Fragrance comparison

Arsenale vs Dickens in Varanasi

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 6 ratings analysed

Arsenale

Le Cult 1944

—0 votes

Rank #80,126 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Dickens in Varanasi

THEN THERE

4.336 votes

Rank #49,784 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dickens in Varanasi takes 3 of 4 categories.

Arsenale
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Dickens in Varanasi
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Arsenale1/4

Dickens in Varanasi3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dickens in Varanasi
Sillage & projection: Arsenale
Value for money: Dickens in Varanasi
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Dickens in Varanasi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ArsenaleLe Cult 1944

Dickens in VaranasiTHEN THERE

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 17%Want 83%

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 3%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityDickens in Varanasi

SillageArsenale

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value63

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

balsamic84%

tobacco77%

amber69%

vanilla61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

smoky61%

Scent match56%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

elemiSaffron

Heart2 to 4 hours

PatchouliSandalwoodTobacco

Base4 to 8 hours

AmbergrisGurjan balsamVanilla

Top

GrapefruitChamomileelemiNutmegPearGreen Apple

Heart

AmberPatchouliMagnoliaSaffronJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base

IncenseVanillaTobaccoWhite MuskVetiverSandalwoodOud

InformationalShared noteselemi, Saffron, Patchouli and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Arsenale, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#80,126

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#49,784

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arsenale by Le Cult 1944 is an oriental woody fragrance built around rich woods, dry spice, and resinous warmth. The scent begins with a distinct flash of elemi resin and dry saffron, offering a mildly aromatic, peppery sparkle. As it settles, earthy patchouli, smooth sandalwood, and unburned tobacco leaf create a den…

Reviews →

Dickens in Varanasi by THEN THERE opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit, herbal chamomile, and spicy elemi resin. As the initial brightness settles, a heavy heart of saffron, dark patchouli, and warm cinnamon takes over on skin. The dry down anchors on smoky incense, earthy vetiver, and bitter oud lightly soft…

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 lasts longer, Arsenale or Dickens in Varanasi?

Dickens in Varanasi lasts longest (Dickens in Varanasi 85/100, Arsenale 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Arsenale or Dickens in Varanasi?

Arsenale projects furthest (Arsenale 75/100, Dickens in Varanasi 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arsenale and Dickens in Varanasi smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include elemi, Saffron, Patchouli and Sandalwood.

Is Arsenale or Dickens in Varanasi better for summer or winter?

Arsenale suits evening wear; Dickens in Varanasi suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arsenale and Dickens in Varanasi?

Arsenale has top notes of elemi and Saffron, heart notes of Patchouli, Sandalwood and Tobacco, a base of Ambergris, Gurjan balsam and Vanilla. Dickens in Varanasi has top notes of Grapefruit, Chamomile, elemi and Nutmeg, heart notes of Amber, Patchouli, Magnolia and Saffron, a base of Incense, Vanilla, Tobacco and White Musk.