Fragrance comparison

Varens Musc vs Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 15 ratings analysed

2 wins

Varens Musc

Ulric de Varens

3.836 votes

Rank #62,600 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)

DSH Perfumes

4.679 votes

Rank #41,561 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Musc takes 2 of 4 categories.

Varens Musc
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Varens Musc2/4

Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Musc
Sillage & projection: Varens Musc
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens MuscUlric de Varens

Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)DSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 36%Had 29%Want 36%

4.67/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 21%Had 6%Want 73%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

17%Love

67%Like

0%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

67%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage42

♥ Love / hate92

Category winners

LongevityVarens Musc

SillageVarens Musc

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value75

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

powdery90%

citrus80%

woody70%

amber60%

warm spicy50%

white floral100%

citrus90%

woody80%

powdery70%

floral60%

fresh50%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both citrus, powdery and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Bitter Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

MuskSandalwoodFloral Notes

Base6-8 hrs

Amber

Top20-30 mins

Bitter OrangeBergamotViolet

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineNeroliDyer’s Greenweed

Base6-8 hrs

SandalwoodBeeswaxVetiverOakmossVanillaMuskAmber

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Spring100

Summer100

Fall17

Winter17

Day100

Night25

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#62,600

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#41,561

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerGelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Musc by Ulric de Varens delivers a straightforward, comforting blend centered on clean musk, bitter orange, and smooth sandalwood. The scent opens with a brief prickle of sharp citrus peel that softens within minutes. As the bright top fades, a velvety heart of musk and gentle floral notes takes over, wrapping …

Reviews →

Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) by DSH Perfumes captures the sunlit romance of an Italian summer courtyard. The opening sparks with crisp bitter orange, bright bergamot, and a leafy touch of green violet. Soon, authentic Mediterranean jasmine takes over, flanked by bittersweet neroli and herbal dyer's green…

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 Musc or Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)?

Varens Musc takes 2 of 4 categories. Varens Musc is rated 3.83/5 from 6 votes; Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) is rated 4.67/5 from 9 votes. Choose Varens Musc for a musky and powdery character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Musc or Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)?

Varens Musc lasts longest (Varens Musc 80/100, Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Musc or Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)?

Varens Musc projects furthest (Varens Musc 75/100, Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) 42/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Musc and Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, powdery and woody accords. Common notes include Bitter Orange, Musk, Sandalwood and Amber.

Is Varens Musc or Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) better for summer or winter?

Varens Musc suits daytime wear; Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Musc and Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5)?

Varens Musc has top notes of Bitter Orange, heart notes of Musk, Sandalwood and Floral Notes, a base of Amber. Gelsomino (Jasmine: Italian Journey No. 5) has top notes of Bitter Orange, Bergamot and Violet, heart notes of Jasmine, Neroli and Dyer’s Greenweed, a base of Sandalwood, Beeswax, Vetiver and Oakmoss.