Fragrance comparison

Obsidian vs Varens Homme Intense

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 59 ratings analysed

5 wins

Obsidian

Moudon

4.1135 votes

Rank #10,152 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Varens Homme Intense

Ulric de Varens

4.0824 votes

Rank #18,842 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Obsidian takes 5 of 6 categories.

Obsidian
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Varens Homme Intense
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Obsidian5/6

Varens Homme Intense1/6

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ObsidianMoudon

Varens Homme IntenseUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 35 votes

Have 38%Had 5%Want 56%

4.08/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 50%Had 21%Want 29%

Category winnerObsidianRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

57%Love

17%Like

14%Ok

3%Dislike

9%Hate

35 votes

33%Love

54%Like

4%Ok

4%Dislike

4%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityObsidian

SillageObsidian

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value90

Category winnerVarens Homme IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

earthy77%

oud69%

metallic61%

fresh spicy100%

woody83%

floral65%

citrus48%

powdery30%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronNutmegMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

Clove LeafImmortelleVioletCuminOsmanthus

Base6-10 hrs

OudMossPatchouliMuskAmber

Top15-30 mins

BergamotMandarin Orange

Heart1-2 hrs

CuminFloral NotesNutmeg

Base3-4 hrs

CedarSandalwood

Category winnerObsidianLongest dry-down: 6-10 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer44

Fall78

Winter100

Day82

Night100

Spring70

Summer50

Fall100

Winter60

Day92

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men61

Unisex30

Women9

Work 36%Date 28%Casual 21%Party 15%

Men64

Unisex27

Women9

Casual 38%Work 33%Date 18%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,152

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#18,842

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerObsidianHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Moudon Obsidian opens with a brisk punch of warm saffron, dark crushed nutmeg, and a splash of bright mandarin orange. It quickly settles into an intriguing spicy blend where herbal clove leaf and dry immortelle mingle with cool violet petals. As the scent warms against your pulse points, a deep base of woody oud, ear…

Reviews →

Varens Homme Intense by Ulric de Varens opens with an immediate kick of sparkling bergamot and bright mandarin orange. That initial citrus brightness flashes off quickly. Within twenty minutes, the fragrance shifts into a dry, herbal heart of warm cumin and ground nutmeg, softened by subtle floral notes. It smells cle…

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, Obsidian or Varens Homme Intense?

Obsidian takes 5 of 6 categories. Obsidian is rated 4.11/5 from 35 votes; Varens Homme Intense is rated 4.08/5 from 24 votes. Choose Obsidian for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Varens Homme Intense for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Obsidian or Varens Homme Intense?

Obsidian lasts longest (Obsidian 80/100, Varens Homme Intense 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Obsidian or Varens Homme Intense?

Obsidian projects furthest (Obsidian 72/100, Varens Homme Intense 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Obsidian and Varens Homme Intense smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Mandarin Orange and Cumin.

Is Obsidian or Varens Homme Intense better for summer or winter?

Obsidian suits evening wear; Varens Homme Intense suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Obsidian and Varens Homme Intense?

Obsidian has top notes of Saffron, Nutmeg and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Clove Leaf, Immortelle, Violet and Cumin, a base of Oud, Moss, Patchouli and Musk. Varens Homme Intense has top notes of Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cumin, Floral Notes and Nutmeg, a base of Cedar and Sandalwood.