Fragrance comparison

Varens Original African Queen vs 9 Oud

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 46 ratings analysed

2 wins

Varens Original African Queen

Ulric de Varens

3.9842 votes

Rank #20,326 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

9 Oud

Trish McEvoy

3.754 votes

Rank #50,760 VanillaFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original African Queen takes 2 of 3 categories.

Varens Original African Queen
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
9 Oud
Choose it for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Varens Original African Queen2/3

9 Oud1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Original African Queen
Sillage & projection: 9 Oud
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

9 OudTrish McEvoy

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 51%

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 32%Had 7%Want 61%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

25%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 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

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original African Queen

Sillage9 Oud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value25

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

floral83%

oud74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

vanilla100%

floral92%

citrus84%

fresh77%

amber69%

powdery61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both floral, 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

BergamotRed Berries

Heart

Red PeonyEgyptian Jasmine

Base

VanillaResinsSandalwoodAgarwood (Oud)

InformationalShared notesResins, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot. 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

Spring33

Summer33

Fall100

Winter67

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,326

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#50,760

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

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 →

9 Oud by Trish McEvoy is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. 9 Oud was launched in 2014. Top notes are Bergamot and Red Berries; middle notes are Red Peony and Egyptian Jasmine; base notes are Vanilla, Resins, Sandalwood and Agarwood (Oud).

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 9 Oud?

Varens Original African Queen takes 2 of 3 categories. Varens Original African Queen is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes; 9 Oud is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose Varens Original African Queen for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose 9 Oud for a vanilla and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original African Queen or 9 Oud?

Varens Original African Queen lasts longest (Varens Original African Queen 71/100, 9 Oud 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original African Queen or 9 Oud?

9 Oud projects furthest (9 Oud 75/100, Varens Original African Queen 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original African Queen and 9 Oud smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, amber and citrus accords. Common notes include Resins, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot.

Is Varens Original African Queen or 9 Oud better for summer or winter?

Varens Original African Queen suits evening wear; 9 Oud suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original African Queen and 9 Oud?

Varens Original African Queen features Resins, Spicy Notes, Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot. 9 Oud has top notes of Bergamot and Red Berries, heart notes of Red Peony and Egyptian Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Resins, Sandalwood and Agarwood (Oud).