Fragrance comparison

Secret Oud vs Varanasi

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 527 ratings analysed

Secret Oud

Caron · 2011

3.89115 votes

Rank #26,632 RoseOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Varanasi

Meo Fusciuni

3.93412 votes

Rank #3,471 AnimalicAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varanasi takes 6 of 7 categories.

Secret Oud
Choose it for a rose and oud character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Varanasi
Choose it for a animalic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Secret Oud1/7

Varanasi6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Secret OudCaron

VaranasiMeo Fusciuni

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 115 votes

Have 49%Had 9%Want 42%

3.93/ 5 · 412 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerVaranasiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

21%Love

36%Like

21%Ok

12%Dislike

9%Hate

33 votes

43%Love

31%Like

8%Ok

11%Dislike

7%Hate

412 votes

Category winnerVaranasiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityVaranasi

SillageVaranasi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value30

¤ Price value49

Category winnerVaranasiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

rose100%

oud92%

earthy84%

woody69%

fresh spicy53%

herbal46%

animalic100%

amber92%

woody84%

leather77%

warm spicy69%

earthy61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

SaffronGreen Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

RoseNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)SpicesJasmine

Base6-10 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)oak mossCedarMusk

Top

IncenseSaffronNutmegCardamom

Heart

AmbergrisCypriol Oil or NagarmothaRoseAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Jasmine

Base

Animal notesAgarwood (Oud)LeatherNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)Gurjan balsamVetiver

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Rose, Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi) and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Secret Oud, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring22

Summer33

Fall100

Winter78

Day47

Night100

Spring34

Summer24

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerSecret OudMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex57

Women43

Date 35%Work 29%Casual 24%Party 11%

Men49

Unisex46

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,632

PerfumerRichard Fraysse

Launched2011

Reviews1

Overall rank#3,471

PerfumerGiuseppe Imprezzabile

Launched—

Reviews57

Category winnerVaranasiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Caron Secret Oud cuts through modern perfume clutter by ditching sugar entirely. It gets straight to business. The opening hits with sharp saffron and crushed green stems, creating an astringent botanical jolt that prickles the senses. Within twenty minutes, a dusty crimson rose emerges alongside Himalayan nard, addin…

Reviews →

Meo Fusciuni Varanasi opens with a sharp burst of smoky incense, dry saffron, and pungent animalic notes. Cold cardamom and nutmeg cut through the heavy resinous warmth, creating an immediate sense of ancient temple stone and raw leather. As the heat of skin activates the formula, rich ambergris and earthy cypriol oil…

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, Secret Oud or Varanasi?

Varanasi takes 6 of 7 categories. Secret Oud is rated 3.89/5 from 115 votes; Varanasi is rated 3.93/5 from 412 votes. Choose Secret Oud for a rose and oud character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Varanasi for a animalic and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Secret Oud or Varanasi?

Varanasi lasts longest (Varanasi 80/100, Secret Oud 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Secret Oud or Varanasi?

Varanasi projects furthest (Varanasi 68/100, Secret Oud 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Secret Oud and Varanasi smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Saffron, Rose, Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi) and Jasmine.

Is Secret Oud or Varanasi better for summer or winter?

For summer, Secret Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Varanasi is the stronger pick. Secret Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Secret Oud and Varanasi?

Secret Oud has top notes of Saffron and Green Notes, heart notes of Rose, Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi), Spices and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), oak moss, Cedar and Musk. Varanasi has top notes of Incense, Saffron, Nutmeg and Cardamom, heart notes of Ambergris, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Rose and Ambrette (Musk Mallow), a base of Animal notes, Agarwood (Oud), Leather and Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi).