Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Varensia

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 699 ratings analysed

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,656 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

9%scent match

Clearly different

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 3 of 5 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Abjar3/5

Varensia2/5

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Varensia
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varensia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match9%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Sandalwood and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

Casual 35%Date 29%Work 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,656

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerVarensiaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

Varensia by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic, retro chypre that balances bright citrus with dense, earthy forest moss. The first spritz unleashes crisp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and tangy mandarin orange before settling into ripe black currant and sweet cassis. As the initial sharpness fades, a heart of spiced carna…

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, Abjar or Varensia?

Abjar takes 3 of 5 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Varensia?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Varensia?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Varensia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 9% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Sandalwood and Benzoin.

Is Abjar or Varensia better for summer or winter?

Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Varensia?

Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud). Varensia has top notes of Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry, heart notes of Black Currant, Cassis, Ylang Ylang and Geranium, a base of oak moss, Carnation, Powdery Notes and Vetiver.