Fragrance comparison

The Hermit vs Vintage

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

Updated 26 Oct 2026 2,831 ratings analysed

The Hermit

Andromeda's Curse

4.2512 votes

Rank #47,244 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Vintage

John Varvatos

4.172,819 votes

Rank #923 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Vintage takes 3 of 5 categories.

The Hermit
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Vintage
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

The Hermit2/5

Vintage3/5

Ratings & consensus: Vintage
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Hermit
Sillage & projection: Vintage
Value for money: The Hermit
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Vintage

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The HermitAndromeda's Curse

VintageJohn Varvatos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 26%Had 4%Want 70%

4.17/ 5 · 2,819 votes

Have 78%Had 23%Want 0%

Category winnerVintageRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

25%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

40%Love

45%Like

6%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

2,819 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityThe Hermit

SillageVintage

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value96

¤ Price value70

Category winnerThe HermitBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

earthy92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

green69%

floral61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

sweet77%

tobacco69%

green61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

WormwoodBalsam FirSoil TinctureGreen LeavesNag ChampaSandalwoodOakmoss

No top / heart / base split published

Top20-30 mins

RhubarbQuincePepperWormwoodBasilFennel

Heart2-4 hrs

CinnamonJuniper BerriesLavenderGreen LeavesOrris RootJasmine

Base4-6 hrs

TobaccoSuedeBalsam FirTonka BeanWoody NotesOakmossPatchouli

InformationalShared notesWormwood, Balsam Fir, Green Leaves and Oakmoss. Durations are only published for Vintage, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer20

Fall100

Winter60

Day50

Night100

Spring64

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day69

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex86

Women14

Men96

Unisex3

Women1

Date 30%Casual 29%Work 28%Party 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,244

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#923

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews207

Category winnerVintageHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Hermit opens with a sharp burst of bitter wormwood and crushed green leaves, creating a raw botanical introduction. Within minutes, rich soil tincture takes over the foreground, giving the composition the smell of dark garden earth after rain. As the scent warms on skin, balsam fir and oakmoss introduce a dry coni…

Reviews →

John Varvatos Vintage brings a rugged spin to traditional barbershop scents. The opening surprises you. Tart rhubarb and sweet quince clash with crushed black pepper and herbal fennel. Within twenty minutes, that sharp fruitiness yields to dry English lavender, warm cinnamon, and green juniper berries. Everything anch…

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, The Hermit or Vintage?

Vintage takes 3 of 5 categories. The Hermit is rated 4.25/5 from 12 votes; Vintage is rated 4.17/5 from 2,819 votes. Choose The Hermit for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Vintage for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, The Hermit or Vintage?

The Hermit lasts longest (The Hermit 63/100, Vintage 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Hermit or Vintage?

Vintage projects furthest (Vintage 51/100, The Hermit 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Hermit and Vintage smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Wormwood, Balsam Fir, Green Leaves and Oakmoss.

Is The Hermit or Vintage better for summer or winter?

The Hermit suits evening wear; Vintage suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Hermit and Vintage?

The Hermit features Wormwood, Balsam Fir, Soil Tincture, Green Leaves and Nag Champa. Vintage has top notes of Rhubarb, Quince, Pepper and Wormwood, heart notes of Cinnamon, Juniper Berries, Lavender and Green Leaves, a base of Tobacco, Suede, Balsam Fir and Tonka Bean.