Fragrance comparison

Fès Leather vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 573 ratings analysed

Fès Leather

Atrujja

5.004 votes

Rank #28,603 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #1,998 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Fès Leather
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Fès Leather2/4

John Varvatos Oud2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Fès Leather
Sillage & projection: Fès Leather
Value for money: John Varvatos Oud
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: John Varvatos Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fès LeatherAtrujja

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage90

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityFès Leather

SillageFès Leather

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value40

¤ Price value65

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

oud77%

balsamic69%

fresh spicy61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both warm spicy, amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Laotian OudSaffronGreen MangoAmbergrisCedarwoodNutmegCloveelemiTurkish RoseSiam BenzoinPink LotusPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Nutmeg and Turkish Rose. Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer25

Fall75

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex0

Women17

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,603

PerfumerGhriss Mohamed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#1,998

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fès Leather reads as a dense, spicy leather built around oud, amber, and balsamic warmth rather than a clean suede effect. Reviews point to very strong longevity and projection, with a layered profile where saffron, woods, resins, rose, and sweeter touches all stay in play. This looks best for experienced wearers who …

Reviews →

John Varvatos Oud takes a notoriously heavy scent profile and dials it back into something smooth, warm, and exceptionally wearable. Instead of a funky barnyard oud, you get a rush of dry tobacco leaves, cracked nutmeg, and brisk cypress needle right off the nozzle. Within twenty minutes, sweet cinnamon and clove heat…

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, Fès Leather or John Varvatos Oud?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Fès Leather is rated 5.00/5 from 4 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose Fès Leather for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Fès Leather or John Varvatos Oud?

Fès Leather lasts longest (Fès Leather 100/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fès Leather or John Varvatos Oud?

Fès Leather projects furthest (Fès Leather 90/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fès Leather and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and woody accords. Common notes include Saffron, Nutmeg and Turkish Rose.

Is Fès Leather or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

Fès Leather suits evening wear; John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fès Leather and John Varvatos Oud?

Fès Leather features Laotian Oud, Saffron, Green Mango, Ambergris and Cedarwood. John Varvatos Oud has top notes of Tobacco, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries and Cypress, heart notes of Cinnamon, Turkish Rose, Pepper and Cardamom, a base of Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Myrhh and Leather.