Fragrance comparison

Zelen vs Green Cactus

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 120 ratings analysed

4 wins

Zelen

Boka

4.42114 votes

Rank #2,859 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

Green Cactus

Phil Julian

4.336 votes

Rank #38,177 GreenCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Zelen takes 4 of 4 categories.

Zelen
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
Green Cactus
Choose it for a green and citrus character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Zelen4/4

Green Cactus0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ZelenBoka

Green CactusPhil Julian

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.42/ 5 · 114 votes

Have 87%Had 13%Want 0%

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 6%Had 8%Want 87%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

73%Love

14%Like

7%Ok

3%Dislike

3%Hate

88 votes

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityZelen

SillageZelen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value54

¤ Price value33

Category winnerZelenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody91%

aromatic83%

earthy74%

green65%

fresh spicy56%

green100%

citrus88%

fresh spicy77%

aromatic65%

fruity53%

sweet42%

Scent match56%Closely related · both citrus, green and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LimeYuzuBergamot

Heart

Pink PepperBeeswaxCardamom

Base

Haitian VetiverVirginia CedarMysore Sandalwood

Top

prickly pearBergamotLimeYuzu

Heart

Green TeaAloe VeraCactusMintFigCardamomPink Pepper

Base

—

InformationalShared notesLime, Yuzu, Bergamot and Pink Pepper. 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

Summer96

Fall73

Winter52

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer67

Fall33

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex63

Women5

Men60

Unisex20

Women20

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,859

PerfumerBoris Zrnic

Launched—

Reviews51

Overall rank#38,177

PerfumerChristian Carbonnel

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerZelenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Zelen is a bright green vetiver built around bitter citrus, cool spice, and a creamy beeswax twist. Lime, yuzu, and bergamot give it a sparkling start, then cardamom, pink pepper, and woods pull it into a smoother, more textured dry-down. It suits readers who like polished citrus woods with a natural feel rather than …

Reviews →

Christian Carbonnel builds Green Cactus by Phil Julian around a sharp, juicy opening of prickly pear, tart lime, and bright yuzu. The top notes hit with an immediate splash of cooling citrus before settling into a crushed green tea leaf and aloe vera heart. As the scent warms on skin, fresh mint leaves and subtle pink…

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, Zelen or Green Cactus?

Zelen takes 4 of 4 categories. Zelen is rated 4.42/5 from 114 votes; Green Cactus is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes. Choose Zelen for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Green Cactus for a green and citrus character. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Zelen or Green Cactus?

Zelen lasts longest (Zelen 79/100, Green Cactus 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Zelen or Green Cactus?

Zelen projects furthest (Zelen 66/100, Green Cactus 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Zelen and Green Cactus smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, green and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lime, Yuzu, Bergamot and Pink Pepper.

Is Zelen or Green Cactus better for summer or winter?

Green Cactus suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Zelen and Green Cactus?

Zelen has top notes of Lime, Yuzu and Bergamot, heart notes of Pink Pepper, Beeswax and Cardamom, a base of Haitian Vetiver, Virginia Cedar and Mysore Sandalwood. Green Cactus has top notes of prickly pear, Bergamot, Lime and Yuzu, heart notes of Green Tea, Aloe Vera, Cactus and Mint.