Fragrance comparison

Royal Oud Intense vs John Varvatos Oud

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 642 ratings analysed

4 wins

Royal Oud Intense

Korloff Paris

4.0873 votes

Rank #26,498 AmberRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

John Varvatos Oud

John Varvatos

4.16569 votes

Rank #1,998 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Royal Oud Intense takes 4 of 7 categories.

Royal Oud Intense
Choose it for a amber and rose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
John Varvatos Oud
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Royal Oud Intense4/7

John Varvatos Oud3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Royal Oud IntenseKorloff Paris

John Varvatos OudJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.08/ 5 · 73 votes

Have 47%Had 14%Want 38%

4.16/ 5 · 569 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

7%Dislike

4%Hate

73 votes

46%Love

37%Like

7%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

569 votes

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityRoyal Oud Intense

SillageRoyal Oud Intense

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value65

Category winnerRoyal Oud IntenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

rose92%

oud84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

balsamic61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

aromatic77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both amber, fresh spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

RoseIncenseNutmeg

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)LabdanumPatchouli

Base

AmberVanillaSandalwoodMusk

Top15-30 mins

TobaccoNutmegJuniper BerriesCypressSage

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonTurkish RosePepperCardamomClovesSaffronEgyptian JasmineOsmanthus

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseAgarwood (Oud)MyrhhLeatherOpoponaxLabdanumCedarAmber

InformationalShared notesRose, Incense, Nutmeg and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for John Varvatos Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring41

Summer26

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring48

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Category winnerRoyal Oud IntenseMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men36

Unisex50

Women14

Men87

Unisex12

Women1

Date 33%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 14%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,498

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,998

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews111

Category winnerJohn Varvatos OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Royal Oud Intense by Korloff Paris balances deep, resinous incense with a classic rose heart. It feels formal yet approachable, leaning into a dry, woody backbone that persists through the day. This is a solid choice for those who want a structured, resinous fragrance that works well in cooler office settings or eveni…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Oud takes a notoriously heavy scent profile and dials it back into something smooth, warm, and exceptionally wearable. Instead of a funky barnyard oud, you get a rush of dry tobacco leaves, cracked nutmeg, and brisk cypress needle right off the nozzle. Within twenty minutes, sweet cinnamon and clove heat…

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, Royal Oud Intense or John Varvatos Oud?

Royal Oud Intense takes 4 of 7 categories. Royal Oud Intense is rated 4.08/5 from 73 votes; John Varvatos Oud is rated 4.16/5 from 569 votes. Choose Royal Oud Intense for a amber and rose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose John Varvatos Oud for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Royal Oud Intense or John Varvatos Oud?

Royal Oud Intense lasts longest (Royal Oud Intense 80/100, John Varvatos Oud 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Royal Oud Intense or John Varvatos Oud?

Royal Oud Intense projects furthest (Royal Oud Intense 67/100, John Varvatos Oud 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Royal Oud Intense and John Varvatos Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, fresh spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Rose, Incense, Nutmeg and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Royal Oud Intense or John Varvatos Oud better for summer or winter?

For summer, Royal Oud Intense is the stronger pick. For winter, Royal Oud Intense is the stronger pick. John Varvatos Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Royal Oud Intense and John Varvatos Oud?

Royal Oud Intense has top notes of Rose, Incense and Nutmeg, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Labdanum and Patchouli, a base of Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Musk. John Varvatos Oud has top notes of Tobacco, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries and Cypress, heart notes of Cinnamon, Turkish Rose, Pepper and Cardamom, a base of Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Myrhh and Leather.