Fragrance comparison

Varens Original African Queen vs Dark Rose

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 64 ratings analysed

Varens Original African Queen

Ulric de Varens

3.9842 votes

Rank #20,326 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Dark Rose

Atelier Segall & Barutti

4.2722 votes

Rank #34,222 RoseWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Varens Original African Queen
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Dark Rose
Choose it for a rose and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Varens Original African Queen2/4

Dark Rose2/4

Ratings & consensus: Dark Rose
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Dark Rose
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

Dark RoseAtelier Segall & Barutti

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 51%

4.27/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 43%Had 7%Want 50%

Category winnerDark RoseRating 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

59%Love

27%Like

0%Ok

9%Dislike

5%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityDark Rose

SillageVarens Original African Queen

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value63

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

floral83%

oud74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

rose100%

warm spicy91%

floral83%

oud74%

sweet65%

metallic56%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both warm spicy, floral and oud

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

CarnationBergamot

Heart

Damask RoseSaffronAgarwood (Oud)

Base

PralinePeru Balsam

InformationalShared notesCarnation, 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

Spring67

Summer7

Fall100

Winter93

Day36

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

Unisex70

Women30

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,326

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#34,222

PerfumerTzivia Segall

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 →

Atelier Segall & Barutti launched Dark Rose in 2016 as a unisex blend built around Damask rose, agarwood, and carnation. The opening hits skin with a sharp burst of bergamot backed by spicy clove-tinged carnation. As it settles, saffron introduces a slightly metallic, bitter warmth that pulls the velvet rose into 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 Dark Rose?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Varens Original African Queen is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes; Dark Rose is rated 4.27/5 from 22 votes. Choose Varens Original African Queen for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Dark Rose for a rose and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original African Queen or Dark Rose?

They last about the same: Dark Rose 72/100, Varens Original African Queen 71/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original African Queen or Dark Rose?

Varens Original African Queen projects furthest (Varens Original African Queen 66/100, Dark Rose 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original African Queen and Dark Rose smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, floral and oud accords. Common notes include Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot.

Is Varens Original African Queen or Dark Rose better for summer or winter?

Varens Original African Queen suits evening wear; Dark Rose suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original African Queen and Dark Rose?

Varens Original African Queen features Resins, Spicy Notes, Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot. Dark Rose has top notes of Carnation and Bergamot, heart notes of Damask Rose, Saffron and Agarwood (Oud), a base of Praline and Peru Balsam.