Fragrance comparison

Varens Kiss vs So

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 34 ratings analysed

4 wins

Varens Kiss

Ulric de Varens · 2007

4.0616 votes

Rank #22,278 LavenderMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Carrement Belle

3.7218 votes

Rank #42,129 AmberAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Kiss takes 4 of 4 categories.

Varens Kiss
Choose it for a lavender and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
So
Choose it for a amber and aromatic character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Varens Kiss4/4

So0/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens KissUlric de Varens

SoCarrement Belle

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 18%Had 27%Want 55%

3.72/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 43%Had 23%Want 34%

Category winnerVarens KissRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

56%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

28%Love

39%Like

11%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage72

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityVarens Kiss

SillageVarens Kiss

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value79

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

musky92%

vanilla84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

amber100%

aromatic92%

musky84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

rose61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both musky and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

MuskYlang-Ylang

Heart2-3 hrs

LavenderCoriander

Base4-6 hrs

Tonka BeanVanilla

Notes

AmberMuskPatchouliLabdanumGeraniumJasmineYlang-YlangCorianderRoseVanillaSageTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesMusk, Ylang-Ylang, Coriander and Tonka Bean. Durations are only published for Varens Kiss, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night69

Spring83

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 44%Work 31%Date 17%Party 8%

Men11

Unisex67

Women22

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,278

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2007

Reviews5

Overall rank#42,129

PerfumerFrank Jammes

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerVarens KissHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Kiss opens without the typical citrus bite, offering instead an immediate veil of clean white musk and subtle, sweet ylang-ylang. The first three minutes carry a noticeable alcohol lift before the perfume oil warms against skin. Soon, aromatic French lavender emerges alongside dry coriander seed, giving the hea…

Reviews →

Carrement Belle So opens with a sharp flash of bergamot and bitter orange that quickly yields to an aromatic heart of clary sage, geranium, and coriander. As the citrus settles, dark patchouli and earthy labdanum merge with sweet vanilla and tonka bean, creating a rich amber foundation. Created by perfumer Frank Jamme…

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, Varens Kiss or So?

Varens Kiss takes 4 of 4 categories. Varens Kiss is rated 4.06/5 from 16 votes; So is rated 3.72/5 from 18 votes. Choose Varens Kiss for a lavender and musky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose So for a amber and aromatic character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Kiss or So?

Varens Kiss lasts longest (Varens Kiss 80/100, So 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Kiss or So?

Varens Kiss projects furthest (Varens Kiss 75/100, So 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Kiss and So smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky and aromatic accords. Common notes include Musk, Ylang-Ylang, Coriander and Tonka Bean.

Is Varens Kiss or So better for summer or winter?

Varens Kiss suits daytime wear; So suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Kiss and So?

Varens Kiss has top notes of Musk and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Lavender and Coriander, a base of Tonka Bean and Vanilla. So features Amber, Musk, Patchouli, Labdanum and Geranium.