Fragrance comparison

Esprit du Roi vs Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 257 ratings analysed

3 wins

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,820 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense

Ulric de Varens · 2016

4.0019 votes

Rank #42,047 CitrusGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Esprit du Roi takes 3 of 5 categories.

Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense
Choose it for a citrus and green character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Esprit du Roi3/5

Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense2/5

Ratings & consensus: Esprit du Roi
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Esprit du Roi
Sillage & projection: Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense
Value for money: Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche IntenseUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 19 votes

Have 35%Had 7%Want 59%

Category winnerEsprit du RoiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

32%Love

53%Like

5%Ok

5%Dislike

5%Hate

19 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEsprit du Roi

SillageVarens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value86

Category winnerVarens Tonic Eau Fraiche IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

green88%

aromatic77%

white floral65%

sweet53%

fresh spicy42%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangeMintBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

Mandarin BlossomSorbetPearYlang-Ylang

Base4-6 hrs

MuskBenzoin

InformationalShared notesMint, Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang and Musk. Durations are only published for Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Spring79

Summer100

Fall36

Winter0

Day100

Night18

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

Men0

Unisex60

Women40

Casual 46%Work 33%Date 12%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,820

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#42,047

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2016

Reviews1

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

Reviews →

Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense by Ulric de Varens delivers an immediate splash of tart mandarin orange, brisk bergamot, and crushed garden mint. The opening hits fast with a cool, tingling sensation that instantly cuts through oppressive humidity. Within fifteen minutes, the zesty punch softens into a sunlit heart o…

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, Esprit du Roi or Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense?

Esprit du Roi takes 3 of 5 categories. Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes; Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense is rated 4.00/5 from 19 votes. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense for a citrus and green character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Esprit du Roi or Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense?

Esprit du Roi lasts longest (Esprit du Roi 63/100, Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Esprit du Roi or Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense?

Projection is very close: Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense 58/100, Esprit du Roi 57/100 for sillage.

Do Esprit du Roi and Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and green accords. Common notes include Mint, Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang and Musk.

Is Esprit du Roi or Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense better for summer or winter?

Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Esprit du Roi and Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense?

Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris. Varens Tonic Eau Fraiche Intense has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Mint and Bergamot, heart notes of Mandarin Blossom, Sorbet, Pear and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Musk and Benzoin.