Fragrance comparison

Patchouly vs Dickens in Varanasi

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 7 ratings analysed

Patchouly

Cave

5.001 votes

Rank #50,828 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Dickens in Varanasi

THEN THERE

4.336 votes

Rank #51,290 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Patchouly
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Dickens in Varanasi
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Patchouly2/4

Dickens in Varanasi2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dickens in Varanasi
Sillage & projection: Patchouly
Value for money: Dickens in Varanasi
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Patchouly

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PatchoulyCave

Dickens in VaranasiTHEN THERE

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 40%Had 0%Want 60%

4.33/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 14%Had 3%Want 84%

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

1 vote · too few to score

83%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityDickens in Varanasi

SillagePatchouly

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value63

Category winnerDickens in VaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery90%

earthy80%

musky70%

patchouli60%

vanilla50%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

balsamic77%

aromatic69%

smoky61%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

VanillaPowdery NotesVetiver

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarPatchouli

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodWhite Musk

Top

GrapefruitChamomileelemiNutmegPearGreen Apple

Heart

AmberPatchouliMagnoliaSaffronJasmineCedarCinnamon

Base

IncenseVanillaTobaccoWhite MuskVetiverSandalwoodOud

InformationalShared notesVanilla, Vetiver, Cedar and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Patchouly, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex0

Women33

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,828

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#51,290

PerfumerAngela Ciampagna

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPatchoulyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cave Patchouly opens with a gentle dusting of powdery notes, airy vetiver, and sweet vanilla that immediately sets a calm, cozy tone. Rather than hitting you with the damp, pungent soil of an unrefined herbal shop, this fragrance showcases the purified white heart of Indonesian patchouli alongside dry cedar. The woods…

Reviews →

Dickens in Varanasi by THEN THERE opens with a sharp burst of bitter grapefruit, herbal chamomile, and spicy elemi resin. As the initial brightness settles, a heavy heart of saffron, dark patchouli, and warm cinnamon takes over on skin. The dry down anchors on smoky incense, earthy vetiver, and bitter oud lightly soft…

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, Patchouly or Dickens in Varanasi?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Patchouly is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Dickens in Varanasi is rated 4.33/5 from 6 votes. Choose Patchouly for a woody and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Dickens in Varanasi for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Patchouly or Dickens in Varanasi?

Dickens in Varanasi lasts longest (Dickens in Varanasi 85/100, Patchouly 80/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Patchouly or Dickens in Varanasi?

Patchouly projects furthest (Patchouly 75/100, Dickens in Varanasi 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Patchouly and Dickens in Varanasi smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Vanilla, Vetiver, Cedar and Patchouli.

Is Patchouly or Dickens in Varanasi better for summer or winter?

Patchouly suits day or night wear; Dickens in Varanasi suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Patchouly and Dickens in Varanasi?

Patchouly has top notes of Vanilla, Powdery Notes and Vetiver, heart notes of Cedar and Patchouli, a base of Sandalwood and White Musk. Dickens in Varanasi has top notes of Grapefruit, Chamomile, elemi and Nutmeg, heart notes of Amber, Patchouli, Magnolia and Saffron, a base of Incense, Vanilla, Tobacco and White Musk.