Fragrance comparison

Aqaba Spring vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 611 ratings analysed

4 wins

Aqaba Spring

Aqaba

3.9842 votes

Rank #23,172 FruityWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #2,176 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Aqaba Spring takes 4 of 7 categories.

Aqaba Spring
Choose it for a fruity and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Aqaba Spring4/7

John Varvatos Oud3/7

Ratings & consensus: John Varvatos Oud
Community sentiment: John Varvatos Oud
Longevity: Aqaba Spring
Sillage & projection: Aqaba Spring
Value for money: Aqaba Spring
Versatility: Aqaba Spring
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: John Varvatos Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Aqaba SpringAqaba

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 33%Had 20%Want 47%

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

31%Like

0%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

42 votes

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAqaba Spring

SillageAqaba Spring

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value65

Category winnerAqaba SpringBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

warm spicy92%

rose84%

white floral77%

floral69%

citrus61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CinnamonCassisBrazilian Mandarin

Heart

Turkish RoseMoroccan RoseIndian JasmineEgyptian JasmineCloves

Base

ApricotPeach BlossomBourbon Vanilla

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Turkish Rose, Egyptian Jasmine and Cloves. Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer56

Fall22

Winter22

Day100

Night25

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day60

Night100

Category winnerAqaba SpringMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,172

PerfumerJean-Pierre Subrenat

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#2,176

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aqaba Spring opens with a sharp burst of Brazilian mandarin and dark cassis leaf before settling into a warm floral heart. Turkish rose and Egyptian jasmine dominate the middle phase, tied together by a dusting of dry clove. As the citrus brightness recedes, juicy apricot and soft bourbon vanilla emerge in the dry-dow…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Oud takes a notoriously heavy scent profile and dials it back into something smooth, warm, and exceptionally wearable. Instead of a funky barnyard oud, you get a rush of dry tobacco leaves, cracked nutmeg, and brisk cypress needle right off the nozzle. Within twenty minutes, sweet cinnamon and clove heat…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Aqaba Spring or John Varvatos Oud?

Aqaba Spring takes 4 of 7 categories. Aqaba Spring is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose Aqaba Spring for a fruity and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Aqaba Spring or John Varvatos Oud?

Aqaba Spring lasts longest (Aqaba Spring 73/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aqaba Spring or John Varvatos Oud?

Aqaba Spring projects furthest (Aqaba Spring 64/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aqaba Spring and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Turkish Rose, Egyptian Jasmine and Cloves.

Is Aqaba Spring or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

For summer, Aqaba Spring is the stronger pick. For winter, John Varvatos Oud is the stronger pick. Aqaba Spring suits daytime wear; John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aqaba Spring and John Varvatos Oud?

Aqaba Spring has top notes of Cinnamon, Cassis and Brazilian Mandarin, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Moroccan Rose, Indian Jasmine and Egyptian Jasmine, a base of Apricot, Peach Blossom and Bourbon Vanilla. John Varvatos Oud has top notes of Tobacco, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries and Cypress, heart notes of Cinnamon, Turkish Rose, Pepper and Cardamom, a base of Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Myrhh and Leather.