Fragrance comparison

Carlisle vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 6,099 ratings analysed

6 wins

Carlisle

Parfums de Marly

4.375,530 votes

Rank #693 VanillaPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #2,013 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Carlisle takes 6 of 8 categories.

Carlisle
Choose it for a vanilla and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Carlisle6/8

John Varvatos Oud2/8

Ratings & consensus: Carlisle
Community sentiment: Carlisle
Longevity: Carlisle
Sillage & projection: Carlisle
Value for money: John Varvatos Oud
Versatility: John Varvatos Oud
Note pyramid (duration): Carlisle
Fragranxe ranking: Carlisle

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CarlisleParfums de Marly

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.37/ 5 · 5,530 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerCarlisleRating 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

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

Category winnerCarlisleMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityCarlisle

SillageCarlisle

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value65

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

patchouli92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both warm spicy, fresh spicy and woody

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

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

Category winnerCarlisleLongest dry-down: 8-12+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring37

Summer9

Fall0

Winter100

Day27

Night100

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex12

Women2

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

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#693

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#2,013

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

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 →

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Carlisle or John Varvatos Oud?

Carlisle takes 6 of 8 categories. Carlisle is rated 4.37/5 from 5,530 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose Carlisle for a vanilla and patchouli character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Carlisle or John Varvatos Oud?

Carlisle lasts longest (Carlisle 82/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carlisle or John Varvatos Oud?

Carlisle projects furthest (Carlisle 73/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carlisle and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Saffron, Rose and Osmanthus.

Is Carlisle or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

For summer, Carlisle is the stronger pick. For winter, Carlisle is the stronger pick. Carlisle suits evening wear; John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carlisle and John Varvatos Oud?

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. 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.