Fragrance comparison

Carlisle vs Dickens in Varanasi

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 5,536 ratings analysed

Carlisle

Parfums de Marly

4.375,530 votes

Rank #696 VanillaPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Dickens in Varanasi

THEN THERE

4.336 votes

Rank #47,067 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Carlisle
Choose it for a vanilla and patchouli character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Dickens in Varanasi
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Carlisle2/4

Dickens in Varanasi2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CarlisleParfums de Marly

Dickens in VaranasiTHEN THERE

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 5,530 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 3%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

64%Love

20%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

5,530 votes

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityDickens in Varanasi

SillageCarlisle

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value63

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

patchouli92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

smoky61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

NutmegGreen AppleSaffron

Heart3-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseOsmanthusDavana

Base8-12+ hrs

PatchouliVanillaOpoponax

Top

GrapefruitChamomileelemiNutmegPearGreen Apple

Heart

AmberPatchouliMagnoliaSaffronJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base

IncenseVanillaTobaccoWhite MuskVetiverSandalwoodOud

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Green Apple, Saffron and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Carlisle, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring37

Summer9

Fall0

Winter100

Day27

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex12

Women2

Date 40%Party 34%Work 14%Casual 12%

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#696

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#47,067

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerCarlisleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums de Marly Carlisle is a rich oriental fragrance centered on crisp green apple, earthy patchouli, and dark bourbon vanilla. The first spray releases a brisk burst of nutmeg and tart fruit before settling into a warm, resinous heart of tonka bean and sweet opoponax. It smells dense, smoky, and undeniably upscale.…

Reviews →

Dickens in Varanasi by THEN THERE opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit, herbal chamomile, and spicy elemi resin. As the initial brightness settles, a heavy heart of saffron, dark patchouli, and warm cinnamon takes over on skin. The dry down anchors on smoky incense, earthy vetiver, and bitter oud lightly soft…

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, Carlisle or Dickens in Varanasi?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Carlisle is rated 4.37/5 from 5,530 votes; Dickens in Varanasi is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes. Choose Carlisle for a vanilla and patchouli character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Dickens in Varanasi for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Carlisle or Dickens in Varanasi?

Dickens in Varanasi lasts longest (Dickens in Varanasi 85/100, Carlisle 82/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carlisle or Dickens in Varanasi?

Carlisle projects furthest (Carlisle 73/100, Dickens in Varanasi 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carlisle and Dickens in Varanasi smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and balsamic accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Green Apple, Saffron and Patchouli.

Is Carlisle or Dickens in Varanasi better for summer or winter?

Carlisle suits evening wear; Dickens in Varanasi suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carlisle and Dickens in Varanasi?

Carlisle has top notes of Nutmeg, Green Apple and Saffron, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Rose, Osmanthus and Davana, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Opoponax. Dickens in Varanasi has top notes of Grapefruit, Chamomile, elemi and Nutmeg, heart notes of Amber, Patchouli, Magnolia and Saffron, a base of Incense, Vanilla, Tobacco and White Musk.