Fragrance comparison

Hot! Fragrances Red vs Imagine

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 46 ratings analysed

Hot! Fragrances Red

Ulric de Varens · 2008

4.0715 votes

Rank #53,843 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Imagine

Jean Louis Vermeil

4.0331 votes

Rank #44,057 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imagine takes 4 of 5 categories.

Hot! Fragrances Red
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Imagine
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Hot! Fragrances Red0/5

Imagine4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Hot! Fragrances RedUlric de Varens

ImagineJean Louis Vermeil

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 33%Had 44%Want 22%

4.03/ 5 · 31 votes

Have 40%Had 23%Want 38%

Category winnerImagineRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

42%Love

32%Like

13%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

31 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityImagine

SillageImagine

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fruity92%

anis84%

citrus77%

soft spicy69%

powdery61%

fruity100%

woody92%

mossy84%

earthy77%

sweet69%

amber61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both woody and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SandalwoodStar AniseAppleLemonPatchouliMelonOrange BlossomOakmoss

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Black CurrantPineappleRaspberryPeachGrapefruitThymeAppleBergamot

Heart

RoseLilyClovesYlang-YlangHoneysuckleJasmineOrange Blossom

Base

OakmossAmberSandalwoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesSandalwood, Apple, Patchouli and Orange Blossom. Durations are only published for Hot! Fragrances Red, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day43

Night100

Spring33

Summer17

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night83

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Party 32%Date 29%Casual 27%Work 12%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#53,843

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2008

Reviews0

Overall rank#44,057

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerImagineHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Hot! Fragrances Red by Ulric de Varens delivers a burst of crisp green apple, zesty lemon, and juicy melon straight out of the nozzle. The initial spray carries an obvious alcohol flash. Give it two minutes to settle. Once the solvent evaporates, pungent star anise emerges to slice cleanly through the sweet fruit. A w…

Reviews →

Imagine by Jean Louis Vermeil brings back the bold, fruity green spirit of 1989. It opens with sharp black currant and tart pineapple before settling into a deep base of oakmoss and patchouli. This fragrance suits collectors who love complex, vintage woody florals that perform well in cool autumn weather.

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, Hot! Fragrances Red or Imagine?

Imagine takes 4 of 5 categories. Hot! Fragrances Red is rated 4.07/5 from 15 votes; Imagine is rated 4.03/5 from 31 votes. Choose Hot! Fragrances Red for a woody and fruity character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Imagine for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Hot! Fragrances Red or Imagine?

Imagine lasts longest (Imagine 73/100, Hot! Fragrances Red 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Hot! Fragrances Red or Imagine?

Imagine projects furthest (Imagine 71/100, Hot! Fragrances Red 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Hot! Fragrances Red and Imagine smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fruity accords. Common notes include Sandalwood, Apple, Patchouli and Orange Blossom.

Is Hot! Fragrances Red or Imagine better for summer or winter?

Hot! Fragrances Red suits evening wear; Imagine suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Hot! Fragrances Red and Imagine?

Hot! Fragrances Red features Sandalwood, Star Anise, Apple, Lemon and Patchouli. Imagine has top notes of Black Currant, Pineapple, Raspberry and Peach, heart notes of Rose, Lily, Cloves and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Oakmoss, Amber, Sandalwood and Patchouli.