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56 community ratings
Shiseido

Zen (Eau de Parfum Aromatique)

Perfumer: Nathalie Lorson

2000WomenClassic
7.8/ 10
Community score
56 ratings
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Shiseido Zen (Eau de Parfum Aromatique) is a discontinued women's fragrance that builds a green, floral and powdery character from valerian, hyacinth and iris.

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Skunky's take: A card-carrying member of the fresh club.

How does it perform?

From 40 community ratings, all out of 10.

Longevity
7.5 /10

Holds up through the day and fades gently toward evening.

Sillage
6.5 /10

Leaves a light trail and stays polite in a crowd.

Bottle
7.0 /10

Sits nicely on a shelf.

Blind buy risk

Low risk

80% of votes are positive and opinions barely differ.

Notes

They open one after another, from the first spray into the evening.

Top notesfirst 15 minutes

Valerian
Hyacinth
Gentiana scabra

Heart notesfirst few hours

Moso bamboo
Juniper haircap
IrisViolet

Base noteswhat stays into the evening

Accords

From most dominant to most subtle.

  1. Fresh
  2. Floral
  3. Green
  4. Spicy
  5. Woody
  6. Powdery

What does Zen (Eau de Parfum Aromatique) smell like?

Longevity is rated good and sillage moderate, so it stays fairly close to the skin. Most voters pick spring and summer, though fall and winter are not far behind. It leans towards daily, leisure and office wear, and most votes read it as feminine.

It opens with valerian, hyacinth and Gentiana scabra, fresh and green. In the heart, Moso bamboo, juniper haircap, iris and violet add a soft, powdery floral touch. Vietnamese oud, amber and musk close it on a woody, spicy warmth. Serge Lutens Bas de soie and Parfums de Marly Galloway have a close profile.

How it changes through the day

  1. First minutes

    • Valerian
    • Hyacinth
    • Gentiana scabra
  2. First hours

    • Moso bamboo
    • Juniper haircap
    • Iris
  3. Towards evening

    • Vietnamese oud
    • Amber
    • Musk

When to wear it?

Seasons and occasions, by user votes.

  • 31%
    Spring
  • 25%
    Summer
  • 23%
    Winter
  • 21%
    Autumn
  • Daytime
    24%
  • Casual
    24%
  • Office
    22%
  • Evening
    13%
  • Sport
    9%
  • Nighttime
    9%

Least picked for nights out.

Smells like this

The closest scents by notes and accords.

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Last updated: October 26, 2026