Fragrance comparison

Princesse d'Albret vs Varens Secret 3

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 14 ratings analysed

Princesse d'Albret

Jean d'Albret

4.506 votes

Rank #43,204 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Princesse d'Albret
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Princesse d'Albret2/4

Varens Secret 32/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Secret 3
Sillage & projection: Princesse d'Albret
Value for money: Varens Secret 3
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Princesse d'Albret

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Princesse d'AlbretJean d'Albret

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 50%Had 13%Want 38%

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

38%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityVarens Secret 3

SillagePrincesse d'Albret

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value100

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

sweet92%

powdery84%

fruity77%

amber69%

white floral61%

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both sweet and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesCitrusesRaspberryCoconutPeachPearBergamotWisteria

Heart

JasmineLilyRoseHeliotropeOrrisLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-YlangIris

Base

Tonka BeanSandalwoodBourbon VetiverOpoponaxPatchouliVanillaMuskSpices

Top15-30 mins

Bitter AlmondCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseIris

Base6-8 hrs

PatchouliVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Rose, Iris and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer25

Fall50

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex29

Women71

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Casual 29%Party 20%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,204

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerPrincesse d'AlbretHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Princesse d'Albret starts with a surprising burst of wild strawberry and crisp aldehydes. It settles into a heavy floral heart of iris and rose before settling into a warm, mossy base of vetiver and oakmoss. This mid-century fragrance suits crisp autumn afternoons when you want a dry, green-leaning floral with a subtl…

Reviews →

Varens Secret 3 by Ulric de Varens is a warm, powdery oriental fragrance built around sweet almond, creamy vanilla, and resinous amber. The opening arrives with a punchy flash of bitter almond and quick citruses that can feel slightly sharp for the first three minutes. Give it a moment. Once the alcohol burns away, th…

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, Princesse d'Albret or Varens Secret 3?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Princesse d'Albret is rated 4.50/5 from 6 votes; Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Princesse d'Albret for a woody and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Princesse d'Albret or Varens Secret 3?

Varens Secret 3 lasts longest (Varens Secret 3 65/100, Princesse d'Albret 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Princesse d'Albret or Varens Secret 3?

Princesse d'Albret projects furthest (Princesse d'Albret 50/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Princesse d'Albret and Varens Secret 3 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and amber accords. Common notes include Citruses, Rose, Iris and Tonka Bean.

Is Princesse d'Albret or Varens Secret 3 better for summer or winter?

Princesse d'Albret suits day or night wear; Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Princesse d'Albret and Varens Secret 3?

Princesse d'Albret has top notes of Aldehydes, Citruses, Raspberry and Coconut, heart notes of Jasmine, Lily, Rose and Heliotrope, a base of Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Bourbon Vetiver and Opoponax. Varens Secret 3 has top notes of Bitter Almond and Citruses, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Amber.