Fragrance comparison

The President's Hat vs Varens Original Russian Legend

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 136 ratings analysed

4 wins

The President's Hat

Lush

4.2381 votes

Rank #5,004 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

58%scent match

Closely related

Varens Original Russian Legend

Ulric de Varens

3.9655 votes

Rank #31,839 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The President's Hat takes 4 of 7 categories.

The President's Hat
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Varens Original Russian Legend
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

The President's Hat4/7

Varens Original Russian Legend3/7

Ratings & consensus: The President's Hat
Community sentiment: The President's Hat
Longevity: Varens Original Russian Legend
Sillage & projection: The President's Hat
Value for money: Varens Original Russian Legend
Versatility: Varens Original Russian Legend
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The President's Hat

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The President's HatLush

Varens Original Russian LegendUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 81 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.96/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

Category winnerThe President's HatRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

46%Love

45%Like

6%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

69 votes

24%Love

62%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

Category winnerThe President's HatMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Russian Legend

SillageThe President's Hat

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value100

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy83%

amber65%

smoky48%

balsamic30%

leather100%

smoky92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

animalic61%

Scent match58%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and smoky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Woody NotesIncenseSpicy Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

LimeGrapefruitOrange Blossom

Heart2-4 hrs

Woody NotesSpicy NotesRoseJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

LeatherWoodsy NotesIncense

InformationalShared notesWoody Notes, Incense and Spicy Notes. Durations are only published for Varens Original Russian Legend, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring13

Summer17

Fall100

Winter83

Day85

Night100

Spring27

Summer20

Fall100

Winter73

Day100

Night82

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men64

Unisex36

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,004

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews50

Overall rank#31,839

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerThe President's HatHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The President's Hat is a dry, smoky wood and incense scent with a warm spicy core. It opens austere and resinous, then settles into an ambered woody finish that usually feels best in cool weather and evening wear. This is a good fit for someone who likes incense-forward, serious fragrances more than sweet or fresh sty…

Reviews →

Varens Original Russian Legend by Ulric de Varens is a remarkably dark, smoky leather fragrance built with surprising classical discipline. It opens with an initial flash of sharp perfumer alcohol that quickly gives way to zesty lime, bitter grapefruit, and a touch of sweet orange blossom. Within fifteen minutes, the …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Un Matin Dans La RoseraieJeanne en ProvenceWINNER vs

WindInubiRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Citrus BrasilisGranadoWINNER vs

Humor à VistaNaturaRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Michalsky Berlin Fame For MenMichael MichalskyWINNER vs

Sport RacingJacques BattiniRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Versailles ShotgunVersaillesRUNNER-UP vs

Black AvaritiaMemoize LondonWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, The President's Hat or Varens Original Russian Legend?

The President's Hat takes 4 of 7 categories. The President's Hat is rated 4.23/5 from 81 votes; Varens Original Russian Legend is rated 3.96/5 from 55 votes. Choose The President's Hat for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Varens Original Russian Legend for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, The President's Hat or Varens Original Russian Legend?

Varens Original Russian Legend lasts longest (Varens Original Russian Legend 74/100, The President's Hat 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The President's Hat or Varens Original Russian Legend?

The President's Hat projects furthest (The President's Hat 63/100, Varens Original Russian Legend 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The President's Hat and Varens Original Russian Legend smell similar?

Closely related: a 58% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and smoky accords. Common notes include Woody Notes, Incense and Spicy Notes.

Is The President's Hat or Varens Original Russian Legend better for summer or winter?

For summer, Varens Original Russian Legend is the stronger pick. For winter, The President's Hat is the stronger pick. The President's Hat suits evening wear; Varens Original Russian Legend suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The President's Hat and Varens Original Russian Legend?

The President's Hat features Woody Notes, Incense and Spicy Notes. Varens Original Russian Legend has top notes of Lime, Grapefruit and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Woody Notes, Spicy Notes, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Woodsy Notes and Incense.