John Varvatos Oud vs Nefs
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
39%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Nefs takes 6 of 7 categories.
John Varvatos OudChoose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
NefsChoose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
John Varvatos Oud1/7
Nefs6/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Nefs
- Community sentiment
- Nefs
- Longevity
- Nefs
- Sillage & projection
- Nefs
- Value for money
- John Varvatos Oud
- Versatility
- Nefs
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Nefs
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
John Varvatos OudJohn VarvatosNefsNishaneWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.16/ 5 · 569 votes
Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%
4.39/ 5 · 3,625 votes
Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%
Category winnerNefsRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate46%Love
37%Like
7%Ok
9%Dislike
2%Hate
569 votes
64%Love
19%Like
8%Ok
5%Dislike
3%Hate
1,579 votes
Category winnerNefsMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityNefs
SillageNefs
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerJohn Varvatos OudBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothamber100%
warm spicy92%
fresh spicy84%
aromatic77%
woody69%
balsamic61%
warm spicy100%
woody92%
floral84%
oud77%
rose69%
honey61%
Scent match39%Some overlap · both warm spicy and woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop15-30 mins
TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage
Heart2-4 hrs
CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus
Base5-7 hrs
IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber
Top
HoneySaffronFigVioletSage
Heart
RoseOsmanthusNutmegJasmineGeranium
Base
Agarwood (Oud)WhiskeyVanillaLeatherAmberCinnamonGurjan balsamCedar
InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Sage, Cinnamon 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 seasonSpring48
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day60
Night100
Spring40
Summer15
Fall94
Winter100
Day42
Night100
Category winnerNefsMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#2,177
PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux
Launched—
Reviews111
Overall rank#5
PerfumerChris Maurice
Launched—
Reviews808
Category winnerNefsHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotJohn 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 →Nishane Nefs opens with an immediate, potent burst of thick honey, bittersweet saffron, and ripe fig. Grounded by a rich amber base, the perfume transforms on skin as dark agarwood and polished leather rise to balance the opening sweetness. Notes of dry cinnamon, cedar, and aged whiskey add a resinous warmth that keep…
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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
Recent comparisons
Head-to-head activity from live history
Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER
♛
Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER
vs
Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER
vs
Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP
♛
PrometheuNecalliWINNER
vs
Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP
1 person compared this today
PrometheuNecalliWINNER
vs
Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP
Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP
vs
♛
NorthMendittorosaWINNER
Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, John Varvatos Oud or Nefs?
Nefs takes 6 of 7 categories. John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes; Nefs is rated 4.39/5 from 3,625 votes. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nefs for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, John Varvatos Oud or Nefs?
Nefs lasts longest (Nefs 93/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, John Varvatos Oud or Nefs?
Nefs projects furthest (Nefs 86/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.
Do John Varvatos Oud and Nefs smell similar?
Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Sage, Cinnamon and Turkish Rose.
Is John Varvatos Oud or Nefs better for summer or winter?
For summer, Nefs is the stronger pick. For winter, John Varvatos Oud is the stronger pick. John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear; Nefs suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in John Varvatos Oud and Nefs?
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. Nefs has top notes of Honey, Saffron, Fig and Violet, heart notes of Rose, Osmanthus, Nutmeg and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Whiskey, Vanilla and Leather.
Popular fragrance comparisons
The matchups people have compared most on Fragranxe.
vs
Sauvage vs Bleu de Chanel
Dior · Chanel · 36 comparisons
vs
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme Rabanne for men vs Shiyaaka Shadow
Rabanne · Khadlaj Perfumes · 30 comparisons
vs
Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Khamrah
Maison Francis Kurkdjian · Lattafa Perfumes · 21 comparisons
vs
Birth of Venus vs Brioni Eau de Parfum Intense
Argos · Brioni · 17 comparisons
vs
Supremacy Not Only Intense vs Arabians Tonka
Afnan · Montale · 14 comparisons
vs
Secret De Venus Eau de Parfum vs # What Matters is Inside - Italy
Weil · Jovoy Paris · 14 comparisons