Fragrance comparison

Dickens in Varanasi vs Kardigan Bleu

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 9 ratings analysed

Dickens in Varanasi

THEN THERE

4.336 votes

Rank #46,006 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Kardigan Bleu

L'Orientale Fragrances

4.333 votes

Rank #36,909 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kardigan Bleu takes 3 of 4 categories.

Dickens in Varanasi
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, evening wear.
Kardigan Bleu
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Dickens in Varanasi1/4

Kardigan Bleu3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dickens in VaranasiTHEN THERE

Kardigan BleuL'Orientale Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 3%Want 84%

4.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 14%Had 5%Want 81%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

67%Love

0%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityDickens in Varanasi

SillageKardigan Bleu

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value75

Category winnerKardigan BleuBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

smoky61%

woody100%

floral92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

citrus69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GrapefruitChamomileelemiNutmegPearGreen Apple

Heart

AmberPatchouliMagnoliaSaffronJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base

IncenseVanillaTobaccoWhite MuskVetiverSandalwoodOud

Top15-30 mins

Indonesian NutmegPink PepperBergamotelemiPear

Heart2-4 hrs

MagnoliaClovesRoseFlax

Base8-12 hrs

Haitian VetiverCashmere WoodSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared noteselemi, Pear, Amber and Magnolia. Durations are only published for Kardigan Bleu, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day67

Night100

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day65

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 34%Party 29%Casual 23%Work 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,006

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#36,909

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerKardigan BleuHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Do not let the blue bottle fool you. Kardigan Bleu by L'Orientale Fragrances is not an aquatic shower gel scent. Instead, it unleashes a dense, spicy blast of Indonesian nutmeg, pink pepper, and juicy green pear. Within fifteen minutes, a velvety dark rose emerges alongside creamy magnolia and pungent cloves. The wood…

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, Dickens in Varanasi or Kardigan Bleu?

Kardigan Bleu takes 3 of 4 categories. Dickens in Varanasi is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes; Kardigan Bleu is rated 4.33/5 from 3 votes. Choose Dickens in Varanasi for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Kardigan Bleu for a woody and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dickens in Varanasi or Kardigan Bleu?

Dickens in Varanasi lasts longest (Dickens in Varanasi 85/100, Kardigan Bleu 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dickens in Varanasi or Kardigan Bleu?

Kardigan Bleu projects furthest (Kardigan Bleu 88/100, Dickens in Varanasi 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dickens in Varanasi and Kardigan Bleu smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include elemi, Pear, Amber and Magnolia.

Is Dickens in Varanasi or Kardigan Bleu better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Dickens in Varanasi and Kardigan Bleu?

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. Kardigan Bleu has top notes of Indonesian Nutmeg, Pink Pepper, Bergamot and elemi, heart notes of Magnolia, Cloves, Rose and Flax, a base of Haitian Vetiver, Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood and Amber.