Fragrance comparison

Source vs VAR

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 40 ratings analysed

Source

Vallense

3.6411 votes

Rank #50,105 Fresh SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

VAR

Mallo

3.9329 votes

Rank #23,865 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

VAR takes 3 of 6 categories.

Source
Choose it for a fresh spicy and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
VAR
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Source2/6

VAR3/6

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

SourceVallense

VARMallo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.64/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 22%Had 9%Want 69%

3.93/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 40%Had 2%Want 58%

Category winnerVARRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

36%Like

18%Ok

9%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

62%Love

7%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

10%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityVAR

SillageSource

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value38

Category winnerSourceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

sweet92%

oud84%

green77%

amber69%

woody61%

woody100%

aromatic88%

earthy77%

fresh spicy65%

green53%

conifer42%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both fresh spicy, woody and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperBulgarian RoseMandarin

Heart2-4 hrs

PralineOudFrankincenseCypriol

Base6-8+ hrs

VetiverGrassBenzoinAmber

Notes

VetiverPineMysore SandalwoodTimurSilver FirCypriolGrassOud

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring33

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring77

Summer23

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex50

Women17

Men88

Unisex13

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#50,105

PerfumerPia Long

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#23,865

PerfumerAntonio Lasheras, Rajesh Balkrishnan

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerVARHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Vallense Source opens with a zesty kick of mandarin alongside cracked black pepper before settling into a warm blend of Bulgarian rose, nutty praline, and smoky frankincense. As it develops on skin, smooth oud and resinous benzoin balance the initial sweetness, grounded by earthy green vetiver in the base. It smells l…

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, Source or VAR?

VAR takes 3 of 6 categories. Source is rated 3.64/5 from 11 votes; VAR is rated 3.93/5 from 29 votes. Choose Source for a fresh spicy and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose VAR for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Source or VAR?

VAR lasts longest (VAR 88/100, Source 85/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Source or VAR?

Source projects furthest (Source 75/100, VAR 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Source and VAR smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fresh spicy, woody and green accords. Common notes include Oud, Cypriol, Vetiver and Grass.

Is Source or VAR better for summer or winter?

Source suits evening wear; VAR suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Source and VAR?

Source has top notes of Black Pepper, Bulgarian Rose and Mandarin, heart notes of Praline, Oud, Frankincense and Cypriol, a base of Vetiver, Grass, Benzoin and Amber. VAR features Vetiver, Pine, Mysore Sandalwood, Timur and Silver Fir.