Fragrance comparison

Varens Original African Queen vs 1 PRIMUM

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 59 ratings analysed

3 wins

Varens Original African Queen

Ulric de Varens

3.9842 votes

Rank #20,326 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

1 PRIMUM

Siberian Wellness

4.1217 votes

Rank #46,786 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original African Queen takes 3 of 4 categories.

Varens Original African Queen
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
1 PRIMUM
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Varens Original African Queen3/4

1 PRIMUM1/4

Ratings & consensus: 1 PRIMUM
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Original African Queen
Sillage & projection: Varens Original African Queen
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varens Original African Queen

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original African QueenUlric de Varens

1 PRIMUMSiberian Wellness

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 51%

4.12/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 44%Had 10%Want 46%

Category winner1 PRIMUMRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

60%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

42 votes

47%Love

29%Like

12%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original African Queen

SillageVarens Original African Queen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value59

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

floral83%

oud74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

leather100%

smoky92%

rose84%

animalic77%

citrus69%

amber61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both amber and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

ResinsSpicy NotesCarnationAgarwood (Oud)BergamotFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Mandarin OrangePink PepperSpicy Notes

Heart

LeatherRose PetalsAmber

Base

SmokeAgarwood (Oud)ResinsCashmeranMusk

InformationalShared notesResins, Spicy Notes and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Varens Original African Queen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring19

Summer0

Fall100

Winter63

Day35

Night100

Spring25

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 37%Party 29%Casual 21%Work 13%

Men18

Unisex73

Women9

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,326

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#46,786

PerfumerAngéline Leporini

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVarens Original African QueenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Original African Queen is a warm spicy amber floral fragrance that punches well above its modest drugstore price tag. Composed by master nose Pierre Bourdon in 2008, it opens with a brisk flash of bergamot that quickly yields to a fiery heart of spicy carnation and abstract floral notes. A dusty, smoky base of …

Reviews →

1 PRIMUM is a smoky leather oud with a bright mandarin opening and a peppery edge. It starts sharp and warm, then settles into rose, amber, resins, and musk, with smoke and cashmeran giving it a dry, textured feel. It reads firmly unisex and leans more suited to cooler weather, evening wear, and anyone who enjoys dark…

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 Original African Queen or 1 PRIMUM?

Varens Original African Queen takes 3 of 4 categories. Varens Original African Queen is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes; 1 PRIMUM is rated 4.12/5 from 17 votes. Choose Varens Original African Queen for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose 1 PRIMUM for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original African Queen or 1 PRIMUM?

Varens Original African Queen lasts longest (Varens Original African Queen 71/100, 1 PRIMUM 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original African Queen or 1 PRIMUM?

Varens Original African Queen projects furthest (Varens Original African Queen 66/100, 1 PRIMUM 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original African Queen and 1 PRIMUM smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and citrus accords. Common notes include Resins, Spicy Notes and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Varens Original African Queen or 1 PRIMUM better for summer or winter?

Varens Original African Queen suits evening wear; 1 PRIMUM suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original African Queen and 1 PRIMUM?

Varens Original African Queen features Resins, Spicy Notes, Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot. 1 PRIMUM has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper and Spicy Notes, heart notes of Leather, Rose Petals and Amber, a base of Smoke, Agarwood (Oud), Resins and Cashmeran.