Fragrance comparison

Steel Sugar vs Varens Homme Silver

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 233 ratings analysed

6 wins

Steel Sugar

Aquolina

3.86201 votes

Rank #6,556 SweetCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Varens Homme Silver

Ulric de Varens

3.6932 votes

Rank #20,666 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Steel Sugar takes 6 of 7 categories.

Steel Sugar
Choose it for a sweet and cinnamon character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Varens Homme Silver
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Steel Sugar6/7

Varens Homme Silver1/7

Ratings & consensus: Steel Sugar
Community sentiment: Steel Sugar
Longevity: Steel Sugar
Sillage & projection: Steel Sugar
Value for money: Steel Sugar
Versatility: Varens Homme Silver
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Steel Sugar

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Steel SugarAquolina

Varens Homme SilverUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 201 votes

Have 39%Had 15%Want 46%

3.69/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 45%Had 25%Want 30%

Category winnerSteel SugarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

42%Like

7%Ok

18%Dislike

1%Hate

201 votes

19%Love

53%Like

6%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerSteel SugarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevitySteel Sugar

SillageSteel Sugar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value75

Category winnerSteel SugarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

cinnamon92%

amber84%

woody77%

musky69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

fruity92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

green69%

fresh61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AngelicaAppleBergamot

Heart

GingerbreadLavenderCedar

Base

TobaccoVetiverLabdanum

Top15-30 mins

AppleBergamot

Heart2-3 hrs

Spicy NotesCedar

Base4-6 hrs

VetiverTobacco

InformationalShared notesApple, Bergamot, Cedar and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Varens Homme Silver, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring87

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring13

Summer33

Fall100

Winter73

Day100

Night50

Category winnerVarens Homme SilverMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men46

Unisex41

Women13

Men40

Unisex40

Women20

Casual 41%Work 28%Date 18%Party 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,556

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews54

Overall rank#20,666

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerSteel SugarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aquolina Steel Sugar pairs crisp apple and angelica with warm gingerbread and lavender over a dark base of tobacco and cedar. Released in 2013 as a masculine counterpoint to Pink Sugar, it cuts thick gourmand sweetness with cool aromatic edges. It sits best in crisp late autumn weather, warming cold breezes without cl…

Reviews →

Varens Homme Silver by Ulric de Varens cuts straight to the point with an easygoing, fruit-forward profile. The first spray releases a bright crunch of sweet apple and tart bergamot. It smells clean and instantly familiar. Within twenty minutes, gentle spicy notes and pencil-shaving cedarwood warm up the heart, balanc…

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, Steel Sugar or Varens Homme Silver?

Steel Sugar takes 6 of 7 categories. Steel Sugar is rated 3.86/5 from 201 votes; Varens Homme Silver is rated 3.69/5 from 32 votes. Choose Steel Sugar for a sweet and cinnamon character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Varens Homme Silver for a woody and fruity character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Steel Sugar or Varens Homme Silver?

Steel Sugar lasts longest (Steel Sugar 65/100, Varens Homme Silver 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Steel Sugar or Varens Homme Silver?

Steel Sugar projects furthest (Steel Sugar 62/100, Varens Homme Silver 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Steel Sugar and Varens Homme Silver smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Apple, Bergamot, Cedar and Tobacco.

Is Steel Sugar or Varens Homme Silver better for summer or winter?

For summer, Varens Homme Silver is the stronger pick. For winter, Steel Sugar is the stronger pick. Varens Homme Silver suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Steel Sugar and Varens Homme Silver?

Steel Sugar has top notes of Angelica, Apple and Bergamot, heart notes of Gingerbread, Lavender and Cedar, a base of Tobacco, Vetiver and Labdanum. Varens Homme Silver has top notes of Apple and Bergamot, heart notes of Spicy Notes and Cedar, a base of Vetiver and Tobacco.