Fragrance comparison

1 PRIMUM vs Varens Original African Queen

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 59 ratings analysed

1 PRIMUM

Siberian Wellness

4.1217 votes

Rank #46,786 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Varens Original African Queen

Ulric de Varens

3.9842 votes

Rank #20,326 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original African Queen takes 3 of 4 categories.

1 PRIMUM
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Varens Original African Queen
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

1 PRIMUM1/4

Varens Original African Queen3/4

Ratings & consensus: 1 PRIMUM
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Original African Queen
Sillage & projection: Varens Original African Queen
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varens Original African Queen

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

1 PRIMUMSiberian Wellness

Varens Original African QueenUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.12/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 44%Had 10%Want 46%

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 51%

Category winner1 PRIMUMRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

29%Like

12%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

26%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

42 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original African Queen

SillageVarens Original African Queen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky92%

rose84%

animalic77%

citrus69%

amber61%

warm spicy100%

amber91%

floral83%

oud74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both amber and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangePink PepperSpicy Notes

Heart

LeatherRose PetalsAmber

Base

SmokeAgarwood (Oud)ResinsCashmeranMusk

Notes

ResinsSpicy NotesCarnationAgarwood (Oud)BergamotFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesSpicy Notes, Agarwood (Oud) and Resins. Durations are only published for Varens Original African Queen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring25

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring19

Summer0

Fall100

Winter63

Day35

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex73

Women9

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 37%Party 29%Casual 21%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,786

PerfumerAngéline Leporini

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,326

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerVarens Original African QueenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

1 PRIMUM is a smoky leather oud with a bright mandarin opening and a peppery edge. It starts sharp and warm, then settles into rose, amber, resins, and musk, with smoke and cashmeran giving it a dry, textured feel. It reads firmly unisex and leans more suited to cooler weather, evening wear, and anyone who enjoys dark…

Reviews →

Varens Original African Queen is a warm spicy amber floral fragrance that punches well above its modest drugstore price tag. Composed by master nose Pierre Bourdon in 2008, it opens with a brisk flash of bergamot that quickly yields to a fiery heart of spicy carnation and abstract floral notes. A dusty, smoky base of …

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, 1 PRIMUM or Varens Original African Queen?

Varens Original African Queen takes 3 of 4 categories. 1 PRIMUM is rated 4.12/5 from 17 votes; Varens Original African Queen is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes. Choose 1 PRIMUM for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Varens Original African Queen for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, 1 PRIMUM or Varens Original African Queen?

Varens Original African Queen lasts longest (Varens Original African Queen 71/100, 1 PRIMUM 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 1 PRIMUM or Varens Original African Queen?

Varens Original African Queen projects furthest (Varens Original African Queen 66/100, 1 PRIMUM 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 1 PRIMUM and Varens Original African Queen smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and citrus accords. Common notes include Spicy Notes, Agarwood (Oud) and Resins.

Is 1 PRIMUM or Varens Original African Queen better for summer or winter?

1 PRIMUM suits day or night wear; Varens Original African Queen suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 1 PRIMUM and Varens Original African Queen?

1 PRIMUM has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper and Spicy Notes, heart notes of Leather, Rose Petals and Amber, a base of Smoke, Agarwood (Oud), Resins and Cashmeran. Varens Original African Queen features Resins, Spicy Notes, Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot.