Fragrance comparison

Apex vs Hot! Fragrances Blue

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 1,794 ratings analysed

2 wins

Apex

Roja Dove

3.841,785 votes

Rank #1,380 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Hot! Fragrances Blue

Ulric de Varens · 2008

3.339 votes

Rank #56,220 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Apex takes 2 of 4 categories.

Apex
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Hot! Fragrances Blue
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Apex2/4

Hot! Fragrances Blue1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Apex
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Hot! Fragrances Blue
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Apex

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApexRoja Dove

Hot! Fragrances BlueUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.84/ 5 · 1,785 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.33/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 39%Had 39%Want 21%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

24%Like

13%Ok

8%Dislike

10%Hate

1,136 votes

22%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

44%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityApex

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value36

¤ Price value63

Category winnerHot! Fragrances BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

citrus77%

amber69%

sweet61%

woody100%

amber86%

musky72%

citrus58%

powdery44%

balsamic30%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both woody, amber and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BergamotOrangeMandarin OrangeLemon

Heart

PineappleCistus IncanusJasmine

Base

CypressBalsam FirOakmossLeatherPatchouliTobaccoJuniper BerriesOlibanum

Notes

Cashmere WoodAmberMuskBergamotTeak WoodSandalwoodTonka BeanTobaccoMandarin Orange

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Mandarin Orange and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Hot! Fragrances Blue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter83

Day–

Night–

Spring67

Summer100

Fall100

Winter33

Day100

Night43

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex3

Women2

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 45%Work 28%Date 15%Party 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,380

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews413

Overall rank#56,220

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2008

Reviews3

Category winnerApexHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Apex opens bright with citrus and pineapple, then quickly turns greener, woodsier, and more old-school in character. Cypress, oakmoss, leather, and fir give it a masculine, outdoorsy feel that many find polished, while others find dated or too forceful. It suits someone who likes classic chypre structure with a modern…

Reviews →

Hot! Fragrances Blue by Ulric de Varens is an honest, low-cost woody aromatic scent built around sweet citrus and dry woods. Do not panic at first. The initial spray punches hard with tangy mandarin orange and bergamot, smothered in an overt rush of spun sugar. Give it five minutes. That sugary pop mellows out rapidly…

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, Apex or Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Apex takes 2 of 4 categories. Apex is rated 3.84/5 from 1,785 votes; Hot! Fragrances Blue is rated 3.33/5 from 9 votes. Choose Apex for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Hot! Fragrances Blue for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Apex or Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Apex lasts longest (Apex 76/100, Hot! Fragrances Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Apex or Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Projection is very close: Apex 67/100, Hot! Fragrances Blue 67/100 for sillage.

Do Apex and Hot! Fragrances Blue smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Tobacco.

Is Apex or Hot! Fragrances Blue better for summer or winter?

Hot! Fragrances Blue suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Apex and Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Apex has top notes of Bergamot, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Lemon, heart notes of Pineapple, Cistus Incanus and Jasmine, a base of Cypress, Balsam Fir, Oakmoss and Leather. Hot! Fragrances Blue features Cashmere Wood, Amber, Musk, Bergamot and Teak Wood.