pulls …

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 Odyssey Black Forest?

Zaya takes 5 of 7 categories. Zaya is rated 4.36/5 from 113 votes; Odyssey Black Forest is rated 4.00/5 from 48 votes. Choose Zaya for a sweet and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Odyssey Black Forest for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Zaya or Odyssey Black Forest?

Zaya lasts longest (Zaya 81/100, Odyssey Black Forest 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Zaya or Odyssey Black Forest?

Zaya projects furthest (Zaya 72/100, Odyssey Black Forest 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Zaya and Odyssey Black Forest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, warm spicy and cinnamon accords. Common notes include Honey, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Dates.

Is Zaya or Odyssey Black Forest better for summer or winter?

For summer, Odyssey Black Forest is the stronger pick. For winter, Zaya is the stronger pick. Zaya suits evening wear; Odyssey Black Forest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Zaya and Odyssey Black Forest?

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. Odyssey Black Forest has top notes of Caramel, Cherry, Cinnamon and Lactones, heart notes of Dates, Honey and Nutmeg, a base of Praline, Vanilla, Tonka Bean and Musk.