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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Nefs vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 4,194 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nefs takes 6 of 7 categories.

  • Nefs

    Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

  • John Varvatos Oud

    Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Nefs6/7
John Varvatos Oud1/7
Ratings & consensus
Nefs
Community sentiment
Nefs
Longevity
Nefs
Sillage & projection
Nefs
Value for money
John Varvatos Oud
Versatility
Nefs
Note pyramid (duration)
Not scored
Fragranxe ranking
Nefs

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
NefsNishane
John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
4.39/ 5 · 3,625 votes
Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%
4.16/ 5 · 569 votes
Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%
Category winnerNefsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
64%Love
19%Like
8%Ok
5%Dislike
3%Hate

1,579 votes

46%Love
37%Like
7%Ok
9%Dislike
2%Hate

569 votes

Category winnerNefsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity93
〰 Sillage86
♥ Love / hate88
⏱ Longevity61
〰 Sillage54
♥ Love / hate79
Category winners

LongevityNefs

SillageNefs

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value43
¤ Price value65
Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
warm spicy100%
woody92%
floral84%
oud77%
rose69%
honey61%
amber100%
warm spicy92%
fresh spicy84%
aromatic77%
woody69%
balsamic61%
Scent match39%Some overlap · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top
HoneySaffronFigVioletSage
Heart
RoseOsmanthusNutmegJasmineGeranium
Base
Agarwood (Oud)WhiskeyVanillaLeatherAmberCinnamonGurjan balsamCedar
Top15-30 mins
TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage
Heart2-4 hrs
CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus
Base5-7 hrs
IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber
InformationalShared notesSaffron, Sage, Rose and Osmanthus. Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring40
Summer15
Fall94
Winter100
Day42
Night100
Spring48
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day60
Night100
Category winnerNefsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men35
Unisex53
Women11
Men87
Unisex12
Women1
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews808

Overall rank#2,176

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Category winnerNefsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nishane Nefs opens with an immediate, potent burst of thick honey, bittersweet saffron, and ripe fig. Grounded by a rich amber base, the perfume transforms on skin as dark agarwood and polished leather rise to balance the opening sweetness. Notes of dry cinnamon, cedar, and aged whiskey add a resinous warmth that keep…

Reviews →

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 →
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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Nefs or John Varvatos Oud?

Nefs takes 6 of 7 categories. Nefs is rated 4.39/5 from 3,625 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose Nefs for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Nefs or John Varvatos Oud?

Nefs lasts longest (Nefs 93/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nefs or John Varvatos Oud?

Nefs projects furthest (Nefs 86/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nefs and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Saffron, Sage, Rose and Osmanthus.

Is Nefs or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Nefs and John Varvatos Oud?

Nefs has top notes of Honey, Saffron, Fig and Violet, heart notes of Rose, Osmanthus, Nutmeg and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Whiskey, Vanilla and Leather. 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.

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