Zen

I'm not sure why I haven't written a review for Zen yet. I love it and have owned it since 2015, with it being one of the few fragrances that I've repurchased. I also owned Coco Mademoiselle in 2001 and for a couple of years after that so I have a pretty good feeling on both. And while they're definitely within the same vein, they're far from being as similar as some people say they are. Well, at least to me. Zen is rounder and smoother than Coco, which I stopped wearing back in the day because I felt she sat on top of my skin, instead of just blend with my chemistry. Coco leaves a stingy feeling in my nostrils while Zen just hugs me. Zen is also sweeter. Zen is special to me so it requires a bit of a back story. In late 2015 my previous relationship had ended after the bigger part of a decade and I was lost. Completely lost. Financially I was struggling. I had a seemingly good job but once my ex was gone I realised that because I loved my job, I probably had overlooked the fact that I wasn't being paid all that much. I suddenly was alone, my car gone, my fancy TV gone, basically most of my things gone besides my old bed, couch and my cat. I was barely making ends meet at the same time all my friends were having kids and buying houses and traveling. Including my ex that started a new relationship with a coworker three months after our relationship ended, bought a house and had two kids within two years. People, it was rough. lol. I was so ashamed of this new position I was in that I'd sometimes lie to my friends when they asked if I wanted to try out a new restaurant or something that cost a little more. Very few people knew how bad things really were, how much worrying there was, and how stuck I felt. But, things happen for a reason. I soon found a new apartment that was a little more budget friendly than the one I had shared with my ex, and me and my cat moved there and started a completely new chapter in our lives. For 8 months I went to work, walks and then home to my cat. I'd cook dinner and read in bed with my cat sleeping next to me. This is where the healing began. Within the sadness and pain and struggling I was going through when coming to terms with the fact that the future I had once wanted and thoroughly believed was destined for me, wasn't going to happen, I felt happy too. I really enjoyed my work even if I wasn't getting a lot of money from it, the few close friends I had were truly good and wonderful people and I had a family that always let me know I wasn't alone. And I had my cat. We had a roof over our heads, I could feed us. One of the most important things I learned from that time was to enjoy the things you could allow yourself to buy or do. Before this I could buy nice things without really thinking about it and as a result I ended up consuming a lot and not enjoying all that much. Who knew that having to go everywhere you needed on a bike, in all kinds of weather, counting every penny to make them last through the month and finally have the courage to tell your snobbier friends that me, as a 33 year old woman at that time could not afford to take a trip with them any time soon, or go to fancy restaurants, would be so freeing? I started to really think about who I was outside of another person. Why had I put all my dreams and wants on hold to cater to someone else? I had self willingly put myself in a box and stopped listening to who I was and what that person wanted. One day I was walking through Debenhams. I often would go window shopping and then perhaps treat myself to a new nail polish and I'd feel so spoiled. This time though I wandered into the perfume section. I had been so into perfumes when younger but somehow that had gotten lost over the years and at that time I only had a couple of leftovers. Maybe it was time to look into that part again. I sniffed a couple of them but wasn't finding anything that wowed me. Until I picked up Zen. Now I can be fuzzy when it comes to fragrance and most of the time need several wearings before deciding to buy but this time I felt like I had found my scent. I sprayed it on and went home, looking forward to listening to what Zen had to say. I really didn't need to listen for long because I knew this was exactly what I needed. I had not allowed myself to buy anything fancier than the occasional nail polish and a new mascara when I had run out, so I felt it was time for a bigger treat. A couple of days later I went back and bought it. I had rearranged a couple of things (I got super creative with rice, frozen vegetables and beans during that month!) and I was so proud to walk in there and just buy a new perfume! I realize that Zen isn't considered to be expensive, but at that time for me it was. I felt so fancy walking back with my bag and when I got home I proudly put it on my vanity and admired it. It was so much more than a perfume. It was a symbol. A symbol of the free woman I had finally found. That woman loves perfumes, cooking, painting, eating alone, camping, music, cats, reading, family and friends and so much more. She doesn't need anyone else to feel whole. She only buys things she absolutely needs or loves, and boy does she love what she spends her money on. Quite the transformation from before when a new perfume was bought randomly and without thinking, just to buy something new, tossed on the shelf and not given much more thought. It truly felt good to have fewer options. And some years later when I was in a position to buy more, it felt good to be highly selective. And it still does. Zen complimented my new life very well. That was my only fragrance apart from a body spray from The Body Shop but that was enough. And when the time finally came, my first date since the breakup, Zen did not let me down. I had gotten a superlike on Tinder, this scary app I had been toying with for two months mostly because people had told me it was time to "have fun". And there he was, a tourist in my country that super liked me. I thought to myself "he's cute, and he doesn't live here and I'll probably never see him again. What's the harm in going out for a quick drink?" Well, four years after that date here we are. Still together. Iceland meets America. Luckily he had fallen head over heels in love with my country before he even met me so finding reasons to come back after that date wasn't hard for him. Only a month after he'd left, he was back. Meeting my cat and showing me pictures of his dog. A couple of months into our relationship we were talking about the beginning of us and how crazy it had been. And what he had to say made me oh so proud. "I remember walking into the bar and seeing you and being nervous. And then I gave you a hug and I remember thinking that you were the best smelling person I'd ever met". I can't ask for a better compliment than that.

Oh my holly buddness! This is the best scent I have ever smelled! I want to emphasize the word SCENT because that's exactly what I mean - the best smell of all smells, including perfumes. This is so divinely gorgeous that you wonder if it's appropriate for you to wear it if you are just a human, not a goddess. It is distinctively different as well. In the world where most perfumes seem to be born from incest or at least carefully arranged marriage between distant cousins, ZEN is like a miracle bastard. Sniffing it for the first time brings you to believing that other worlds must actually exist cause you just smelled the proof! ZEN has it all. It is pretty and ultimately pleasant yet uncommon and elegant. It is innocent yet sexy. Subtle yet present. For its innocent part it slightly reminds me of a 1993 fragrance Kookai Oui-Non, probably because of the bergamot and pineapple notes, as well as that cheerful/happy vibe, although Zen is incomparably more interesting and sophisticated than the former one. For its sexy part it is reminiscent of Narciso Rodriguez for Her. It has the same stimulating, tireless, air penetrating component (musk+cedar?) that keeps it from turning dull. It has a delicate silage every time you turn your body which basically makes you feel like waltzing all day long :)

Wearing this after a shower feels great. This is a spring and summer perfume. "Zen" is a bright, juicy fruit mix with a dominant patchouli note and a floral base. Super modern and stylish. My favourite fruity fragrance. The sharp patchouli which I love so much is the highlight of the fragrance and slices through the composition. The citrusy notes are surprisingly well executed without a hint of cheap quality. Although I am not crazy about pineapple as a perfume note, it fits very well here. This fragrance appears minimalistic at first bit it is farily complex and well blended. It is reminiscent of expensive shampoo and great for daily use. Because it wears close to the skin, it would be a good choice for those who work in an office or a hospital. It would make a great gym fragrance, too. I do have to refresh it at some point during the day because I love smelling this on myself. As a result, it lasted quite long on my scrubs even after washing them in the washing machine. My bottle has the new, wooden cap, and I have to admit I prefer it to the original clear one. Cool bottle.

Zen by Shiseido There is such a beautiful scent hidden inside this gorgeous golden cube bottle. But I dont find it ZEN at all. According to the nose, Michel Almairac, Zen contains a ’blue rose note’ an imaginary abstract which should be a merge of violet and rose, but its not lipsticky. To me this is a unisex fragrance with a classic, chic and sophisticated vibe. All the notes are perfectly mixed. I find that no particular note stands out alone, except for the patchouli and cedar notes that provides structure all the way. Its a bit powdery and there are highlights of musk, citrus and clean soapy florals blended in. Shiseido Zen is easily compared to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, but Zen has a brighter and more radiant nature. Its lighter, less powdery and pleasently soapy. More simplistic, with a slightly ozonic and herbal feel (I think theres gentian in this composition?) But its still a bit mysterious due to the note of incense and a wet earthy feel of patchouli after night rain in the forest. Sillage is medium and the longevity is very good.

Interestingly, I get neither Chance nor Coco Mademoiselle from Zen EDP. Upon first application, I get the cedar but with a lovely brightness from the fruits and florals. On my skin, it begins a tad like Chloe Nomade EDP and the wood stays as the prominent note for me even after dry down. This fragrance really grew on me because it's a well-blended fragrance, and I enjoy the more complex end result: light florals and fruits, much lighter woods - and a brighter rather than dirty edge (this coming from a chypre girl...). This quickly, and surprisingly, became one of my favorites. Sillage works well for me because I didn't go in to this fragrance expecting to command a room. Longevity, however, is not a heavy hitter, so I simply reapply mid-day. I suggest finding a way to sample Zen before you purchase it - simply because it may wear differently on you. For now, there appears to be a sufficient supply of final product still available. 2021 Update: Shiseido is selling Zen again.

I blind bought a 3.4oz this after hearing about it from Demi Rawling for $27 at Marshall’s. Best blind buy to date, I love this and it is a daytime dumb reach for me. It is extremely similar to Chanel Chance EDT but a bit “crisper” and fruitier, I think it is specifically the pineapple. Per reviews this is not a safe blind buy, but if you like the OG Chance, you’ll probably love it, and it is a lot more affordable even at full retail price. The one downside is that this doesn’t last more than 4 hours on me, but I can’t complain since I got it for so cheap and that might be why the lasting power isn’t as good as perfumes usually perform on me. Edit: I hate the bottle, it was an eyesore in my collection, but I might just slightly prefer it to chance by Chanel. Unfortunately I sold this and bought chance, only to immediately lose it when moving. I’m finding myself missing this scent and not chance though, which is interesting.

Zen is what I imagine would happen if Coco Mademoiselle and Chance Eau Fraîche had a child. I enjoy both of those Chanel scents individually, but together they’d create something very close to this: fresh, feminine, and effortlessly elegant. This is an all-year-round scent that truly shines in the heat. There’s a soft sweetness to it, gentle and refined, balanced beautifully by a cool freshness. I can smell the lotus, gardenia, bergamot, and patchouli, but nothing stands out too sharply. It’s so well blended, with a softly soapy, high-end spa quality. The kind of fragrance worn by someone who lives in linen, spends time in meditation rooms, and never needs to try too hard. Pulled together, serene, and quietly captivating. A sophisticated scent that doesn’t scream for attention, but still turns heads. Classy, clean, and quietly stunning.

This is a bright, clean scent that is perfect for everyday wear. Not offensive so it's safe to wear for work but it's also not boring. Bright and uplifting due to the citrus and the bottle itself has a sunny disposition. The main notes I pick up are the bergamot, rose and patchouli. Lasting power is pretty good, about 5 hours before it becomes a soft skin scent. People liken this to Coco Mademoiselle and I can see the similarities but don't purchase this thinking it will be a sister to her. It's more of a distant relative with the rose and patchouli tying them together. An easy reach for me when I have no idea what to wear during the warmer days. Sophisticated, yet playful Shiseido Zen is a sleeper hit. If you like scents like CM or Chance but find them a little too heavy for you to wear or expensive to purchase, try Zen!

The aroma of the crisp red apple + citrus pinapple spritz is so refreshing and it lasts, while the flowers makes this so feminine and sophisticated. As it dries down this patchouli is the best I've ever smelled, it blends with pine and cedar to create a forest type earthyness. Not dirty but a clean healthy forest. I didn't love this one immediately since I've disliked patchouli in so many fragrances where you have synthetic syrupy fruits that turns into a dirty moldy pathcouli in the dry down, but this perfume made me appreciate how beautiful can be. I'd consider this one the feminine Terre D'Hermes. It smells so luxurious and natural. And bubblebath, YES! Like you just took a fancy bubblebath in a resort located in the forest with clean air. Classic all year round, lasts 6hrs on my skin, with beautiful wafts throughout.

Shiseido Zen Edp 100Ml: 🗣Having Been Wearing Zen Now For A Full Four Day's Non-Stop, I Can Honestly Say Yes That I See A Slight Resemblance To Chanel's Very Beautiful CoCo Mademoiselle Edp, But Find Zen To Be Somewhat Lighter & Brighter If That Makes Sense!! Then As It Wear's On My Skin I Find That It Changes & Then Starts To Take On It's Own Personal Identity Which Is Deffo A Lighter More Sparkling Kind Of Aroma!! So Yes Both These Perfumes Have Very Much Their Own Identities & Each Unique To Their Own Brand!! Both Are Equally Beautiful & Rightfully Deserve A Place In Your Perfume Collection!! Zen Is A Very Soft Comforting Aroma Which Wears beautiful On Your Skin, Drawing Many Compliments From Those Around You!! Longtitivity Is Excellent At Around 15Hrs!! & Yes So Far I Really Do Love It!! A Deffo 10 From Len Here!!!

Zen surprised me in the best way. It’s elegant, feminine and timeless, with a DNA reminiscent of Coco Mademoiselle, but with a fresher, more citrus-driven opening. Refined, sensual and very wearable. What really stands out is the value: the bottle feels heavy and luxurious, the sprayer is excellent, and the presentation overall feels far more expensive than it is. Longevity is solid at 6–7 hours on my skin. Ideal for women 25+ who appreciate polished, elegant fragrances. I personally love discovering fragrances like this true hidden gems that offer remarkable quality at an accessible price point. Finding perfumes that develop so beautifully, feel this well-crafted and remain timeless is genuinely satisfying to me, and ZEN is a perfect example of that kind of discovery.

I love this fragrance! I can’t see some of the comparisons other people are smelling and I absolutely don’t find this generic. Would I say it’s a crowd pleaser? Absolutely. But not generic. I first purchased Zeno blindly and fell in love and immediately bought a back up but I had to have the original. As soon as it came in, I sprayed it and went “ahhhh! So good!” I know this newer version may be disappointing to those who loved the older version but this is right up my alley! It’s complex, a bit of citrus and bit of floral, and an amber patchouli woody base. It leans unisex, maybe slightly feminine, which I love! It would be a great signature scent and has great longevity. I would say, if I could only keep 10 fragrances, this would definitely be one of them for me!

Compliment getter, it happens often, when i'm using this perfume someone asks me what i'm wearing because "i smell so nice". 4 women around my circle bought this perfume after i told what i was wearing, a male coworker bought for his girlfriend too. I find it kinda odd because i think this is really similar smelling to Coco Mademoiselle (not the same, but similar style) and with Coco i never get complimented, so i don't know, i don't wear this often, i have it in my collection much more expensive and exclusive perfumes, but this one, i keep buying it since 2010 because smells very nice but the principal reason is that it really gets noticed, in a very nice way, for that reason is a keeper for me!

I scored a fairly large bottle of Zen at Marshalls Xmas before last for $24.99. Nice deal on a nice fragrance. Mom likes it so much I gave it to her. Lovely on her. Not exactly like Coco Mademoiselle but I get why folks get a Chanel vibe. I detect a stout dose of cedar and frankincense (?), rose, apple, pineapple and patch. Zen leaves a nice cloud in the room. Shifting gears, I am comparing Zen to Yves Rocher So Elixir, another frag which is compared to Coco Mad. So Elixir is not as sharp, nor as strong as either of the others. It’s got its own game after the initial patch blast fades. So Elixir has a soft, pleasing candied incense accord with some resemblance to its cousin, Quelques Notes.

I love this perfume. Bright, fresh three kinds of citrus held together by a low dose of sweetness with pineapple, add in gorgeous lotus and freesia, green notes married with cedar, grounded by musk and patchouli, it feels slightly exotic but well-rounded, and feminine but not girly. It's just beautiful. Easy to wear, leans more daytime but there's no reason you can't wear it at night. It's lovely. Performance is very poor though. You need to bring it in your bag to reapply. You can douse yourself and it's basically gone after an hour so I buy bottles of this whenever I see a good deal online. Can find great prices at online resellers. Just a lovely all around scent.

This is an absolutely beautiful uplifting clean smelling fragrance. It’s bright smelling and happy, probably due to the citrus and wood. Somehow it smells super elegant at the same time. Great every day fragrance for spring or summer, this would be safe to wear to work, but is also elevated enough to wear for a special occasion. My husband walked in from work 3 hours after I applied this and he could smell it when he walked in the door and I was nowhere near the room he entered, so I would say this projects and has pretty solid longevity if it lasts in the air that long. I got mine at TJ Maxx for $39.99, totally worth it!!!

Eu tenho um ódio desse perfume mas eu amo tanto! Ele é perfeito, tem cheiro de mulher bem chatinha, mas não aquela chatinha tosca insuportável e sim aquela chatinha gente boa que tem umas frescurinhas que a gente releva pq ela nasceu em outra realidade, mas tenta se enturmar. Ele é elegante, fresco, delicado e muito iluminado mas a durabilidade e projeção são escrotamente ruins! Uma hora na pele e o encanto acaba, às vezes até menos. Achava que o problema era meu frasco ou minha pele mas minha amiga comprou e passa pelo mesmo. Tinha tudo para ser um must have. Shiseido, você me paga!

My bottle is the solid cylinder black. When I bought it a looooonnnnnggg time ago, was beautiful. Recently picked the same. It's an Eau de Cologne. I am not informed of reformulations but it's still smell dreamy. Not worn by a lot of people Wore at night then and still wear at night. It reminds me of Prescriptives' Calyx, which I also own. is it a pineapple note? I love Calyx for Summer and it's strong. Zen is much softer It does not remind me of Coco Mademoiselle at all. I own this also and my nose doesn't pick up at all, at least tonight :)

Lovely, fresh fragrance with citrusy tropical notes and a subtle blend of musk and amber in the drydown. Pineapple, bergamot, orange, violet, and gardenia are prominent, with a gentle presence of grapefruit. I do need to reapply after a few hours, but it garners lots of compliments. The moderate projection ensures a pleasant aura without being overpowering. Personally, I opt for 3-4 sprays, and it has become my family and friends' favorite on me. On my third bottle, it remains my go-to daytime summer scent for three consecutive years.

Having read some mixed reviews, I was hesitant to buy this without testing it first, but I was intrigued and it came on sale so....here we are. I love it. I already have Coco Mademoiselle so, maybe it's a bit redundant because they're so similar, but I still love it. It's sharp and citrusy with strong patchouli underneath that gives it a hint of bitterness. It does dry down quite quickly and gives a sweeter, muskier vibe that's missing from Coco Mademoiselle though. Definitely a day perfume, it's fresh and zesty.