Fragrance comparison

Mahon Leather vs Varens Secret 3

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 128 ratings analysed

3 wins

Mahon Leather

Floris

4.27120 votes

Rank #7,385 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mahon Leather takes 3 of 4 categories.

Mahon Leather
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Mahon Leather3/4

Varens Secret 31/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Mahon Leather
Sillage & projection: Mahon Leather
Value for money: Varens Secret 3
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Mahon Leather

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mahon LeatherFloris

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.27/ 5 · 120 votes

Have 32%Had 11%Want 57%

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

38%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

120 votes

38%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityMahon Leather

SillageMahon Leather

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value39

¤ Price value100

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

JasmineCitruses

Heart

LeatherIrisSaffronVetiver

Base

SandalwoodTonka BeanAmberFrench labdanumMuskPatchouli

Top15-30 mins

Bitter AlmondCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseIris

Base6-8 hrs

PatchouliVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Iris, Tonka Bean and Amber. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring88

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex33

Women11

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Casual 29%Party 20%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,385

PerfumerShelagh Foyle

Launched—

Reviews24

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMahon LeatherHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Floris Mahon Leather opens with a fleeting burst of citruses and soft jasmine before revealing a dry leather core. Built around saffron, powdery iris, and earthy vetiver, the heart smells clean, like freshly cleaned antique saddlery rather than heavy smoke or raw hide. As it settles on skin, warm amber, tonka bean, an…

Reviews →

Varens Secret 3 by Ulric de Varens is a warm, powdery oriental fragrance built around sweet almond, creamy vanilla, and resinous amber. The opening arrives with a punchy flash of bitter almond and quick citruses that can feel slightly sharp for the first three minutes. Give it a moment. Once the alcohol burns away, th…

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, Mahon Leather or Varens Secret 3?

Mahon Leather takes 3 of 4 categories. Mahon Leather is rated 4.27/5 from 120 votes; Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Mahon Leather for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Mahon Leather or Varens Secret 3?

They last about the same: Mahon Leather 66/100, Varens Secret 3 65/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Mahon Leather or Varens Secret 3?

Mahon Leather projects furthest (Mahon Leather 59/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mahon Leather and Varens Secret 3 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Citruses, Iris, Tonka Bean and Amber.

Is Mahon Leather or Varens Secret 3 better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mahon Leather and Varens Secret 3?

Mahon Leather has top notes of Jasmine and Citruses, heart notes of Leather, Iris, Saffron and Vetiver, a base of Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Amber and French labdanum. Varens Secret 3 has top notes of Bitter Almond and Citruses, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Amber.