Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Italian Romance vs Durra

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 99 ratings analysed

Varens Original Italian Romance

Ulric de Varens

3.7520 votes

Rank #42,180 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

18%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #29,362 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Durra takes 4 of 4 categories.

Varens Original Italian Romance
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Varens Original Italian Romance0/4

Durra4/4

Ratings & consensus: Durra
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Durra
Sillage & projection: Durra
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Durra

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Italian RomanceUlric de Varens

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 24%Had 30%Want 47%

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerDurraRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

15%Love

65%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

51%Love

14%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

11%Hate

79 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value26

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

white floral83%

woody65%

patchouli48%

fresh spicy30%

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

Scent match18%Clearly different · both woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

BergamotLemon Tree

Heart2-3 hrs

African Orange FlowerLily-of-the-Valley

Base4-6 hrs

PatchouliResinMusk

Top

Sea NotesWatery NotesAldehydesOzonic notesClary SagePineLavenderCumin

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)Earthy NotesBirch LeafCashmere WoodWoody NotesSandalwoodIncenseVanilla

Base

CastoreumCivettaMuskImmortelleTolu BalsamPrecious WoodsTobaccoVetiver

InformationalShared notesMusk. Durations are only published for Varens Original Italian Romance, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring36

Summer100

Fall18

Winter0

Day100

Night18

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Casual 42%Work 34%Date 14%Party 10%

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,180

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#29,362

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDurraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Original Italian Romance by Ulric de Varens opens with a zesty blast of bergamot and crisp lemon tree leaves. It smells bright, sparkling, and unmistakably Mediterranean right out of the nozzle. Give it ten minutes on bare skin, and the initial sharp citrus settles into a sunlit heart of African orange flower a…

Reviews →

Durra opens with a sharp burst of salty sea notes, cold aldehydes, and clary sage before diving into a dark heart of agarwood and smoky incense. The dry-down settles into heavy castoreum leather, amber, and bitter cumin on skin. It suits cold winter evenings, black-tie dinners, or outdoor gatherings where a dense, mar…

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 Italian Romance or Durra?

Durra takes 4 of 4 categories. Varens Original Italian Romance is rated 3.75/5 from 20 votes; Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes. Choose Varens Original Italian Romance for a citrus and white floral character. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Italian Romance or Durra?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Varens Original Italian Romance 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Italian Romance or Durra?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Varens Original Italian Romance 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Italian Romance and Durra smell similar?

Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Musk.

Is Varens Original Italian Romance or Durra better for summer or winter?

Varens Original Italian Romance suits daytime wear; Durra suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original Italian Romance and Durra?

Varens Original Italian Romance has top notes of Bergamot and Lemon Tree, heart notes of African Orange Flower and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Patchouli, Resin and Musk. Durra has top notes of Sea Notes, Watery Notes, Aldehydes and Ozonic notes, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Cashmere Wood, a base of Castoreum, Civetta, Musk and Immortelle.