Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Varensia

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 692 ratings analysed

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #29,299 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

13%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 3 of 5 categories.

Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Durra2/5

Varensia3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerVarensiaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

14%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

11%Hate

79 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match13%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sea NotesWatery NotesAldehydesOzonic notesClary SagePineLavenderCumin

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)Earthy NotesBirch LeafCashmere WoodWoody NotesSandalwoodIncenseVanilla

Base

CastoreumCivettaMuskImmortelleTolu BalsamPrecious WoodsTobaccoVetiver

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Vetiver. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

Casual 35%Date 29%Work 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,299

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerVarensiaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Durra opens with a sharp burst of salty sea notes, cold aldehydes, and clary sage before diving into a dark heart of agarwood and smoky incense. The dry-down settles into heavy castoreum leather, amber, and bitter cumin on skin. It suits cold winter evenings, black-tie dinners, or outdoor gatherings where a dense, mar…

Reviews →

Varensia by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic, retro chypre that balances bright citrus with dense, earthy forest moss. The first spritz unleashes crisp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and tangy mandarin orange before settling into ripe black currant and sweet cassis. As the initial sharpness fades, a heart of spiced carna…

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, Durra or Varensia?

Varensia takes 3 of 5 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Varensia?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Varensia?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Varensia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 13% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Vetiver.

Is Durra or Varensia better for summer or winter?

Durra suits evening wear; Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Durra and Varensia?

Durra has top notes of Sea Notes, Watery Notes, Aldehydes and Ozonic notes, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Cashmere Wood, a base of Castoreum, Civetta, Musk and Immortelle. Varensia has top notes of Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry, heart notes of Black Currant, Cassis, Ylang Ylang and Geranium, a base of oak moss, Carnation, Powdery Notes and Vetiver.