Fragrance comparison

John Varvatos vs Ruade

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 2,791 ratings analysed

4 wins

John Varvatos

John Varvatos · 2004

4.152,682 votes

Rank #1,972 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

5%scent match

Clearly different

Ruade

Parfum d'Empire

4.02109 votes

Rank #9,817 GreenOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

John Varvatos takes 4 of 8 categories.

John Varvatos
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ruade
Choose it for a green and oud character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

John Varvatos4/8

Ruade3/8

Ratings & consensus: John Varvatos
Community sentiment: John Varvatos
Longevity: Ruade
Sillage & projection: Ruade
Value for money: John Varvatos
Versatility: Ruade
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: John Varvatos

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

John VarvatosJohn Varvatos

RuadeParfum d'Empire

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 2,682 votes

Have 56%Had 44%Want 0%

4.02/ 5 · 109 votes

Have 23%Had 1%Want 76%

Category winnerJohn VarvatosRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

54%Like

2%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

1,389 votes

55%Love

22%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

13%Hate

109 votes

Category winnerJohn VarvatosMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityRuade

SillageRuade

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value67

¤ Price value31

Category winnerJohn VarvatosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

fruity100%

sweet92%

patchouli84%

honey77%

white floral69%

earthy61%

green100%

oud90%

leather80%

yellow floral70%

fresh spicy60%

herbal50%

Scent match5%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Damask PlumGeorgian ApricotMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Turkish RoseLilyEgyptian JasmineMango Blossom

Base6-8+ hrs

PatchouliHoneyTonka BeanOakmoss

Notes

Agarwood (Oud)HayLeatherNarcissus

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring85

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day79

Night100

Spring73

Summer52

Fall0

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Category winnerRuadeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

Date 33%Casual 25%Work 23%Party 20%

Men63

Unisex35

Women2

Casual 41%Date 26%Party 22%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,972

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched2004

Reviews151

Overall rank#9,817

PerfumerMarc-Antoine Corticchiato

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerJohn VarvatosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

John Varvatos Eau de Parfum for women is a rich, full-bodied fruity chypre that steps far away from sugary mall sprays. It makes an entrance. An initial spray delivers a juicy flash of Damask plum, golden Georgian apricot, and zesty mandarin orange. Give it two minutes to settle on your pulse points. Once the alcohol …

Reviews →

Parfum d'Empire Ruade is a bold, uncompromising scent that takes you straight inside a working equestrian stable. The opening delivers an immediate blast of pungent natural agarwood oud with sharp, earthy barnyard undertones, which quickly settles into the comforting aroma of warm saddle leather and freshly tossed hay…

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, John Varvatos or Ruade?

John Varvatos takes 4 of 8 categories. John Varvatos is rated 4.15/5 from 2,682 votes; Ruade is rated 4.02/5 from 109 votes. Choose John Varvatos for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ruade for a green and oud character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, John Varvatos or Ruade?

Ruade lasts longest (Ruade 74/100, John Varvatos 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, John Varvatos or Ruade?

Ruade projects furthest (Ruade 62/100, John Varvatos 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do John Varvatos and Ruade smell similar?

Clearly different: a 5% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Leather, Hay and Agarwood (Oud).

Is John Varvatos or Ruade better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ruade is the stronger pick. For winter, John Varvatos is the stronger pick. John Varvatos suits evening wear; Ruade suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in John Varvatos and Ruade?

John Varvatos has top notes of Damask Plum, Georgian Apricot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Lily, Egyptian Jasmine and Mango Blossom, a base of Patchouli, Honey, Tonka Bean and Oakmoss. Ruade features Agarwood (Oud), Hay, Leather and Narcissus.