Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Russian Legend vs Bois de Cedre Petitgrain

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 94 ratings analysed

Varens Original Russian Legend

Ulric de Varens

3.9655 votes

Rank #31,660 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Bois de Cedre Petitgrain

L'Atelier des Bois de Grasse

4.1539 votes

Rank #25,946 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4.

Varens Original Russian Legend
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Bois de Cedre Petitgrain
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Varens Original Russian Legend4/8

Bois de Cedre Petitgrain4/8

Ratings & consensus: Bois de Cedre Petitgrain
Community sentiment: Bois de Cedre Petitgrain
Longevity: Varens Original Russian Legend
Sillage & projection: Varens Original Russian Legend
Value for money: Varens Original Russian Legend
Versatility: Bois de Cedre Petitgrain
Note pyramid (duration): Varens Original Russian Legend
Fragranxe ranking: Bois de Cedre Petitgrain

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Russian LegendUlric de Varens

Bois de Cedre PetitgrainL'Atelier des Bois de Grasse

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.15/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 48%Had 14%Want 38%

Category winnerBois de Cedre PetitgrainRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

62%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

55 votes

38%Love

49%Like

3%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerBois de Cedre PetitgrainMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Russian Legend

SillageVarens Original Russian Legend

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value83

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

animalic61%

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

powdery77%

amber69%

sweet61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LimeGrapefruitOrange Blossom

Heart2-4 hrs

Woody NotesSpicy NotesRoseJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

LeatherWoodsy NotesIncense

Top15-30 mins

LemonelemiBergamotLimeOrangeCinnamonGrapefruit

Heart2-4 hrs

PetitgrainLavenderIrisOrange BlossomYlang-YlangRose

Base5-7 hrs

CedarWoody NotesAmbergrisAmberSandalwoodPralineVanillaPatchouli

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer20

Fall100

Winter73

Day41

Night100

Spring79

Summer57

Fall100

Winter57

Day100

Night48

Category winnerBois de Cedre PetitgrainMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 37%Party 27%Casual 21%Work 15%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Work 39%Casual 35%Date 17%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,660

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#25,946

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerBois de Cedre PetitgrainHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Original Russian Legend by Ulric de Varens is a remarkably dark, smoky leather fragrance built with surprising classical discipline. It opens with an initial flash of sharp perfumer alcohol that quickly gives way to zesty lime, bitter grapefruit, and a touch of sweet orange blossom. Within fifteen minutes, the …

Reviews →

Bois de Cedre Petitgrain by L'Atelier des Bois de Grasse greets you with an immediate burst of natural citrus. Fresh lemon, zesty lime, and bitter bergamot combine with green petitgrain twigs, creating a clean scent reminiscent of an Italian citrus grove in early May. As the vibrant opening settles, the fragrance reve…

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 Russian Legend or Bois de Cedre Petitgrain?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Varens Original Russian Legend is rated 3.96/5 from 55 votes; Bois de Cedre Petitgrain is rated 4.15/5 from 39 votes. Choose Varens Original Russian Legend for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Bois de Cedre Petitgrain for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Russian Legend or Bois de Cedre Petitgrain?

Varens Original Russian Legend lasts longest (Varens Original Russian Legend 74/100, Bois de Cedre Petitgrain 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Russian Legend or Bois de Cedre Petitgrain?

Projection is very close: Varens Original Russian Legend 57/100, Bois de Cedre Petitgrain 56/100 for sillage.

Do Varens Original Russian Legend and Bois de Cedre Petitgrain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Lime, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom and Woody Notes.

Is Varens Original Russian Legend or Bois de Cedre Petitgrain better for summer or winter?

For summer, Bois de Cedre Petitgrain is the stronger pick. For winter, Varens Original Russian Legend is the stronger pick. Varens Original Russian Legend suits evening wear; Bois de Cedre Petitgrain suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original Russian Legend and Bois de Cedre Petitgrain?

Varens Original Russian Legend has top notes of Lime, Grapefruit and Orange Blossom, heart notes of Woody Notes, Spicy Notes, Rose and Jasmine, a base of Leather, Woodsy Notes and Incense. Bois de Cedre Petitgrain has top notes of Lemon, elemi, Bergamot and Lime, heart notes of Petitgrain, Lavender, Iris and Orange Blossom, a base of Cedar, Woody Notes, Ambergris and Amber.