Fragrance comparison

Maruyama vs Varanasi

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 490 ratings analysed

Maruyama

Prissana

3.4478 votes

Rank #20,573 HerbalAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Varanasi

Meo Fusciuni

3.93412 votes

Rank #3,700 AnimalicAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varanasi takes 6 of 7 categories.

Maruyama
Choose it for a herbal and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Varanasi
Choose it for a animalic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Maruyama1/7

Varanasi6/7

Ratings & consensus: Varanasi
Community sentiment: Varanasi
Longevity: Varanasi
Sillage & projection: Varanasi
Value for money: Varanasi
Versatility: Maruyama
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varanasi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MaruyamaPrissana

VaranasiMeo Fusciuni

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.44/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 22%Had 9%Want 69%

3.93/ 5 · 412 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerVaranasiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

42%Like

10%Ok

24%Dislike

5%Hate

78 votes

43%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

11%Dislike

7%Hate

412 votes

Category winnerVaranasiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate61

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityVaranasi

SillageVaranasi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value49

Category winnerVaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

herbal100%

aromatic91%

fresh spicy83%

musky74%

amber65%

camphor56%

animalic100%

amber92%

woody84%

leather77%

warm spicy69%

earthy61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

MarjoramAngelicaCamphorChamomileArtemisiaNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)Lovage RootRose OilAmyrisVetiverIncenseAmbrette (Musk Mallow)

No top / heart / base split published

Top

IncenseSaffronNutmegCardamom

Heart

AmbergrisCypriol Oil or NagarmothaRoseAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Jasmine

Base

Animal notesAgarwood (Oud)LeatherNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)Gurjan balsamVetiver

InformationalShared notesNard Himalayan (Jatamansi), Vetiver, Incense and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). Durations are only published for Maruyama, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer40

Fall93

Winter33

Day100

Night82

Spring34

Summer24

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMaruyamaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men22

Unisex78

Women0

Men49

Unisex46

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,573

PerfumerPrin Lomros

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#3,700

PerfumerGiuseppe Imprezzabile

Launched—

Reviews57

Category winnerVaranasiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Maruyama by Prissana is a pungent, unapologetic herbal fragrance centered on bitter greens and cooling camphor. Created by perfumer Prin Lomros, the scent takes its inspiration from a summer botanical garden in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It opens with an intense blast of medicinal camphor, sharp marjoram, and astringent artem…

Reviews →

Meo Fusciuni Varanasi opens with a sharp burst of smoky incense, dry saffron, and pungent animalic notes. Cold cardamom and nutmeg cut through the heavy resinous warmth, creating an immediate sense of ancient temple stone and raw leather. As the heat of skin activates the formula, rich ambergris and earthy cypriol oil…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Maruyama or Varanasi?

Varanasi takes 6 of 7 categories. Maruyama is rated 3.44/5 from 78 votes; Varanasi is rated 3.93/5 from 412 votes. Choose Maruyama for a herbal and aromatic character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Varanasi for a animalic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Maruyama or Varanasi?

Varanasi lasts longest (Varanasi 80/100, Maruyama 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Maruyama or Varanasi?

Varanasi projects furthest (Varanasi 68/100, Maruyama 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Maruyama and Varanasi smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi), Vetiver, Incense and Ambrette (Musk Mallow).

Is Maruyama or Varanasi better for summer or winter?

For summer, Maruyama is the stronger pick. For winter, Varanasi is the stronger pick. Maruyama suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Maruyama and Varanasi?

Maruyama features Marjoram, Angelica, Camphor, Chamomile and Artemisia. Varanasi has top notes of Incense, Saffron, Nutmeg and Cardamom, heart notes of Ambergris, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Rose and Ambrette (Musk Mallow), a base of Animal notes, Agarwood (Oud), Leather and Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi).