Fragrance comparison

Invigorating vs Varensia

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 816 ratings analysed

3 wins

Invigorating

Boadicea the Victorious

3.98203 votes

Rank #8,246 AmberCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,083 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Invigorating takes 3 of 5 categories.

Invigorating
Choose it for a amber and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Invigorating3/5

Varensia2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InvigoratingBoadicea the Victorious

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 203 votes

Have 54%Had 46%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerInvigoratingRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

47%Like

4%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

203 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityInvigorating

SillageInvigorating

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

sweet77%

balsamic69%

rose61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mexican chocolateYuzuLicoriceOrangeBergamot

Heart

GeraniumRoseJasmine

Base

ResinAmbergrisLabdanum

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men38

Unisex53

Women10

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,246

PerfumerJohn Stephen

Launched—

Reviews20

Overall rank#7,083

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerVarensiaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Invigorating opens with a sharp burst of yuzu citrus and sour bergamot that collides directly with dark Mexican chocolate and bittersweet licorice. Despite being cataloged as a floral fruity gourmand, this 2008 creation from perfumer John Stephen settles into a dry resinous amber anchored by labdanum and grounding amb…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Invigorating or Varensia?

Invigorating takes 3 of 5 categories. Invigorating is rated 3.98/5 from 203 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Invigorating for a amber and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Which lasts longer, Invigorating or Varensia?

Invigorating lasts longest (Invigorating 76/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Invigorating or Varensia?

Invigorating projects furthest (Invigorating 68/100, Varensia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Invigorating and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Orange, Bergamot, Geranium and Rose.

What are the notes in Invigorating and Varensia?

Invigorating has top notes of Mexican chocolate, Yuzu, Licorice and Orange, heart notes of Geranium, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Resin, Ambergris and Labdanum. 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.