Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Italian Romance vs Eau Sans Pareil

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 362 ratings analysed

Varens Original Italian Romance

Ulric de Varens

3.7520 votes

Rank #42,180 CitrusWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Eau Sans Pareil

Penhaligon's

3.82342 votes

Rank #5,820 WoodySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Eau Sans Pareil takes 4 of 4 categories.

Varens Original Italian Romance
Choose it for a citrus and white floral character. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Eau Sans Pareil
Choose it for a woody and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Varens Original Italian Romance0/4

Eau Sans Pareil4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Italian RomanceUlric de Varens

Eau Sans PareilPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 24%Had 30%Want 47%

3.82/ 5 · 342 votes

Have 69%Had 31%Want 0%

Category winnerEau Sans PareilRating 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

35%Love

42%Like

7%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

293 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityEau Sans Pareil

SillageEau Sans Pareil

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value46

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%

sweet92%

fruity84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

rose61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both citrus and woody

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

RaspberryCypressAldehydesPineappleKumquatBergamotMarigoldMandarin Orange

Heart

RoseCloveYlang-YlangJasmineOrris RootAfrican Orange FlowerLicoriceLily-of-the-Valley

Base

oak mossVetiverPatchouliVirginia CedarAmberMuskBenzoinVanille

InformationalShared notesBergamot, African Orange Flower, Lily-of-the-Valley and Patchouli. 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter59

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

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

Men14

Unisex51

Women36

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,180

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#5,820

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEau Sans PareilHigher 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 →

Eau Sans Pareil is a sparkling, green-fruity chypre with tart raspberry, citrus, cypress and aldehydes up front. On skin, reviewers often describe it as airy, sharp, woody and lightly powdery rather than simple sweetness. It suits people who enjoy vintage-leaning fruit, moss and clean woods. Sample first if jammy ras…

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 Eau Sans Pareil?

Eau Sans Pareil takes 4 of 4 categories. Varens Original Italian Romance is rated 3.75/5 from 20 votes; Eau Sans Pareil is rated 3.82/5 from 342 votes. Choose Varens Original Italian Romance for a citrus and white floral character. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Eau Sans Pareil for a woody and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Italian Romance or Eau Sans Pareil?

Eau Sans Pareil lasts longest (Eau Sans Pareil 69/100, Varens Original Italian Romance 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Italian Romance or Eau Sans Pareil?

Eau Sans Pareil projects furthest (Eau Sans Pareil 63/100, Varens Original Italian Romance 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Italian Romance and Eau Sans Pareil smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Bergamot, African Orange Flower, Lily-of-the-Valley and Patchouli.

Is Varens Original Italian Romance or Eau Sans Pareil better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Varens Original Italian Romance and Eau Sans Pareil?

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. Eau Sans Pareil has top notes of Raspberry, Cypress, Aldehydes and Pineapple, heart notes of Rose, Clove, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Patchouli and Virginia Cedar.