Fragrance comparison

Dickens in Varanasi vs Sarcastic

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 18 ratings analysed

4 wins

Dickens in Varanasi

THEN THERE

4.336 votes

Rank #46,006 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Sarcastic

Puzzle Parfum

3.0012 votes

Rank #60,806 WoodyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dickens in Varanasi takes 4 of 4 categories.

Dickens in Varanasi
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Sarcastic
Choose it for a woody and iris character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Dickens in Varanasi4/4

Sarcastic0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dickens in VaranasiTHEN THERE

SarcasticPuzzle Parfum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 3%Want 84%

3.00/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 17%Had 6%Want 78%

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

17%Love

33%Like

17%Ok

0%Dislike

33%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityDickens in Varanasi

SillageDickens in Varanasi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value35

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

smoky61%

woody100%

iris91%

smoky83%

powdery74%

amber65%

balsamic56%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, amber and smoky

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

NutmegAngelica

Heart2-4 hrs

IncenseOrrisTobacco

Base6-9 hrs

CedarVetiver

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Cedar, Incense and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Sarcastic, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day67

Night100

Spring20

Summer20

Fall60

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

Date 35%Party 24%Casual 22%Work 19%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,006

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#60,806

PerfumerCengiz Yatagan

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiHigher 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 →

Puzzle Parfum Sarcastic hits the air with a dry, bitter herbal punch of angelica paired against warm ground nutmeg. It is dark, woody, and unvarnished. Within fifteen minutes, the brisk spice gives way to smoldering incense, buttery orris root, and rich dry pipe tobacco. You get an earthy, resinous warmth that feels c…

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 Sarcastic?

Dickens in Varanasi takes 4 of 4 categories. Dickens in Varanasi is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes; Sarcastic is rated 3.00/5 from 12 votes. Choose Dickens in Varanasi for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Sarcastic for a woody and iris character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Dickens in Varanasi or Sarcastic?

Dickens in Varanasi lasts longest (Dickens in Varanasi 85/100, Sarcastic 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dickens in Varanasi or Sarcastic?

Dickens in Varanasi projects furthest (Dickens in Varanasi 67/100, Sarcastic 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dickens in Varanasi and Sarcastic smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and smoky accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Cedar, Incense and Tobacco.

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

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

What are the notes in Dickens in Varanasi and Sarcastic?

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. Sarcastic has top notes of Nutmeg and Angelica, heart notes of Incense, Orris and Tobacco, a base of Cedar and Vetiver.