Fragrance comparison

Nosy Be Madagascar vs Varens Secret 3

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 10 ratings analysed

Nosy Be Madagascar

Atelier Segall & Barutti

4.002 votes

Rank #59,318 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Nosy Be Madagascar
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Nosy Be Madagascar2/4

Varens Secret 32/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Nosy Be MadagascarAtelier Segall & Barutti

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 29%Had 12%Want 59%

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

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

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

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityNosy Be Madagascar

SillageNosy Be Madagascar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value100

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

woody92%

powdery84%

aromatic77%

amber69%

vanilla61%

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both citrus, amber and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangeLemonBergamotCedarCitruses

Heart

IrisVetiverRoseJasminePatchouli

Base

OpoponaxVanillaCivetSandalwoodTonka BeanMuskLeather

Top15-30 mins

Bitter AlmondCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseIris

Base6-8 hrs

PatchouliVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Iris, Rose and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer67

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex33

Women33

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#59,318

PerfumerTzivia Segall

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nosy Be Madagascar opens with a sharp burst of mandarin orange, bergamot, and lemon, pinned down immediately by dry cedar wood. Within twenty minutes, the initial citrus flash yields to a powdery heart dominated by iris, earthy vetiver, and subtle jasmine florals. The base shifts into darker territory. Sweet opoponax …

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, Nosy Be Madagascar or Varens Secret 3?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Nosy Be Madagascar is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes; Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Nosy Be Madagascar for a citrus and woody character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Nosy Be Madagascar or Varens Secret 3?

They last about the same: Nosy Be Madagascar 67/100, Varens Secret 3 65/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Nosy Be Madagascar or Varens Secret 3?

Nosy Be Madagascar projects furthest (Nosy Be Madagascar 50/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nosy Be Madagascar and Varens Secret 3 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, amber and vanilla accords. Common notes include Citruses, Iris, Rose and Patchouli.

Is Nosy Be Madagascar or Varens Secret 3 better for summer or winter?

Nosy Be Madagascar suits daytime wear; Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nosy Be Madagascar and Varens Secret 3?

Nosy Be Madagascar has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Lemon, Bergamot and Cedar, heart notes of Iris, Vetiver, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Opoponax, Vanilla, Civet and Sandalwood. 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.