Unknown Smell vs Varanasi
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
39%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Unknown Smell takes 3 of 4 categories.
Unknown SmellChoose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
VaranasiChoose it for a animalic and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Unknown Smell3/4
Varanasi1/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Unknown Smell
- Sillage & projection
- Unknown Smell
- Value for money
- Unknown Smell
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Varanasi
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Unknown SmellSanchezVaranasiMeo FusciuniWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split5.00/ 5 · 6 votes
Have 10%Had 3%Want 87%
3.93/ 5 · 412 votes
Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate100%Love
0%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
6 votes · too few to score
43%Love
31%Like
8%Ok
11%Dislike
7%Hate
412 votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityUnknown Smell
SillageUnknown Smell
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerUnknown SmellBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
earthy30%
animalic100%
amber92%
woody84%
leather77%
warm spicy69%
earthy61%
Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody and earthy
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaLavenderNutmegChili Pepper
Heart
SaffronIncenseOud
Base
PatchouliVetiverAmberMusk
Top
IncenseSaffronNutmegCardamom
Heart
AmbergrisCypriol Oil or NagarmothaRoseAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Jasmine
Base
Animal notesAgarwood (Oud)LeatherNard Himalayan (Jatamansi)Gurjan balsamVetiver
InformationalShared notesCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Nutmeg, Saffron and Incense. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring0
Summer50
Fall100
Winter100
Day–
Night100
Spring34
Summer24
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#31,164
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews1
Overall rank#3,779
PerfumerGiuseppe Imprezzabile
Launched—
Reviews57
Category winnerVaranasiHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotUnknown Smell by Sanchez hits the skin with a sharp burst of chili pepper, dry cypriol oil, and earthy nutmeg. Within minutes, the spicy top settles into a dense heart of smoky incense and dark saffron, supported by a heavy agarwood backbone. As the hours pass, patchouli and amber create a resinous base that clings to…
Reviews →Meo Fusciuni Varanasi opens with a sharp burst of smoky incense, dry saffron, and pungent animalic notes. Cold cardamom and nutmeg cut through the heavy resinous warmth, creating an immediate sense of ancient temple stone and raw leather. As the heat of skin activates the formula, rich ambergris and earthy cypriol oil…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Unknown Smell or Varanasi?
Unknown Smell takes 3 of 4 categories. Unknown Smell is rated 5.00/5 from 6 votes; Varanasi is rated 3.93/5 from 412 votes. Choose Unknown Smell for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Varanasi for a animalic and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Unknown Smell or Varanasi?
Unknown Smell lasts longest (Unknown Smell 100/100, Varanasi 80/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Unknown Smell or Varanasi?
Unknown Smell projects furthest (Unknown Smell 96/100, Varanasi 68/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Unknown Smell and Varanasi smell similar?
Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Nutmeg, Saffron and Incense.
Is Unknown Smell or Varanasi better for summer or winter?
Unknown Smell suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Unknown Smell and Varanasi?
Unknown Smell has top notes of Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Lavender, Nutmeg and Chili Pepper, heart notes of Saffron, Incense and Oud, a base of Patchouli, Vetiver, Amber and Musk. Varanasi has top notes of Incense, Saffron, Nutmeg and Cardamom, heart notes of Ambergris, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Rose and Ambrette (Musk Mallow), a base of Animal notes, Agarwood (Oud), Leather and Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi).
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