Fragrance comparison

John Varvatos Oud vs Nin-Shar

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 986 ratings analysed

4 wins

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #1,966 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Nin-Shar

Jul et Mad Paris

3.92417 votes

Rank #4,001 RoseAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

John Varvatos Oud takes 4 of 7 categories.

John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Nin-Shar
Choose it for a rose and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

John Varvatos Oud4/7

Nin-Shar3/7

Ratings & consensus: John Varvatos Oud
Community sentiment: John Varvatos Oud
Longevity: Nin-Shar
Sillage & projection: Nin-Shar
Value for money: John Varvatos Oud
Versatility: Nin-Shar
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: John Varvatos Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Nin-SharJul et Mad Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.92/ 5 · 417 votes

Have 37%Had 19%Want 44%

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

39%Love

36%Like

13%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

319 votes

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityNin-Shar

SillageNin-Shar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value65

¤ Price value48

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

rose100%

amber92%

woody84%

vanilla77%

warm spicy69%

balsamic61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

Top

RoseArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

Turkish RosePatchouliEgyptian Jasmine

Base

Bourbon VanillaAgarwood (Oud)IncenseBenzoinSandalwoodVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesTurkish Rose, Egyptian Jasmine, Incense and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNin-SharMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

Men3

Unisex40

Women57

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,966

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Overall rank#4,001

PerfumerSidonie Lancesseur

Launched—

Reviews45

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

John 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 →

Nin-Shar by Jul et Mad Paris delivers a bold rose-oud blend that feels both opulent and approachable. Opening with sharp, effervescent citrus and rose, it settles into a resinous base of vanilla and sandalwood. This fragrance suits those looking for a sophisticated, versatile scent that performs well across autumn eve…

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 Oud or Nin-Shar?

John Varvatos Oud takes 4 of 7 categories. John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes; Nin-Shar is rated 3.92/5 from 417 votes. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nin-Shar for a rose and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, John Varvatos Oud or Nin-Shar?

Nin-Shar lasts longest (Nin-Shar 76/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, John Varvatos Oud or Nin-Shar?

Nin-Shar projects furthest (Nin-Shar 68/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do John Varvatos Oud and Nin-Shar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Turkish Rose, Egyptian Jasmine, Incense and Agarwood (Oud).

Is John Varvatos Oud or Nin-Shar better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in John Varvatos Oud and Nin-Shar?

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. Nin-Shar has top notes of Rose, Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Patchouli and Egyptian Jasmine, a base of Bourbon Vanilla, Agarwood (Oud), Incense and Benzoin.