Fragrance comparison

Esprit du Roi vs Varensia

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 851 ratings analysed

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,888 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

4 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 4 of 5 categories.

Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection.

Esprit du Roi1/5

Varensia4/5

Ratings & consensus: Varensia
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varensia
Sillage & projection: Varensia
Value for money: Varensia
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

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerVarensiaRating 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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityVarensia

SillageVarensia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both citrus and aromatic

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

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Bergamot, Geranium and Cloves. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

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#6,888

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

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 →

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, Esprit du Roi or Varensia?

Varensia takes 4 of 5 categories. Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection.

Which lasts longer, Esprit du Roi or Varensia?

Varensia lasts longest (Varensia 71/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Esprit du Roi or Varensia?

Varensia projects furthest (Varensia 65/100, Esprit du Roi 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Esprit du Roi and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Bergamot, Geranium and Cloves.

Is Esprit du Roi or Varensia better for summer or winter?

Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Esprit du Roi and Varensia?

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. 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.