Fragrance comparison

Grain de Sable vs Rêve de Varens

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

Updated 2 Nov 2026 144 ratings analysed

Grain de Sable

Nicky Verfaillie

4.1414 votes

Rank #21,975 White FloralFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Rêve de Varens

Ulric de Varens · 2013

3.65130 votes

Rank #18,069 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Rêve de Varens takes 3 of 5 categories.

Grain de Sable
Choose it for a white floral and fresh character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Rêve de Varens
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Grain de Sable2/5

Rêve de Varens3/5

Ratings & consensus: Grain de Sable
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Grain de Sable
Sillage & projection: Rêve de Varens
Value for money: Rêve de Varens
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Rêve de Varens

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Grain de SableNicky Verfaillie

Rêve de VarensUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 36%Had 25%Want 39%

3.65/ 5 · 130 votes

Have 38%Had 25%Want 37%

Category winnerGrain de SableRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

50%Like

7%Ok

7%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

21%Love

47%Like

12%Ok

18%Dislike

3%Hate

130 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate66

Category winners

LongevityGrain de Sable

SillageRêve de Varens

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value87

Category winnerRêve de VarensBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

fresh92%

green84%

fresh spicy77%

tropical69%

sweet61%

fruity100%

woody92%

powdery84%

sweet77%

rose69%

iris61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

BasilMelonCitrusesCalonePeach

Heart

LilyLily-of-the-ValleyPapayaJasmineYlang-YlangRoseIrisHyacinth

Base

OakmossVetiverPatchouliMuskSandalwood

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseIrisJasmine

Base6-8 hrs

SandalwoodPatchouliMusk

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Jasmine, Rose and Iris. Durations are only published for Rêve de Varens, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer100

Fall40

Winter20

Day100

Night20

Spring97

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night47

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Men0

Unisex6

Women94

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,975

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#18,069

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2013

Reviews9

Category winnerRêve de VarensHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Grain de Sable is a 1977 release that captures the essence of a beach holiday through a blend of juicy melon, papaya, and white florals. This classic scent provides a crisp, aquatic profile balanced by earthy oakmoss. It is ideal for those who appreciate vintage perfumery with a tropical lean, making it an excellent c…

Reviews →

Rêve de Varens by Ulric de Varens opens with an energetic burst of candied citruses and tart red berries. The opening hits fast. A sharp alcohol flash lasts for two minutes before settling into a sweet fruit compote. Soon, the scent softens into powdery iris and delicate rose petals. It smells like a vintage cosmetic …

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Grain de Sable or Rêve de Varens?

Rêve de Varens takes 3 of 5 categories. Grain de Sable is rated 4.14/5 from 14 votes; Rêve de Varens is rated 3.65/5 from 130 votes. Choose Grain de Sable for a white floral and fresh character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Rêve de Varens for a fruity and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Grain de Sable or Rêve de Varens?

Grain de Sable lasts longest (Grain de Sable 68/100, Rêve de Varens 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Grain de Sable or Rêve de Varens?

Projection is very close: Rêve de Varens 56/100, Grain de Sable 55/100 for sillage.

Do Grain de Sable and Rêve de Varens smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Citruses, Jasmine, Rose and Iris.

Is Grain de Sable or Rêve de Varens better for summer or winter?

Grain de Sable suits daytime wear; Rêve de Varens suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Grain de Sable and Rêve de Varens?

Grain de Sable has top notes of Basil, Melon, Citruses and Calone, heart notes of Lily, Lily-of-the-Valley, Papaya and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Patchouli and Musk. Rêve de Varens has top notes of Fruity Notes and Citruses, heart notes of Rose, Iris and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Musk.