Fragrance comparison

Mata Hari vs Varensia

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 657 ratings analysed

Mata Hari

DSH Perfumes

4.4144 votes

Rank #18,681 FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 3 of 6 categories.

Mata Hari
Choose it for a floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Mata Hari2/6

Varensia3/6

Ratings & consensus: Mata Hari
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Mata Hari
Sillage & projection: Varensia
Value for money: Varensia
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: Varensia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mata HariDSH Perfumes

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.41/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerMata HariRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

36%Like

0%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

44 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityMata Hari

SillageVarensia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both floral and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesOrangeNeroliBlood OrangeCorianderBergamotMandarin OrangeTarragon

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveCinnamonWhite HoneyChampacaJasmineTuberoseOrris RootLilac

Base6-8+ hrs

MyrhhLeatherMuskoak mossBenzoinTobaccoFrench labdanumPeru Balsam

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 42%Party 32%Casual 16%Work 11%

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

Casual 35%Date 29%Work 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,681

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerVarensiaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mata Hari by DSH Perfumes is a fierce, vintage-styled fruity chypre built on uncompromising botanical contrasts. The scent hits the skin with a tart blast of blood orange, bitter coriander, and sweet candied fruit notes. It does not apologize. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash fades into a thick, sultry b…

Reviews →

Varensia by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic, retro chypre that balances bright citrus with dense, earthy forest moss. The first spritz unleashes crisp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and tangy mandarin orange before settling into ripe black currant and sweet cassis. As the initial sharpness fades, a heart of spiced carna…

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, Mata Hari or Varensia?

Varensia takes 3 of 6 categories. Mata Hari is rated 4.41/5 from 44 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Mata Hari for a floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking.

Which lasts longer, Mata Hari or Varensia?

Mata Hari lasts longest (Mata Hari 77/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Mata Hari or Varensia?

Varensia projects furthest (Varensia 65/100, Mata Hari 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Mata Hari and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Orange, Neroli, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange.

Is Mata Hari or Varensia better for summer or winter?

Mata Hari suits evening wear; Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Mata Hari and Varensia?

Mata Hari has top notes of Fruity Notes, Orange, Neroli and Blood Orange, heart notes of Clove, Cinnamon, White Honey and Champaca, a base of Myrhh, Leather, Musk and oak moss. Varensia has top notes of Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry, heart notes of Black Currant, Cassis, Ylang Ylang and Geranium, a base of oak moss, Carnation, Powdery Notes and Vetiver.