Fragrance comparison

Berlin vs Varensia

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 685 ratings analysed

Berlin

Playboy

3.8672 votes

Rank #15,849 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,083 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 5 of 5 categories.

Berlin
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Best in spring.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection.

Berlin0/5

Varensia5/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BerlinPlayboy

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 72 votes

Have 35%Had 21%Want 45%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerVarensiaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

65%Like

6%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

72 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityVarensia

SillageVarensia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

citrus84%

fruity77%

fresh spicy69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GinOrangeSpices

Heart

Red AppleCranberryGeranium

Base

SandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)oak moss

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesOrange, Geranium, Sandalwood and oak moss. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter8

Day–

Night–

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,849

PerfumerLucas Sieuzac, Nathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#7,083

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerVarensiaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Playboy Berlin hits skin with a brisk burst of icy gin, crushed oranges, and sharp kitchen spices before pivoting into a surprisingly cool fruity heart. The cranberry note gives the initial citrus a tart, slightly bitter edge, keeping the red apple from turning into pure sugar. As the boozy opening settles down, geran…

Reviews →

Varensia by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic, retro chypre that balances bright citrus with dense, earthy forest moss. The first spritz unleashes crisp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and tangy mandarin orange before settling into ripe black currant and sweet cassis. As the initial sharpness fades, a heart of spiced carna…

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 is better, Berlin or Varensia?

Varensia takes 5 of 5 categories. Berlin is rated 3.86/5 from 72 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Berlin for a aromatic and woody character. Best in spring. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection.

Which lasts longer, Berlin or Varensia?

Varensia lasts longest (Varensia 71/100, Berlin 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Berlin or Varensia?

Varensia projects furthest (Varensia 65/100, Berlin 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Berlin and Varensia smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and fruity accords. Common notes include Orange, Geranium, Sandalwood and oak moss.

What are the notes in Berlin and Varensia?

Berlin has top notes of Gin, Orange and Spices, heart notes of Red Apple, Cranberry and Geranium, a base of Sandalwood, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and oak moss. Varensia has top notes of Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry, heart notes of Black Currant, Cassis, Ylang Ylang and Geranium, a base of oak moss, Carnation, Powdery Notes and Vetiver.