Fragrance comparison

Appear vs Varens Secret 1

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 70 ratings analysed

Appear

Hermetica

3.4766 votes

Rank #17,056 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Varens Secret 1

Ulric de Varens

4.504 votes

Rank #54,160 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Secret 1 takes 3 of 4 categories.

Appear
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Varens Secret 1
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Appear1/4

Varens Secret 13/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AppearHermetica

Varens Secret 1Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.47/ 5 · 66 votes

Have 41%Had 12%Want 47%

4.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 17%Want 61%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

14%Love

45%Like

23%Ok

11%Dislike

8%Hate

66 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityVarens Secret 1

SillageVarens Secret 1

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value63

Category winnerVarens Secret 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet91%

fresh83%

caramel74%

green65%

white floral56%

white floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

balsamic61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PearCassisMandarin OrangeBlack Pepper

Heart

Green AppleJasmineGardeniaOrrisLily of the Valley

Base

CaramelPeachRaspberryVanillaMuskCedarTonkaAmber

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangePeachBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineGardeniaIncense

Base6-8 hrs

AmberPatchouliSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Black Pepper, Jasmine and Gardenia. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter30

Day100

Night26

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Party 27%Casual 22%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,056

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews18

Overall rank#54,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAppearHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Hermetica Appear delivers a bright, juicy blend of orchard fruit and gentle sweetness designed for effortless daily wear. It opens with crisp green apple, ripe pear, and a splash of sunny mandarin orange, balanced by a faint kick of black pepper. As it warms on the skin, creamy jasmine, gardenia, and powdery orris roo…

Reviews →

Ulric de Varens Varens Secret 1 starts with a noticeable crackle of black pepper over juicy peach and bright mandarin orange. It smells sweet, spicy, and immediately warm. Within twenty minutes, the initial fruitiness softens as creamy white gardenia and jasmine take over, wrapped in a gentle ribbon of smoky incense. …

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, Appear or Varens Secret 1?

Varens Secret 1 takes 3 of 4 categories. Appear is rated 3.47/5 from 66 votes; Varens Secret 1 is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes. Choose Appear for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Varens Secret 1 for a white floral and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Appear or Varens Secret 1?

They last about the same: Varens Secret 1 60/100, Appear 59/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Appear or Varens Secret 1?

Varens Secret 1 projects furthest (Varens Secret 1 55/100, Appear 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Appear and Varens Secret 1 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Black Pepper, Jasmine and Gardenia.

Is Appear or Varens Secret 1 better for summer or winter?

Appear suits daytime wear; Varens Secret 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Appear and Varens Secret 1?

Appear has top notes of Pear, Cassis, Mandarin Orange and Black Pepper, heart notes of Green Apple, Jasmine, Gardenia and Orris, a base of Caramel, Peach, Raspberry and Vanilla. Varens Secret 1 has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Peach and Black Pepper, heart notes of Jasmine, Gardenia and Incense, a base of Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood.