Fragrance comparison

Oud Romancea vs Varens Secret 1

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 93 ratings analysed

4 wins

Oud Romancea

Ard Al Zaafaran

3.8989 votes

Rank #7,994 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

64%scent match

Closely related

Varens Secret 1

Ulric de Varens

4.504 votes

Rank #54,160 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud Romancea takes 4 of 4 categories.

Oud Romancea
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Varens Secret 1
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Oud Romancea4/4

Varens Secret 10/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Oud RomanceaArd Al Zaafaran

Varens Secret 1Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 17%Want 61%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

35%Like

10%Ok

11%Dislike

6%Hate

89 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityOud Romancea

SillageOud Romancea

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value63

Category winnerOud RomanceaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

oud77%

white floral69%

smoky61%

white floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

balsamic61%

Scent match64%Closely related · both warm spicy, amber and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin OrangeBlack CurrantBergamot

Heart

Spicy NotesCinnamonGardeniaYlang-YlangJasmine

Base

Agarwood (Oud)IncenseSandalwoodAmberPatchouli

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangePeachBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineGardeniaIncense

Base6-8 hrs

AmberPatchouliSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Gardenia, Jasmine and Incense. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring64

Summer32

Fall100

Winter82

Day100

Night–

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex34

Women62

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Party 27%Casual 22%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,994

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews18

Overall rank#54,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOud RomanceaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Oud Romancea opens with a tart pop of black currant and bitter mandarin orange before settling into a warm spicy heart of cinnamon, gardenia, and jasmine. The base brings out smoky incense, agarwood (oud), and dry patchouli that linger close on dark fabric. It presents a contrast between sweet fruit jam and resinous, …

Reviews →

Ulric de Varens Varens Secret 1 starts with a noticeable crackle of black pepper over juicy peach and bright mandarin orange. It smells sweet, spicy, and immediately warm. Within twenty minutes, the initial fruitiness softens as creamy white gardenia and jasmine take over, wrapped in a gentle ribbon of smoky incense. …

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, Oud Romancea or Varens Secret 1?

Oud Romancea takes 4 of 4 categories. Oud Romancea is rated 3.89/5 from 89 votes; Varens Secret 1 is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes. Choose Oud Romancea for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Varens Secret 1 for a white floral and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Oud Romancea or Varens Secret 1?

Oud Romancea lasts longest (Oud Romancea 75/100, Varens Secret 1 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oud Romancea or Varens Secret 1?

Oud Romancea projects furthest (Oud Romancea 73/100, Varens Secret 1 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oud Romancea and Varens Secret 1 smell similar?

Closely related: a 64% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and white floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Gardenia, Jasmine and Incense.

Is Oud Romancea or Varens Secret 1 better for summer or winter?

Oud Romancea suits daytime wear; Varens Secret 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oud Romancea and Varens Secret 1?

Oud Romancea has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Spicy Notes, Cinnamon, Gardenia and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Incense, Sandalwood and Amber. Varens Secret 1 has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Peach and Black Pepper, heart notes of Jasmine, Gardenia and Incense, a base of Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood.