Zen

spa in the middle of nowhere, someone put together wears this. some days i find it boring and others i find it to be very unique, some days it's weird and other days it smells so fresh and, well, zen. it's not a safe blind buy. it puts me in the scene of a luxurious asian hotel. eh, i could not compare it to coco mademoiselle, because in my opinion it just smells like the asian version of it. less confusing, more elegant, more introspective.

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!

This was one of my very first blind buy purchases when I started my collection. Let me just say that on paper, this goes very masculine citrusy - think Sospiro Vibrato. But on skin? This is a summertime stunner! It's a bit dated and old school with a floral citrus musky, almost powdery dry down. But it is one of those perfumes I find myself constantly putting my wrist up to my nose for another fix. Maybe not a super safe blind buy for everyone, but the price tag is quite forgiving so IMO it was worth it.

Zen was on my list for a while but once I got it, I immediately fell for it. It is so calm just like it's name suggests (imo). Its not too sweet, not too spicy, not too floraly... To me this was well balanced, and perfect for warm weather. Lasts for at least 5h on my skin and about 8-9h on clothes, it stays but its like so minimum afterwards which is not bad thing once again imo. As someone who loves strong & sugary/sweet scents, me liking this says a lot. It reminds me of those night dates in summer time, a bit more elegant vibe, but still not too mature.

tried it in Sephora and i really liked it. not sure about how long it lasts tho. i would love to buy a bottle

I only tested it on paper. Very non-linear and quite potent. I don't remember what exactly it smelled like in the opening but it was very different from the overpowering drydown which unfolded and filled my entire room about a day later and got typically masculine. After 11 days, it smells exactly like cologne my grandfather used to wear when I was little. I catch rose and something spicy. Very very generic and definitely masculine.

Very heartbreaking to see the negative reviews which seem to be a result of reformulation or some change, i thought it was a really unique and beautiful scent for its time- rather subtle and elegant

This is relaxing...but sooo light.. Dry down..dislike

The first time I smelled this I felt transported to far away exotic lands. That's why I bought it. I have had this perfume for some years now, and everytime I open the bottle, I smile with pleasure and feel my body relax. I primarily get here juicy fruity bitterness and patchouli. It is a bitter grapefruit, sweet pineapple, mixed with bitter patchouli all along, and just a hint of abstract florals to give it enough feminine feel. Red apple sometimes comes out in the middle. There are hints of incense all throughout that give it a serious and spiritual atmosphere. In the drydown the patchouli gets stronger, especially when worn on skin, and it gets darker and slightly chocolaty, but never dirty, always clean. Sharp astringent woody notes come out in the mid and the base, making it feel like alkaline bar soup in a somewhat unpleasant manner (I find dry woody notes difficult). The golden bottle design and its name fit the perfume beautifully. It is a clean spiritual serious perfume, at once beautiful and complex, continously evolving. It is not flirty and not overly sweet. It is like a deep voiced well-poised woman who is confident and in touch with her inner self. It is not strong and not cloying like many perfumes are, but a spray or two will last all day, sending pleasing whiffs of slightly sweetened patchouli reminders now and then, as a personal and intimate encouragement to help carry oneself through the day. It is suitable for a clean and professional work environment, or for meditating on some creative work.

Ugh. Old aunt that kissed you when entering the Christmas party and now you're stuck in a cloud of patchouli that just won't stop sneaking into every breath you take.

Unfortunately, this perfume didn’t work for me. My closest people actually thought my clothes smelled unwashed

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!

People think Shiseido would mimic Chanel Coco Mademoiselle? Are you crazy? Japonaise brand never would do that. Zen is itself fragrance being itself smell. Why people like to do connexions? Is clean, dry ready to go, fresh, aesthetic and Simple. I do have CC MDML and is not similar, is another thing.

Boring, genereic. The old version from 2000 was beautiful and unique. They should never have discontinued that or changed it to this version of Zen. What a dissapointment.

I got this as a christmas present and i can easily say this is the nearest perfume to being my signature scent.If you are moody,have a resting bitch face and If you act as serious as German civil servants.This one is for you.God i love insurance,banks and credit cards...military, law&order... update : this is the only perfume cause allergic reaction on me unfortunately and i am not sensitive i am a tough women like tony sopranos soooooo hapiness is a trap for me

This is a nice fresh scent. I can't say anything else, because it is very generic and I can't even remember a distinctive note, I just remember that it smelled nice. In my opinion maybe a bit too much of patchouli in the dry down, and definitely it should not be compared to Chanel. Chanel for me is way more elegant and distinctive.

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 get this very harsh, hard to breathe, vibe from this perfume. Almost vinegary. To anyone that is comparing this to Chanel needs to get slapped. Not hard, just a little slap to get you out of that dream state you're in. I can see the similar DNA but Chanel did theirs better. This seems cheap and synthetic as some reviewers mentioned. That's a no from me dawg.

Poor formulation, generic, synthetic, redundant. To each their own, but this is nowhere near what people are raving about here. There are much better options available in the same price range. Shiseido needs to step up their game.

Like a reviewer below... I can't smell this much. I smell a bit of citrus and the woodiness. The slight earthy, woody smell seems to go for hours though.

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.

I love this fruit salad soooo much <3 For me, it is a combination of pineapple&ylang ylang So recharging. Feels like watching sunset after a long day

Blind bought this because the notes looked really good... That was a mistake... I am sure it smells nice, my husband gives me compliments when I wear it, but I am completely anosmic to this :( I just smell a bit of citrus and that's it

I want to love it, but I can't. Sold my backup bottle after using one up because even though I love the tea notes, there is something slightly sharp and indolic about this on me. And for the reviewer below... there IS something like this, but I'll have to keep it secret for a little while, until I get myself a bottle ;)

If C.Chance and Coco Mademoiselle are considered the closest scents to Zen, then there is nothing like Zen💛

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'm completely anosmic to it, so it's wasted on me. It just reminds me a lot of Cerutti 1881. My bottle is nearly full (with a wooden cap), so message me if you live in the UK and want it.

Ladies, as a man, I can say that this perfume is wonderful, very inviting, subtle, and not overpowering. It gives off a sense of purity, elegance, and introspection. I could immediately smell the rose as a top note, which I absolutely love. However, the rose scent isn't too strong, which keeps the perfume soft and delicate. The price is great for an original fragrance, so if you're considering buying it, I think it's an excellent choice. Plus, it's versatile enough to be worn on any occasion. 10/10

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.

Blind buy (trusted the ratings) and it smells like vinegar to me with some messy floral undertones. It's a no from me.