Fragrance comparison

Oud Noir vs VAR

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 31 ratings analysed

Oud Noir

Blackoud

5.002 votes

Rank #45,113 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

VAR

Mallo

3.9329 votes

Rank #23,865 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

VAR takes 3 of 4 categories.

Oud Noir
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
VAR
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Oud Noir1/4

VAR3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Oud NoirBlackoud

VARMallo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 50%Had 17%Want 33%

3.93/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 40%Had 2%Want 58%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

62%Love

7%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

10%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityVAR

SillageVAR

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value38

Category winnerOud NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

earthy92%

aromatic84%

leather77%

patchouli69%

oud61%

woody100%

aromatic88%

earthy77%

fresh spicy65%

green53%

conifer42%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypriolMandarinPetitgrainBlack Currant

Heart

PatchouliCashmeranCaramel

Base

VetiverOudLeatherAmberLabdanum

Notes

VetiverPineMysore SandalwoodTimurSilver FirCypriolGrassOud

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCypriol, Vetiver and Oud. Durations are only published for VAR, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Spring77

Summer23

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men88

Unisex13

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,113

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,865

PerfumerAntonio Lasheras, Rajesh Balkrishnan

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerVARHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Oud Noir by Blackoud opens with sharp cypriol and bitter petitgrain before settling into dark patchouli, smoked leather, and dry vetiver. Built for cool autumn evenings, it offers an earthy, woody profile with just enough mandarin brightness to keep the dark base from suffocating on skin.

Reviews →

VAR by Mallo presents an earthy, conifer-rich profile centered around raw vetiver and fragrant evergreen needles. Created by Antonio Lasheras and Rajesh Balkrishnan, the scent draws inspiration from the high mountain forests at the foothills of the Himalayas. Crisp pine, silver fir, and fresh spicy timur spark an invi…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Oud Noir or VAR?

VAR takes 3 of 4 categories. Oud Noir is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes; VAR is rated 3.93/5 from 29 votes. Choose Oud Noir for a woody and earthy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose VAR for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Oud Noir or VAR?

VAR lasts longest (VAR 88/100, Oud Noir 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oud Noir or VAR?

VAR projects furthest (VAR 67/100, Oud Noir 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oud Noir and VAR smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Cypriol, Vetiver and Oud.

Is Oud Noir or VAR better for summer or winter?

Oud Noir suits day or night wear; VAR suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oud Noir and VAR?

Oud Noir has top notes of Cypriol, Mandarin, Petitgrain and Black Currant, heart notes of Patchouli, Cashmeran and Caramel, a base of Vetiver, Oud, Leather and Amber. VAR features Vetiver, Pine, Mysore Sandalwood, Timur and Silver Fir.