Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Indian Secret vs Murasaki

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 264 ratings analysed

Varens Original Indian Secret

Ulric de Varens

3.8127 votes

Rank #46,004 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Murasaki

Shiseido

4.09237 votes

Rank #28,206 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Murasaki takes 5 of 7 categories.

Varens Original Indian Secret
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Murasaki
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Varens Original Indian Secret2/7

Murasaki5/7

Ratings & consensus: Murasaki
Community sentiment: Murasaki
Longevity: Murasaki
Sillage & projection: Varens Original Indian Secret
Value for money: Murasaki
Versatility: Varens Original Indian Secret
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Murasaki

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Indian SecretUlric de Varens

MurasakiShiseido

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.81/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 35%Had 22%Want 43%

4.09/ 5 · 237 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

Category winnerMurasakiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

15%Love

67%Like

4%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

27 votes

41%Love

43%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

237 votes

Category winnerMurasakiMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityMurasaki

SillageVarens Original Indian Secret

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value52

Category winnerMurasakiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

green83%

caramel65%

soft spicy48%

woody30%

white floral100%

green92%

floral84%

earthy77%

rose69%

woody61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both white floral, green and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LilyJasmineGalbanumCaramelSandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

Top

HiacynthGalbanumGardeniaBergamotPeach

Heart

Lily-of-the-ValleyOrris RootRoseLilyJasmine

Base

OakmossLeatherVetiverMuskSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesLily, Jasmine, Galbanum and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Varens Original Indian Secret, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring64

Summer100

Fall45

Winter27

Day100

Night64

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter38

Day–

Night–

Category winnerVarens Original Indian SecretMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men3

Unisex21

Women77

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,004

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#28,206

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMurasakiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Do not let the oriental vanilla label confuse you. Varens Original Indian Secret behaves like a crisp white floral bouquet soaked in morning dew. The first blast releases a sharp, grassy snap of galbanum alongside clean jasmine petals. It feels bracing for three minutes. Then, creamy lily softens the green edges while…

Reviews →

Murasaki opens with a sharp, cold snap of green galbanum and hyacinth, mimicking wet spring earth and crushed stems. As it warms on skin, the initial crispness softens, revealing a powdery heart of lily-of-the-valley and rose. The base settles into a dry oakmoss and soft leather that lingers quietly. It suits collecto…

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 Indian Secret or Murasaki?

Murasaki takes 5 of 7 categories. Varens Original Indian Secret is rated 3.81/5 from 27 votes; Murasaki is rated 4.09/5 from 237 votes. Choose Varens Original Indian Secret for a white floral and green character. Wins on sillage & projection and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Murasaki for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Indian Secret or Murasaki?

They last about the same: Murasaki 63/100, Varens Original Indian Secret 62/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Indian Secret or Murasaki?

Varens Original Indian Secret projects furthest (Varens Original Indian Secret 67/100, Murasaki 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Indian Secret and Murasaki smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, green and woody accords. Common notes include Lily, Jasmine, Galbanum and Sandalwood.

Is Varens Original Indian Secret or Murasaki better for summer or winter?

For summer, Varens Original Indian Secret is the stronger pick. For winter, Murasaki is the stronger pick. Varens Original Indian Secret suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original Indian Secret and Murasaki?

Varens Original Indian Secret features Lily, Jasmine, Galbanum, Caramel and Sandalwood. Murasaki has top notes of Hiacynth, Galbanum, Gardenia and Bergamot, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Orris Root, Rose and Lily, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Vetiver and Musk.