Fragrance comparison

Opium (1977) vs Varensia

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 9,008 ratings analysed

4 wins

Opium (1977)

Yves Saint Laurent

3.978,395 votes

Rank #415 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 5 categories.

Opium (1977)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money.

Opium (1977)4/5

Varensia1/5

Ratings & consensus: Opium (1977)
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Opium (1977)
Sillage & projection: Opium (1977)
Value for money: Varensia
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Opium (1977)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Opium (1977)Yves Saint Laurent

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.97/ 5 · 8,395 votes

Have 53%Had 47%Want 0%

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

Category winnerOpium (1977)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

32%Like

1%Ok

22%Dislike

1%Hate

8,395 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityOpium (1977)

SillageOpium (1977)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value82

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

balsamic83%

woody74%

aromatic65%

powdery56%

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both aromatic and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ClovesPepperCorianderWest Indian BayPlumJasmineMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

CarnationCinnamonSandalwoodPatchouliRoseOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

IncenseMyrrhTolu BalsamAmberOpoponaxBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesCloves, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring19

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex36

Women61

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#415

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Raymond Chaillan

Launched—

Reviews204

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Category winnerOpium (1977)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Yves Saint Laurent Opium (1977) opens like a warm, crackling hearth on a freezing winter night. The first spray hits with a sharp burst of dried clove buds, fresh black pepper, and dark plum before mellowing into rich cinnamon, spicy red carnation, and creamy sandalwood. As it settles on warm skin, deep frankincense, …

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, Opium (1977) or Varensia?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 5 categories. Opium (1977) is rated 3.97/5 from 8,395 votes; Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes. Choose Opium (1977) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on value for money.

Which lasts longer, Opium (1977) or Varensia?

Opium (1977) lasts longest (Opium (1977) 88/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Opium (1977) or Varensia?

Opium (1977) projects furthest (Opium (1977) 82/100, Varensia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Opium (1977) and Varensia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and powdery accords. Common notes include Cloves, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.

Is Opium (1977) or Varensia better for summer or winter?

Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Opium (1977) and Varensia?

Opium (1977) has top notes of Cloves, Pepper, Coriander and West Indian Bay, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Sandalwood and Patchouli, a base of Incense, Myrrh, Tolu Balsam and Amber. 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.