Fragrance comparison

Zen Original vs Sung

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,481 ratings analysed

Zen Original

Shiseido

4.19438 votes

Rank #27,593 FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Sung

Alfred Sung

3.821,043 votes

Rank #4,359 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sung takes 4 of 7 categories.

Zen Original
Choose it for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring.
Sung
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Zen Original3/7

Sung4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Zen OriginalShiseido

SungAlfred Sung

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 438 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.82/ 5 · 1,043 votes

Have 60%Had 40%Want 0%

Category winnerZen OriginalRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

438 votes

34%Love

42%Like

4%Ok

18%Dislike

2%Hate

958 votes

Category winnerZen OriginalMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevitySung

SillageSung

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value83

Category winnerSungBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

green92%

powdery84%

woody77%

earthy69%

mossy61%

floral100%

white floral92%

green84%

citrus77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both floral, green and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

HiacynthGalbanumBergamotOrange Blossom

Heart

CarnationOrris RootNarcissusJasmineMimosaVioletRose

Base

OakmossMuskSandalwoodCedarAmber

Top

HiacynthYlang-YlangGalbanumBergamotLemonOrangeMandarin Orange

Heart

JasmineLily-of-the-ValleyCarnationOsmanthusIrisRoseOrchid

Base

Orange BlossomOakmossVetiverMuskSandalwoodAmberVanilla

InformationalShared notesHiacynth, Galbanum, Bergamot and Orange Blossom. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter82

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter46

Day–

Night–

Category winnerZen OriginalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex25

Women72

Men4

Unisex13

Women83

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,593

PerfumerJosephine Catapano

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,359

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews25

Category winnerSungHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shiseido Zen Original opens with a bracing blast of green galbanum and sharp hyacinth, immediately establishing its cold, botanical character. Unlike modern syrupy scents, this dry chypre shifts into a dusty floral heart of narcissus and carnation before settling into a base of oakmoss and cedar. It is a quiet, medita…

Reviews →

Sung by Alfred Sung is a Floral fragrance for women. Sung was launched in 1986. Top notes are Hiacynth, Ylang-Ylang, Galbanum, Bergamot, Lemon, Orange and Mandarin Orange; middle notes are Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Carnation, Osmanthus, Iris, Rose and Orchid; base notes are Orange Blossom, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Musk, S…

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, Zen Original or Sung?

Sung takes 4 of 7 categories. Zen Original is rated 4.19/5 from 438 votes; Sung is rated 3.82/5 from 1,043 votes. Choose Zen Original for a floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring. Choose Sung for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Zen Original or Sung?

Sung lasts longest (Sung 76/100, Zen Original 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Zen Original or Sung?

Sung projects furthest (Sung 67/100, Zen Original 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Zen Original and Sung smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, green and woody accords. Common notes include Hiacynth, Galbanum, Bergamot and Orange Blossom.

Is Zen Original or Sung better for summer or winter?

For summer, Zen Original is the stronger pick. For winter, Zen Original is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Zen Original and Sung?

Zen Original has top notes of Hiacynth, Galbanum, Bergamot and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Carnation, Orris Root, Narcissus and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Musk, Sandalwood and Cedar. Sung has top notes of Hiacynth, Ylang-Ylang, Galbanum and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Carnation and Osmanthus, a base of Orange Blossom, Oakmoss, Vetiver and Musk.