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Zen for Men 2009 Eau de Toilette

6.6 / 10 122 Ratings
A perfume by Shiseido for men, released in 2009. The scent is fresh-fruity. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Fresh
Fruity
Spicy
Citrus
Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
KumquatKumquat Nashi pearNashi pear BergamotBergamot
Heart Notes Heart Notes
VioletViolet NutmegNutmeg RhododendronRhododendron
Base Notes Base Notes
MuskMusk PatchouliPatchouli LeatherLeather

Perfumers

Ratings
Scent
6.6122 Ratings
Longevity
5.788 Ratings
Sillage
5.174 Ratings
Bottle
7.090 Ratings
Value for money
6.916 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 09/05/2024.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Zen for Men (After Shave Lotion) by Shiseido
Zen for Men After Shave Lotion
Balmain Homme by Balmain
Balmain Homme
FM 331 by Federico Mahora
FM 331
Fig by Marc Jacobs
Fig
Classic Electric Sky by Jaguar
Classic Electric Sky
Ultrasense (Eau de Toilette) by Jil Sander
Ultrasense Eau de Toilette

Reviews

14 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Apicius

1328 Reviews
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Apicius
Apicius
Top Review 16  
A lot of development in a short time
I can echo Friendchild's assessment: Zen for Men has that certain something. In short, this is probably the best possible description of this fragrance.

I tested Zen for Men without knowledge of the pyramid and was quite puzzled. I couldn't identify the top notes at all. Was it floral, citrusy, minty, or all of the above? Before I could decide, it was already gone. So only a fleeting impression remains: modern, urban, and unusual. Even the top note makes it clear: here is something you don't find every day.

Zen for Men quickly changes its character. The lightness is still there, but it gives way to a somewhat more stable, in my perception, woody heart note. And it is attractive: none of the usual harsh cedar- sandalwood notes, but something milder. From distinctly woody, this note reaches into a scent impression of old, stained paper, as celebrated extensively in Dior's Homme. But that's not all: an unusual spicy note flanks the whole thing. I couldn't identify it as nutmeg, of course. Is my nose letting me down?

Be that as it may - the heart note is really attractive. In this section, the wearer of Zen for Men exudes an extraordinary, pleasantly understated aura. I think this can certainly lead to curious questions and comments.

But unfortunately, unfortunately, this does not last. I would have loved to have this accord as the base scent. It actually appears after an hour and is basically an old acquaintance. I smell neither leather nor patchouli here. I clearly perceive it as woody, paired with something vanilla-like and a bit of powderiness, which could be attributed to a musk in my opinion. This is familiar from many other perfumes, from cheap (J'S Exté Man) to luxurious (Guerlain's Arsène Lupin Voyou). It's not bad, but clearly in the wrong place here.

I have nothing fundamentally against perfumes with scent development - but a certain line should be maintained. When a perfume changes its character along the way, I can no longer go along with it. This is the case here. The heart note is totally different from the base, fitting other types and occasions. It is noble, exciting, dark, sexy, and mysterious - yet the base is well-known, solid, friendly, and bright. Both are nice, but please not together.

Thus, Zen for Men leaves a rather ambivalent impression. It fundamentally disappoints me - I would have loved it if the style of the heart note had been continued. On the other hand, Zen for Men has exciting, original sides. It's difficult to have to decide for or against it here. In any case, the wearer should love variety in perfumes.
3 Comments
Friendchild

112 Reviews
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Friendchild
Friendchild
Top Review 11  
The Personification of Calm, Zen for Men?
For Men? Well, maybe not such a typical men's fragrance when you first sniff it, but that's not a problem.
The bottle, at first glance, is nothing special, but I wouldn't call it ugly either. It's a very classic bottle. But the sprayer works extraordinarily well, it dispenses just the perfect amount!!

Now, let's talk about the scent. The pear in the top note is really very present after the first spray. I can also smell the bergamot first. The violets in the drydown and the musk are definitely recognizable, but the rest is probably too much for my nose, and I can't figure out which notes are playing along, even though I look at the fragrance pyramid. Well, it doesn't matter, the impression counts, and that is really very, very positive! Here, the name of the perfume is the program. It is sooo calming, and we don't expect any surprises later on. It is truly a wonderful light scent that still possesses a certain originality, which I miss a lot in the brand new products. A fragrance that could really appeal to many, it's just strange that only 2 people own it, or maybe it's a little hidden gem? Hmm, hard to say, I only know the Shiseido brand from cosmetic products, or rather, expensive cosmetic products.

The longevity is really very good for this type of fragrance. I can still perceive the scent quite well after a good 5 hours. The season should be placed in spring. In summer, the perfume will probably also do quite well. Everyone should try it if they have the opportunity.

My conclusion! A beautiful light and calming fragrance that is truly original, as strange as it sounds. It has that certain something that makes it sooo pleasant. Really beautiful. It will definitely be great when the first rays of sunshine break through the clouds, as many will probably find it really pleasant next to all the fragrance bombs like "Le Male," "1 Million," "A*Men," etc.
2 Comments
Leimbacher

2871 Reviews
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Leimbacher
Leimbacher
Top Review 9  
Garden of Restlessness and Uniqueness
After my girlfriend has been using the women's version for months and I really like it, the men's version has been on my testing list for a long time as well. Unfortunately, Zen for men has been extremely rare for me to find, so I was almost about to order it blindly. Just before placing the order, I saw it at Karstadt and immediately sprayed it on.

Often, even with good fragrances, the desire to purchase is significantly lower after testing, as you now know it and have even left a comment here. This is different here; Zen is so special, versatile, and difficult to assess. I didn't expect that, and it has secured a high spot on my shopping list since it is also sold at moderate prices. But why does it score a solid 90% with me?

Because it represents a medium-sized mystery, and I love that after a year of almost daily sniffing, I can still smell things that are completely new and different. It smells fresh and floral but in such a novel way that the fragrance can certainly turn many heads and at least provoke inquiries about what it is. It doesn't come across as particularly Asian to me, and the longevity was not as bad as often stated here. However, it is a short fragrance where a lot happens within the 6 hours of its scent development. Too much for some, I see that similarly, but not quite so bad. The irregularity and complexity could even be seen as a plus point, but it is difficult to categorize the scent. And finding consistently suitable wearing occasions is even harder.

The bottle is very stylish and almost on Dior Homme level, very well done, Shiseido. The longevity tends toward short, and the sillage is not strong, but also not inconspicuous. It's hard to go wrong or underdose it.

The base note is vanilla with a hint of musk. Sweet, pleasant, and easy to recognize. It’s nice, but absolutely unremarkable. Everything that happens before that is hardly explainable. It’s restless in parts, also metallic. So, anything but zen-like balanced or relaxing. Rather invigorating and a little firecracker. Sometimes mint, sometimes noble wood, sometimes a hint of citrus. Extremely unbalanced and interesting.

I liked it very much!
1 Comment
Cappellusman

358 Reviews
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Cappellusman
Cappellusman
Top Review 8  
Japanese Sophistication with Japanese Longevity Issues
Japanese fragrances have always captivated me with their naturalness, lightness, and sophistication. With the exception of Kenzo, which can be quite bold at times, most Japanese scents are rather reserved, subtle, and quiet.

This one, however, is not at all reserved at the beginning and makes a strong entrance right away. Unusual and excellently crafted, soft yet powerful and distinctive. Gentle accords that still pack a punch; the top note is simply a blockbuster.

After that, however, there is no noticeable development. Floral notes and the usual suspects in the heart and base notes join in, which do not necessarily improve the fragrance or make it "deeper," but they also do not make it worse or banal.

This fragrance fascinates me due to its (unfortunately not long-lasting) top note and earns its 90% for that, as well as for its overall high-quality and completely unsynthetic appearance.

Oh, that was my 100th comment... "Zen for Men" is certainly a deserving subject for commentary...
0 Comments
Ronin

50 Reviews
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Ronin
Ronin
Top Review 7  
Enso - Emptiness and Completion
This is my first parfumo comment, and it's about a fragrance that I can hardly categorize. I first caught impressions of it at various airports and was thrilled: A very intricately woven scent, is it fruity, floral, woody, fresh, or sweet? A bit of everything, nothing stands out. Without knowledge of the fragrance pyramid, I wouldn't be able to identify any single note apart from the Nashi pear at the beginning.
I find the scent to be intangible, simultaneously unusual - I know of no other perfume that reminds me of Zen for Men - and yet familiar. I don't notice any real development on my skin. After a very short fruity-fresh phase, the scent remains very constant, and after just a few minutes, heart and base notes join in.
And then the fragrance is beautiful. It touches me. I feel secure. I am at peace with myself and the world. I wouldn't know that such deep feelings have ever been triggered in me by a fragrance, at least when I have smelled it on myself. By nature, I am a very analytical thinker, which makes the effect of Zen for Men all the more surprising. Only - and here I feel the same as Ergoproxy - after 1 - 2 hours, it's all over. I can't smell anything anymore. It's not that some dull base note remains, no, nothing. That is very, very unfortunate. What should I do with this fragrance, when should I wear it? To work - then I would have to keep the bottle constantly at hand. In the evening, for going out? Probably not. Although: It will surely become my wine tasting fragrance. An hour of well-being after showering, and when the first wine is in the glass, I neither disturb myself nor my surroundings with scent clouds… Accordingly, it could also be the fragrance for a very nice dinner, among good friends. For a dinner for two - no, definitely not there.
In my confusion with this fragrance, inspired by Ergoproxy's beautiful contribution, I did take a look at Wikipedia on the topic of Zen Buddhism. It may be coincidence, I don't want to philosophically elevate Zen for Men, but at least what I feel and how the fragrance develops on my skin does fit with the essence of Zen: The calligraphy of Enso (Japanese "circle") is often used as a visual symbol for Zen; it symbolizes enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and emptiness (copy-paste from Wikipedia).
How do I rate the fragrance? For the first 1 - 2 hours, it would exceed the 100% scale. The low longevity (my skin is quite "fragrance-eating," but something like this…) must also be reflected in the rating. The coincidence with the theme of Zen?

“When our mind finds peace, it disappears by itself.” (Sengcan, Xinxinming)
7 Comments
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Statements

11 short views on the fragrance
4
The nutmeg-violet-leather combo is reminiscent of Dior's "Fahrenheit" (gassy), only with sweet asian pear on top. Nice but a weak performer.
0 Comments
1 year ago
2
Criminally underrated. Beautiful. I get loads of pear, nutmeg, and violet. Patchouli comes up big in the drydown. It's persistent on me!
0 Comments
5
1
Gentle, sweet-powdery, fresh scent. Subtly spicy. Ethereal and beautifully balanced. Very synthetic, understated, and pleasant.
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1 Comment
3
A fresh, fully ripe pear, accompanied by gentle spice. H/S quite good. Seriously underrated in this forum.
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0 Comments
3
Rightly forgotten, only the perfumer briefly catches attention - fresh, aquatic, minimally woody, synthetic...pure boredom.
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0 Comments
10 years ago
3
Plastic pear in Calone
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0 Comments
2
Fragrance with great memories... It's fresh, fruity, and lightly spicy.
Rated much too low...
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0 Comments
2
A friendly quirky Japanese scent that aligns with Far Eastern fragrance habits. Sweet pickled pear, good synthetic notes, clean.
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0 Comments
1
The freshness of this scent doesn't last long. The leather note quickly comes through and takes over.
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0 Comments
1
One of my youth fragrances. It's definitely getting a bad rap here. Very nice fresh sweet scent with slight H/S issues. Otherwise top-notch.
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