Fragrance comparison

Aura for Men vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 919 ratings analysed

Aura for Men

Jacomo

3.58350 votes

Rank #5,506 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #2,010 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

John Varvatos Oud takes 4 of 7 categories.

Aura for Men
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.
John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Aura for Men2/7

John Varvatos Oud4/7

Ratings & consensus: John Varvatos Oud
Community sentiment: John Varvatos Oud
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Aura for Men
Value for money: Aura for Men
Versatility: John Varvatos Oud
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

Aura for MenJacomo

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.58/ 5 · 350 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

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

22%Love

58%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

310 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

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageAura for Men

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value83

¤ Price value65

Category winnerAura for MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

warm spicy77%

fresh69%

citrus61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GingerSageLemonJuniper

Heart

Green TeaTobaccoTonka BeanNutmegCinnamon

Base

SandalwoodCedarAmberPatchouliMusk

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesSage, Tobacco, Nutmeg and Cinnamon. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter32

Day–

Night–

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex22

Women3

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,506

PerfumerHenri Bergia

Launched—

Reviews67

Overall rank#2,010

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aura for Men by Jacomo is a woody spicy fragrance from the year 2000. It balances a crisp ginger and lemon opening with a heart of green tea, tobacco, and tonka bean. This scent offers a clean, aromatic profile that works well as a versatile daily wear for spring or autumn, providing an interesting, budget-friendly op…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Aura for Men or John Varvatos Oud?

John Varvatos Oud takes 4 of 7 categories. Aura for Men is rated 3.58/5 from 350 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose Aura for Men for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Aura for Men or John Varvatos Oud?

They last about the same: Aura for Men 61/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Aura for Men or John Varvatos Oud?

Projection is very close: Aura for Men 55/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100 for sillage.

Do Aura for Men and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Sage, Tobacco, Nutmeg and Cinnamon.

Is Aura for Men or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

For summer, Aura for Men is the stronger pick. For winter, John Varvatos Oud is the stronger pick. John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aura for Men and John Varvatos Oud?

Aura for Men has top notes of Ginger, Sage, Lemon and Juniper, heart notes of Green Tea, Tobacco, Tonka Bean and Nutmeg, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Amber and Patchouli. 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.