BERBERA vs John Varvatos Oud
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
60%scent match
Closely related
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
John Varvatos Oud takes 5 of 7 categories.
BERBERAChoose it for a amber and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
John Varvatos OudChoose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
BERBERA2/7
John Varvatos Oud5/7
- Ratings & consensus
- John Varvatos Oud
- Community sentiment
- John Varvatos Oud
- Longevity
- BERBERA
- Sillage & projection
- John Varvatos Oud
- Value for money
- John Varvatos Oud
- Versatility
- BERBERA
- 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
BERBERANissabaJohn Varvatos OudJohn VarvatosWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.07/ 5 · 43 votes
Have 19%Had 10%Want 72%
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 hate51%Love
21%Like
19%Ok
2%Dislike
7%Hate
43 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
Category winners
LongevityBERBERA
SillageJohn Varvatos Oud
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerJohn Varvatos OudBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothamber100%
fresh spicy86%
balsamic72%
warm spicy58%
aromatic44%
sweet30%
amber100%
warm spicy92%
fresh spicy84%
aromatic77%
woody69%
balsamic61%
Scent match60%Closely related · both amber, fresh spicy and warm spicy
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
PepperelemiNutmeg
Heart
FrankincenseMyrrh
Base
OpoponaxIncense
Top15-30 mins
TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage
Heart2-4 hrs
CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus
Base5-7 hrs
IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber
InformationalShared notesPepper, Nutmeg, Opoponax and Incense. Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring41
Summer18
Fall100
Winter82
Day75
Night100
Spring48
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day60
Night100
Category winnerBERBERAMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#26,925
PerfumerCoralie Spicher, Fabrice Pellegrin
Launched—
Reviews4
Overall rank#2,178
PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux
Launched—
Reviews111
Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotBERBERA by Nissaba opens with a sharp kick of crushed black pepper and bright, lemon-tinted elemi resin, grounded quickly by earthy nutmeg. As the top notes soften, the fragrance settles into a dry heart of raw frankincense and golden myrrh. Unlike heavy gourmand ambers, this scent relies on unburned resin gums and 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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
Mexx Ice Touch ManMexxRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
White NoiseRoadsWINNER
♛
CreatorARgENTUMWINNER
vs
Forget Me Not 勿忘我RECLASSIFIED RE调香室RUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
CreatorARgENTUMWINNER
vs
Forget Me Not 勿忘我RECLASSIFIED RE调香室RUNNER-UP
NabroAZYARUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Mila Schön (Original)Mila SchönWINNER
Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, BERBERA or John Varvatos Oud?
John Varvatos Oud takes 5 of 7 categories. BERBERA is rated 4.07/5 from 43 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose BERBERA for a amber and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, BERBERA or John Varvatos Oud?
BERBERA lasts longest (BERBERA 65/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, BERBERA or John Varvatos Oud?
Projection is very close: John Varvatos Oud 54/100, BERBERA 53/100 for sillage.
Do BERBERA and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?
Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, fresh spicy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Pepper, Nutmeg, Opoponax and Incense.
Is BERBERA or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?
For summer, BERBERA is the stronger pick. For winter, John Varvatos Oud is the stronger pick. BERBERA suits evening wear; John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in BERBERA and John Varvatos Oud?
BERBERA has top notes of Pepper, elemi and Nutmeg, heart notes of Frankincense and Myrrh, a base of Opoponax and Incense. 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.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons