Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Borneo Dream vs Love at First Scent

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

Updated 4 Nov 2026 30 ratings analysed

2 wins

Varens Original Borneo Dream

Ulric de Varens

3.2128 votes

Rank #55,269 OzonicAquatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Love at First Scent

Once Upon a Fragrance

4.502 votes

Rank #54,859 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original Borneo Dream takes 2 of 3 categories.

Varens Original Borneo Dream
Choose it for a ozonic and aquatic character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Love at First Scent
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Varens Original Borneo Dream2/3

Love at First Scent1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Original Borneo Dream
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Varens Original Borneo Dream
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Love at First Scent

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Borneo DreamUlric de Varens

Love at First ScentOnce Upon a Fragrance

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.21/ 5 · 28 votes

Have 24%Had 26%Want 50%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 60%Had 0%Want 40%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

32%Like

4%Ok

46%Dislike

0%Hate

28 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate55

⏱ Longevity60

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Borneo Dream

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value88

Category winnerVarens Original Borneo DreamBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

ozonic100%

aquatic88%

yellow floral77%

white floral65%

woody53%

sweet42%

fruity100%

sweet90%

powdery80%

yellow floral70%

woody60%

musky50%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both yellow floral, sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Watermelon

Heart2-4 hrs

Ylang-YlangJasmine

Base5-7 hrs

Virginia Cedar

Top

OrangePearApple

Heart

PeachYlang-YlangJasmine

Base

MuskVirginia CedarAmbroxan

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Jasmine and Virginia Cedar. Durations are only published for Varens Original Borneo Dream, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer100

Fall20

Winter0

Day100

Night18

Spring100

Summer33

Fall33

Winter33

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#55,269

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#54,859

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerLove at First ScentHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ulric de Varens Original Borneo Dream presents a daring collision of crisp watermelon and brisk ozonic air. Crafted by master perfumer Pierre Bourdon, the opening lands with an unmistakable watery crunch. It is bright. You immediately get a rush of cold melon flesh followed by a sharp splash of salty ocean mist. Withi…

Reviews →

Love at First Scent by Once Upon a Fragrance balances a crisp, orchard-inspired opening with a soft, musky base. It features notes of pear, apple, and orange, settling into a heart of peach and jasmine. This versatile unisex composition works well for daily wear during spring when you want something clean, approachabl…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Varens Original Borneo Dream or Love at First Scent?

Varens Original Borneo Dream takes 2 of 3 categories. Varens Original Borneo Dream is rated 3.21/5 from 28 votes; Love at First Scent is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose Varens Original Borneo Dream for a ozonic and aquatic character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Love at First Scent for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Borneo Dream or Love at First Scent?

Varens Original Borneo Dream lasts longest (Varens Original Borneo Dream 73/100, Love at First Scent 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Borneo Dream and Love at First Scent smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share yellow floral, sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Virginia Cedar.

Is Varens Original Borneo Dream or Love at First Scent better for summer or winter?

Varens Original Borneo Dream suits daytime wear; Love at First Scent suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original Borneo Dream and Love at First Scent?

Varens Original Borneo Dream has top notes of Watermelon, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Virginia Cedar. Love at First Scent has top notes of Orange, Pear and Apple, heart notes of Peach, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Virginia Cedar and Ambroxan.