Fragrance comparison

Varens Original African Queen vs Oud de Nil

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 266 ratings analysed

Varens Original African Queen

Ulric de Varens

3.9842 votes

Rank #20,326 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Oud de Nil

Penhaligon's

3.83224 votes

Rank #6,807 WoodyRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud de Nil takes 4 of 6 categories.

Varens Original African Queen
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in fall, evening wear.
Oud de Nil
Choose it for a woody and rose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Varens Original African Queen2/6

Oud de Nil4/6

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original African QueenUlric de Varens

Oud de NilPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.98/ 5 · 42 votes

Have 35%Had 15%Want 51%

3.83/ 5 · 224 votes

Have 45%Had 12%Want 44%

Category winnerVarens Original African QueenRating 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

31%Love

45%Like

10%Ok

14%Dislike

1%Hate

168 votes

Category winnerVarens Original African QueenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityOud de Nil

SillageOud de Nil

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value48

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

floral83%

oud74%

balsamic65%

citrus56%

woody100%

rose91%

oud83%

amber74%

fresh spicy65%

citrus56%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both amber, oud 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

BergamotGrapefruit

Heart

RoseGeraniumJasmineOrange Blossom

Base

Agarwood (Oud)Guaiac WoodPapyrusResinsAmber

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

Spring43

Summer25

Fall100

Winter77

Day100

Night86

Category winnerOud de NilMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men8

Unisex55

Women37

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,326

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#6,807

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews31

Category winnerOud de NilHigher 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 →

Oud de Nil is a polished rose oud with a bright citrus lift, soft florals, papyrus, amber and dry woods. Reviewers often describe it as well blended, expensive smelling and smoother than many heavier oud fragrances. It leans feminine on paper, but many wearers find it comfortably unisex. Sample first if you dislike m…

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 Oud de Nil?

Oud de Nil takes 4 of 6 categories. Varens Original African Queen is rated 3.98/5 from 42 votes; Oud de Nil is rated 3.83/5 from 224 votes. Choose Varens Original African Queen for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Oud de Nil for a woody and rose character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original African Queen or Oud de Nil?

Oud de Nil lasts longest (Oud de Nil 74/100, Varens Original African Queen 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original African Queen or Oud de Nil?

Projection is very close: Oud de Nil 68/100, Varens Original African Queen 66/100 for sillage.

Do Varens Original African Queen and Oud de Nil smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, oud and citrus accords. Common notes include Resins, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot.

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

For summer, Oud de Nil is the stronger pick. For winter, Oud de Nil is the stronger pick. Varens Original African Queen suits evening wear; Oud de Nil suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

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

Varens Original African Queen features Resins, Spicy Notes, Carnation, Agarwood (Oud) and Bergamot. Oud de Nil has top notes of Bergamot and Grapefruit, heart notes of Rose, Geranium, Jasmine and Orange Blossom, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood, Papyrus and Resins.