Fragrance comparison

Shams Oud vs VAR

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 651 ratings analysed

4 wins

Shams Oud

Memo Paris

4.18622 votes

Rank #1,825 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

VAR

Mallo

3.9329 votes

Rank #23,865 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shams Oud takes 4 of 7 categories.

Shams Oud
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
VAR
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Shams Oud4/7

VAR3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Shams OudMemo Paris

VARMallo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 622 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.93/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 40%Had 2%Want 58%

Category winnerShams OudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

48%Love

36%Like

4%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

622 votes

62%Love

7%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

10%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerShams OudMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityVAR

SillageShams Oud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value38

Category winnerVARBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber90%

oud80%

balsamic70%

fresh spicy60%

earthy50%

woody100%

aromatic88%

earthy77%

fresh spicy65%

green53%

conifer42%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both woody, earthy and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PepperGinger

Heart

CypriolCashmeran

Base

OudPeru BalsamVetiverStyrax

Notes

VetiverPineMysore SandalwoodTimurSilver FirCypriolGrassOud

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCypriol, Oud and Vetiver. Durations are only published for VAR, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring77

Summer23

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerVARMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men43

Unisex51

Women6

Men88

Unisex13

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,825

PerfumerAlienor Massenet

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#23,865

PerfumerAntonio Lasheras, Rajesh Balkrishnan

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerShams OudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shams Oud opens with a sharp burst of black pepper and pungent ginger that hits the nostrils with dry, prickling heat. Rather than relying on sweet rose or floral syrup, perfumer Alienor Massenet builds an intensely smoky structure anchored by earthy cypriol and musk-like cashmeran in the heart. As the initial spice …

Reviews →

VAR by Mallo presents an earthy, conifer-rich profile centered around raw vetiver and fragrant evergreen needles. Created by Antonio Lasheras and Rajesh Balkrishnan, the scent draws inspiration from the high mountain forests at the foothills of the Himalayas. Crisp pine, silver fir, and fresh spicy timur spark an invi…

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, Shams Oud or VAR?

Shams Oud takes 4 of 7 categories. Shams Oud is rated 4.18/5 from 622 votes; VAR is rated 3.93/5 from 29 votes. Choose Shams Oud for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose VAR for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Shams Oud or VAR?

VAR lasts longest (VAR 88/100, Shams Oud 78/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shams Oud or VAR?

Projection is very close: Shams Oud 69/100, VAR 67/100 for sillage.

Do Shams Oud and VAR smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, earthy and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Cypriol, Oud and Vetiver.

Is Shams Oud or VAR better for summer or winter?

For summer, VAR is the stronger pick. For winter, Shams Oud is the stronger pick. VAR suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shams Oud and VAR?

Shams Oud has top notes of Pepper and Ginger, heart notes of Cypriol and Cashmeran, a base of Oud, Peru Balsam, Vetiver and Styrax. VAR features Vetiver, Pine, Mysore Sandalwood, Timur and Silver Fir.