Fragrance comparison

Belle d'Opium vs Varens Secret 1

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 5,143 ratings analysed

3 wins

Belle d'Opium

Yves Saint Laurent

4.015,139 votes

Rank #1,604 White FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

66%scent match

Closely related

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?

Belle d'Opium takes 3 of 4 categories.

Belle d'Opium
Choose it for a white floral and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Varens Secret 1
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Belle d'Opium3/4

Varens Secret 11/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Belle d'OpiumYves Saint Laurent

Varens Secret 1Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.01/ 5 · 5,139 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

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

36%Love

46%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

5,139 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

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityBelle d'Opium

SillageBelle d'Opium

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value63

Category winnerVarens Secret 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

fruity92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

woody69%

sweet61%

white floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

balsamic61%

Scent match66%Closely related · both white floral, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Casablanca LilyGardeniaJasmineMandarin Orange

Heart

IncenseFruity NotesWhite PepperTobaccoPeachRose

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliAmberVanilla

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangePeachBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineGardeniaIncense

Base6-8 hrs

AmberPatchouliSandalwood

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange and Incense. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring32

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex15

Women83

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#1,604

PerfumerAlberto Morillas, Honorine Blanc

Launched—

Reviews202

Overall rank#54,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBelle d'OpiumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Belle d'Opium by Yves Saint Laurent opens with bright mandarin orange and lush Casablanca lily before settling into a warm blend of sweet peach, soft pipe tobacco, and creamy gardenia. Smoky incense and white pepper cut through the sweet fruit, resting on a base of smooth sandalwood, rich amber, and earthy patchouli. …

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, Belle d'Opium or Varens Secret 1?

Belle d'Opium takes 3 of 4 categories. Belle d'Opium is rated 4.01/5 from 5,139 votes; Varens Secret 1 is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes. Choose Belle d'Opium for a white floral and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Varens Secret 1 for a white floral and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Belle d'Opium or Varens Secret 1?

Belle d'Opium lasts longest (Belle d'Opium 65/100, Varens Secret 1 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Belle d'Opium or Varens Secret 1?

Belle d'Opium projects furthest (Belle d'Opium 60/100, Varens Secret 1 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Belle d'Opium and Varens Secret 1 smell similar?

Closely related: a 66% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange and Incense.

Is Belle d'Opium or Varens Secret 1 better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Belle d'Opium and Varens Secret 1?

Belle d'Opium has top notes of Casablanca Lily, Gardenia, Jasmine and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Incense, Fruity Notes, White Pepper and Tobacco, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber 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.