Fragrance comparison

Noir Ylang Ylang vs Varens Desire

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 30 ratings analysed

Noir Ylang Ylang

Judith Williams

4.001 votes

Rank #49,229 Yellow FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Varens Desire

Ulric de Varens

3.5229 votes

Rank #44,223 FloralWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Desire takes 3 of 3 categories.

Noir Ylang Ylang
Choose it for a yellow floral and powdery character.
Varens Desire
Choose it for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Noir Ylang Ylang0/3

Varens Desire3/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Noir Ylang YlangJudith Williams

Varens DesireUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

3.52/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 42%Had 14%Want 44%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

24%Love

38%Like

3%Ok

34%Dislike

0%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity20

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate63

Category winners

LongevityVarens Desire

SillageVarens Desire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value38

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

yellow floral100%

powdery92%

floral84%

sweet77%

woody69%

vanilla61%

floral100%

white floral92%

green84%

fruity77%

aquatic69%

ozonic61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

FreesiaLitchiGuavaWallflower

Heart

Ylang-YlangJasmineIrisRose

Base

Tonka BeanWhite MuskSandalwoodOrris RootVanillaPeach

Top15-30 mins

Water HyacinthIvyPeachLitchi

Heart2-3 hrs

JasmineFreesiaRoseIris

Base4-6 hrs

MuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesFreesia, Litchi, Jasmine and Iris. Durations are only published for Varens Desire, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring100

Summer90

Fall100

Winter90

Day100

Night41

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 38%Work 35%Date 17%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#49,229

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#44,223

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerVarens DesireHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Noir Ylang Ylang by Judith Williams is a floral composition for women launched in 2017. Created by perfumer Pierre Bourdon, this scent centers on creamy yellow florals softened by powdery iris and earthy orris root. It feels appropriate for office environments or casual weekend brunches, providing a gentle, intimate s…

Reviews →

Varens Desire by Ulric de Varens delivers a brisk, dewy splash of green botanicals right out of the sprayer. Crushed ivy leaves and aquatic water hyacinth dominate the first few minutes, accompanied by sheer slices of fresh peach and tart litchi. The scent quickly softens on warm skin. Powdery iris, crisp freesia, and…

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, Noir Ylang Ylang or Varens Desire?

Varens Desire takes 3 of 3 categories. Noir Ylang Ylang is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Varens Desire is rated 3.52/5 from 29 votes. Choose Noir Ylang Ylang for a yellow floral and powdery character. Choose Varens Desire for a floral and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Noir Ylang Ylang or Varens Desire?

Varens Desire lasts longest (Varens Desire 54/100, Noir Ylang Ylang 20/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Noir Ylang Ylang or Varens Desire?

Varens Desire projects furthest (Varens Desire 53/100, Noir Ylang Ylang 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Noir Ylang Ylang and Varens Desire smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral accords. Common notes include Freesia, Litchi, Jasmine and Iris.

Is Noir Ylang Ylang or Varens Desire better for summer or winter?

Varens Desire suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Noir Ylang Ylang and Varens Desire?

Noir Ylang Ylang has top notes of Freesia, Litchi, Guava and Wallflower, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Iris and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, White Musk, Sandalwood and Orris Root. Varens Desire has top notes of Water Hyacinth, Ivy, Peach and Litchi, heart notes of Jasmine, Freesia, Rose and Iris, a base of Musk and Sandalwood.