Fragrance comparison

Ambre Antique vs Varens Secret 3

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 15 ratings analysed

Ambre Antique

Ava Luxe

3.867 votes

Rank #57,025 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

2 wins

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Secret 3 takes 2 of 3 categories.

Ambre Antique
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.
Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Ambre Antique1/3

Varens Secret 32/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Secret 3
Sillage & projection: Ambre Antique
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varens Secret 3

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ambre AntiqueAva Luxe

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 10%Had 6%Want 84%

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

38%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityVarens Secret 3

SillageAmbre Antique

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value100

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

yellow floral84%

sweet77%

white floral69%

vanilla61%

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both vanilla, citrus and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CitrusesRed Berries

Heart

Ylang-YlangOrange BlossomRoseIris

Base

VetiverAmberVanillaSandalwood

Top15-30 mins

Bitter AlmondCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseIris

Base6-8 hrs

PatchouliVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Rose, Iris and Amber. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Casual 29%Party 20%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#57,025

PerfumerSerena Ava Franco

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ambre Antique is a warm unisex amber with a bright citrus and red berry opening, then a floral heart of ylang-ylang, orange blossom, rose, and iris. The base is the main story: amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and vetiver give it a sweet, woody, softly powdery finish. It suits shoppers who want an indie amber that feels fl…

Reviews →

Varens Secret 3 by Ulric de Varens is a warm, powdery oriental fragrance built around sweet almond, creamy vanilla, and resinous amber. The opening arrives with a punchy flash of bitter almond and quick citruses that can feel slightly sharp for the first three minutes. Give it a moment. Once the alcohol burns away, th…

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, Ambre Antique or Varens Secret 3?

Varens Secret 3 takes 2 of 3 categories. Ambre Antique is rated 3.86/5 from 7 votes; Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Ambre Antique for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Ambre Antique or Varens Secret 3?

Varens Secret 3 lasts longest (Varens Secret 3 65/100, Ambre Antique 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ambre Antique or Varens Secret 3?

Ambre Antique projects furthest (Ambre Antique 50/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ambre Antique and Varens Secret 3 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, citrus and sweet accords. Common notes include Citruses, Rose, Iris and Amber.

Is Ambre Antique or Varens Secret 3 better for summer or winter?

Ambre Antique suits evening wear; Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ambre Antique and Varens Secret 3?

Ambre Antique has top notes of Citruses and Red Berries, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Orange Blossom, Rose and Iris, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Vanilla and Sandalwood. Varens Secret 3 has top notes of Bitter Almond and Citruses, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Amber.