Fragrance comparison

Diwan vs Varens Original African Queen

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 117 ratings analysed

5 wins

Diwan

The Spirit of Dubai

4.5275 votes

Rank #25,325 AmberSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

Varens Original African Queen

Ulric de Varens

3.9842 votes

Rank #20,326 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Diwan takes 5 of 6 categories.

Diwan
Choose it for a amber and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Varens Original African Queen
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Diwan5/6

Varens Original African Queen1/6

Ratings & consensus: Diwan
Community sentiment: Diwan
Longevity: Diwan
Sillage & projection: Diwan
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Diwan
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varens Original African Queen

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DiwanThe Spirit of Dubai

Varens Original African QueenUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.52/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 21%Had 4%Want 74%

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 51%

Category winnerDiwanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

73%Love

12%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

75 votes

26%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

42 votes

Category winnerDiwanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityDiwan

SillageDiwan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

smoky92%

fruity84%

woody77%

rose69%

oud61%

warm spicy100%

amber91%

floral83%

oud74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

Scent match24%Clearly different · both amber and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Agarwood (Oud)IncenseSmokeRoseDewberryRaspberryAnimal notesStrawberry

Heart

Taif RoseAmberCoffeeEarthy NotesPowdery NotesGeraniumRhubarbFloral Notes

Base

Indian OudWoody NotesLeatherOlibanumGurjan balsamGuaiac WoodCastoreumMyrhh

Notes

ResinsSpicy NotesCarnationAgarwood (Oud)BergamotFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAgarwood (Oud) and Floral Notes. Durations are only published for Varens Original African Queen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring84

Summer53

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring19

Summer0

Fall100

Winter63

Day35

Night100

Category winnerDiwanMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men51

Unisex40

Women9

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 37%Party 29%Casual 21%Work 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,325

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,326

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerVarens Original African QueenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Diwan by The Spirit of Dubai hits skin with heavy incense, dark smoke, and raw Indian oud. Sweet dewberry and ripe plum soften the opening bite before Taif rose and roasted coffee settle into thick amber and castoreum. Built for freezing winter nights, it leaves a dense trail of leather and resins that clings to coats…

Reviews →

Varens Original African Queen is a warm spicy amber floral fragrance that punches well above its modest drugstore price tag. Composed by master nose Pierre Bourdon in 2008, it opens with a brisk flash of bergamot that quickly yields to a fiery heart of spicy carnation and abstract floral notes. A dusty, smoky base of …

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, Diwan or Varens Original African Queen?

Diwan takes 5 of 6 categories. Diwan is rated 4.52/5 from 75 votes; Varens Original African Queen is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes. Choose Diwan for a amber and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Varens Original African Queen for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Diwan or Varens Original African Queen?

Diwan lasts longest (Diwan 88/100, Varens Original African Queen 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Diwan or Varens Original African Queen?

Diwan projects furthest (Diwan 80/100, Varens Original African Queen 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Diwan and Varens Original African Queen smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and oud accords. Common notes include Agarwood (Oud) and Floral Notes.

Is Diwan or Varens Original African Queen better for summer or winter?

For summer, Diwan is the stronger pick. For winter, Diwan is the stronger pick. Varens Original African Queen suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Diwan and Varens Original African Queen?

Diwan has top notes of Agarwood (Oud), Incense, Smoke and Rose, heart notes of Taif Rose, Amber, Coffee and Earthy Notes, a base of Indian Oud, Woody Notes, Leather and Olibanum. Varens Original African Queen features Resins, Spicy Notes, Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot.