Fragrance comparison

Varens Original French Sweets vs Alexander Julian Womenswear

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 111 ratings analysed

Varens Original French Sweets

Ulric de Varens

3.8778 votes

Rank #27,900 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Alexander Julian Womenswear

Alexander Julian

4.6133 votes

Rank #35,864 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Alexander Julian Womenswear takes 4 of 7 categories.

Varens Original French Sweets
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Alexander Julian Womenswear
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Varens Original French Sweets3/7

Alexander Julian Womenswear4/7

Ratings & consensus: Alexander Julian Womenswear
Community sentiment: Alexander Julian Womenswear
Longevity: Alexander Julian Womenswear
Sillage & projection: Alexander Julian Womenswear
Value for money: Varens Original French Sweets
Versatility: Varens Original French Sweets
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varens Original French Sweets

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original French SweetsUlric de Varens

Alexander Julian WomenswearAlexander Julian

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.87/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 23%Had 26%Want 51%

4.61/ 5 · 33 votes

Have 27%Had 25%Want 48%

Category winnerAlexander Julian WomenswearRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

23%Love

58%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

78 votes

70%Love

24%Like

3%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

33 votes

Category winnerAlexander Julian WomenswearMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityAlexander Julian Womenswear

SillageAlexander Julian Womenswear

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value39

Category winnerVarens Original French SweetsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

sweet88%

powdery77%

fruity65%

fresh53%

floral42%

fruity100%

woody92%

powdery84%

sweet77%

yellow floral69%

floral61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both sweet, fruity and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Granny Smith apple

Heart2-3 hrs

OrchidPalisander RosewoodJasmine

Base6-8 hrs

VanillaSugarMusk

Top

PeachMandarin OrangeApricotPlumCassia

Heart

JasmineNarcissusYlang-YlangRoseFreesiaLily-of-the-ValleyPalisander RosewoodOrchid

Base

MuskSandalwoodOakmossCedarVanilla

InformationalShared notesOrchid, Palisander Rosewood, Jasmine and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Varens Original French Sweets, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring59

Summer56

Fall96

Winter100

Day100

Night41

Spring100

Summer56

Fall33

Winter44

Day100

Night14

Category winnerVarens Original French SweetsMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex33

Women67

Casual 43%Work 23%Date 20%Party 14%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,900

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#35,864

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVarens Original French SweetsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Original French Sweets opens with a crisp burst of tart Granny Smith apple that quickly settles into warm spun sugar. Created by master perfumer Pierre Bourdon, this budget gourmand blends clean floral notes of orchid and jasmine with a creamy vanilla base. The initial spray has a sharp alcohol vapor that burns…

Reviews →

A classic early 90s fruity floral built around peach, apricot and plum, with a bright mandarin and cassis lift. The heart is a full bouquet (jasmine, ylang-ylang, narcissus, rose and muguet), then it settles into a musky, mossy sandalwood and vanilla base that can read softly powdery. If you like richer, slightly vint…

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 French Sweets or Alexander Julian Womenswear?

Alexander Julian Womenswear takes 4 of 7 categories. Varens Original French Sweets is rated 3.87/5 from 78 votes; Alexander Julian Womenswear is rated 4.61/5 from 33 votes. Choose Varens Original French Sweets for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Alexander Julian Womenswear for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original French Sweets or Alexander Julian Womenswear?

Alexander Julian Womenswear lasts longest (Alexander Julian Womenswear 75/100, Varens Original French Sweets 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original French Sweets or Alexander Julian Womenswear?

Projection is very close: Alexander Julian Womenswear 64/100, Varens Original French Sweets 63/100 for sillage.

Do Varens Original French Sweets and Alexander Julian Womenswear smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet, fruity and powdery accords. Common notes include Orchid, Palisander Rosewood, Jasmine and Vanilla.

Is Varens Original French Sweets or Alexander Julian Womenswear better for summer or winter?

For summer, Varens Original French Sweets is the stronger pick. For winter, Varens Original French Sweets is the stronger pick. Varens Original French Sweets suits daytime wear; Alexander Julian Womenswear suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original French Sweets and Alexander Julian Womenswear?

Varens Original French Sweets has top notes of Granny Smith apple, heart notes of Orchid, Palisander Rosewood and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Sugar and Musk. Alexander Julian Womenswear has top notes of Peach, Mandarin Orange, Apricot and Plum, heart notes of Jasmine, Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang and Rose, a base of Musk, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Cedar.