Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Indian Secret vs Shadow for Woman

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 36 ratings analysed

3 wins

Varens Original Indian Secret

Ulric de Varens

3.8127 votes

Rank #46,004 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Shadow for Woman

Mirra

3.899 votes

Rank #56,835 PatchouliCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original Indian Secret takes 3 of 4 categories.

Varens Original Indian Secret
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Shadow for Woman
Choose it for a patchouli and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Varens Original Indian Secret3/4

Shadow for Woman1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Indian SecretUlric de Varens

Shadow for WomanMirra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.81/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 35%Had 22%Want 43%

3.89/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 26%Had 35%Want 40%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

33%Love

44%Like

0%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Indian Secret

SillageVarens Original Indian Secret

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value50

Category winnerShadow for WomanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

green83%

caramel65%

soft spicy48%

woody30%

patchouli100%

citrus92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

earthy61%

Scent match16%Clearly different · both 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

BergamotGalbanumMandarin Orange

Heart

RoseJasmineNarcissusLilyHayCloves

Base

PatchouliOakmossSandalwoodVanillaMusk

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

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,004

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#56,835

PerfumerAlla Belfer

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVarens Original Indian SecretHigher 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 →

Shadow for Woman opens green, citrusy, and slightly sharp, then settles into a floral heart touched by hay, clove, and earthy patchouli. It feels more mossy and textured than soft or sugary. This suits someone who enjoys classic-leaning floral greens with a woody, spiced base. If you want a clean fruity floral, sample…

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 Shadow for Woman?

Varens Original Indian Secret takes 3 of 4 categories. Varens Original Indian Secret is rated 3.81/5 from 27 votes; Shadow for Woman is rated 3.89/5 from 9 votes. Choose Varens Original Indian Secret for a white floral and green character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Shadow for Woman for a patchouli and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Indian Secret or Shadow for Woman?

Varens Original Indian Secret lasts longest (Varens Original Indian Secret 62/100, Shadow for Woman 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Indian Secret or Shadow for Woman?

Varens Original Indian Secret projects furthest (Varens Original Indian Secret 67/100, Shadow for Woman 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Indian Secret and Shadow for Woman smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Lily, Jasmine, Galbanum and Sandalwood.

Is Varens Original Indian Secret or Shadow for Woman better for summer or winter?

Varens Original Indian Secret suits daytime wear; Shadow for Woman suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original Indian Secret and Shadow for Woman?

Varens Original Indian Secret features Lily, Jasmine, Galbanum, Caramel and Sandalwood. Shadow for Woman has top notes of Bergamot, Galbanum and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Rose, Jasmine, Narcissus and Lily, a base of Patchouli, Oakmoss, Sandalwood and Vanilla.