Fragrance comparison

Bahar vs Varens Secret 3

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 453 ratings analysed

3 wins

Bahar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.30445 votes

Rank #24,121 CitrusFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bahar takes 3 of 4 categories.

Bahar
Choose it for a citrus and fresh character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Bahar3/4

Varens Secret 31/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Bahar
Sillage & projection: Bahar
Value for money: Varens Secret 3
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Bahar

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BaharThe Spirit of Dubai

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 445 votes

Have 40%Had 9%Want 51%

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

445 votes

38%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBahar

SillageBahar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value32

¤ Price value100

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fresh92%

woody84%

aquatic77%

aromatic69%

ozonic61%

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sea NotesCitrusesOzonic notesWatery NotesBitter OrangeSpicy NotesGingerLime

Heart

SpicesSandalwoodViolet LeafLotusCyclamenCedarVanillaJasmine

Base

Precious WoodsAmberMuskVetiverAgarwood (Oud)PatchouliImmortelle

Top15-30 mins

Bitter AlmondCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseIris

Base6-8 hrs

PatchouliVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Vanilla, Amber and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men47

Unisex47

Women6

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Casual 29%Party 20%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,121

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerBaharHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Bahar opens with an intense blast of salty sea notes, bitter orange, and sour lime. The ozonic freshness strikes cold and almost medicinal at first spray before settling into a dense core of cardamom, violet leaf, and sandalwood. As the hours pass, dark agarwood and amber push through the watery surface. Designed for …

Reviews →

Varens Secret 3 by Ulric de Varens is a warm, powdery oriental fragrance built around sweet almond, creamy vanilla, and resinous amber. The opening arrives with a punchy flash of bitter almond and quick citruses that can feel slightly sharp for the first three minutes. Give it a moment. Once the alcohol burns away, th…

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, Bahar or Varens Secret 3?

Bahar takes 3 of 4 categories. Bahar is rated 4.30/5 from 445 votes; Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Bahar for a citrus and fresh character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Bahar or Varens Secret 3?

Bahar lasts longest (Bahar 84/100, Varens Secret 3 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Bahar or Varens Secret 3?

Bahar projects furthest (Bahar 75/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Bahar and Varens Secret 3 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Citruses, Vanilla, Amber and Patchouli.

Is Bahar or Varens Secret 3 better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Bahar and Varens Secret 3?

Bahar has top notes of Sea Notes, Citruses, Ozonic notes and Watery Notes, heart notes of Spices, Sandalwood, Violet Leaf and Lotus, a base of Precious Woods, Amber, Musk and Vetiver. Varens Secret 3 has top notes of Bitter Almond and Citruses, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Amber.