Fragrance comparison

Lily Essence vs Varens Secret 1

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 885 ratings analysed

3 wins

Lily Essence

O Boticário

4.00881 votes

Rank #24,962 White FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Varens Secret 1

Ulric de Varens

4.504 votes

Rank #54,160 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Lily Essence takes 3 of 4 categories.

Lily Essence
Choose it for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Varens Secret 1
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Lily Essence3/4

Varens Secret 11/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Lily Essence
Sillage & projection: Lily Essence
Value for money: Varens Secret 1
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Lily Essence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Lily EssenceO Boticário

Varens Secret 1Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 881 votes

Have 39%Had 61%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 17%Want 61%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

44%Like

1%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

881 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityLily Essence

SillageLily Essence

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value63

Category winnerVarens Secret 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

powdery92%

soft spicy84%

woody77%

fruity69%

floral61%

white floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

balsamic61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pink PepperPeachApricotPearMandarin Orange

Heart

LilyJasmineIrisGardeniaNarcissusRoseVioletOsmanthus

Base

VanillaSandalwoodAmberMuskOakmossPatchouliVetiver

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangePeachBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineGardeniaIncense

Base6-8 hrs

AmberPatchouliSandalwood

InformationalShared notesPeach, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine and Gardenia. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring81

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex5

Women92

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Party 27%Casual 22%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,962

PerfumerVerônica Casanova, Yves Cassar

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#54,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLily EssenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Lily Essence by O Boticário opens with a bright splash of juicy peach, ripe apricot, and a dusting of pink pepper that feels lively rather than sharp. Within minutes, the fruity top settles into a lush floral bouquet led by rich starchy lily, creamy gardenia, and powdery iris. The dry-down warms up into a comforting b…

Reviews →

Ulric de Varens Varens Secret 1 starts with a noticeable crackle of black pepper over juicy peach and bright mandarin orange. It smells sweet, spicy, and immediately warm. Within twenty minutes, the initial fruitiness softens as creamy white gardenia and jasmine take over, wrapped in a gentle ribbon of smoky incense. …

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, Lily Essence or Varens Secret 1?

Lily Essence takes 3 of 4 categories. Lily Essence is rated 4.00/5 from 881 votes; Varens Secret 1 is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes. Choose Lily Essence for a white floral and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Varens Secret 1 for a white floral and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Lily Essence or Varens Secret 1?

Lily Essence lasts longest (Lily Essence 71/100, Varens Secret 1 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Lily Essence or Varens Secret 1?

Lily Essence projects furthest (Lily Essence 65/100, Varens Secret 1 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Lily Essence and Varens Secret 1 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Peach, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine and Gardenia.

Is Lily Essence or Varens Secret 1 better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Lily Essence and Varens Secret 1?

Lily Essence has top notes of Pink Pepper, Peach, Apricot and Pear, heart notes of Lily, Jasmine, Iris and Gardenia, a base of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber and Musk. Varens Secret 1 has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Peach and Black Pepper, heart notes of Jasmine, Gardenia and Incense, a base of Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood.