Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Russian Legend vs Downtown

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 55 ratings analysed

2 wins

Varens Original Russian Legend

Ulric de Varens

3.9655 votes

Rank #31,660 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Downtown

Dermacol

—0 votes

Rank #74,860 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original Russian Legend takes 2 of 2 categories.

Varens Original Russian Legend
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on note pyramid duration and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Downtown
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character.

Varens Original Russian Legend2/2

Downtown0/2

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Russian LegendUlric de Varens

DowntownDermacol

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

smoky92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

animalic61%

fruity100%

sweet83%

warm spicy65%

smoky48%

violet30%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both warm spicy and smoky

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

BlackberryCardamomGrapefruitBergamotMandarinNutmegGingerCassis

Heart2-4 hrs

Guaiac WoodGardeniaSandalwoodGeraniumRoseCedar

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseOlibanumMuskMossWoody Notes

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

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day100

Night44

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Not enough votes yet

Casual 37%Work 31%Date 19%Party 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,660

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#74,860

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendHigher 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 →

Dermacol Downtown takes an unconventional path for an everyday men's fragrance. The opening bursts with tart blackberry, zesty bergamot, and crushed grapefruit. It feels crisp. Soon after the initial mist settles, spicy ginger and nutmeg cut through the sweet cassis and melon notes, steering the profile away from simp…

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.

Do Varens Original Russian Legend and Downtown smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and smoky accords. Common notes include Grapefruit, Woody Notes, Rose and Incense.

Is Varens Original Russian Legend or Downtown better for summer or winter?

Varens Original Russian Legend suits evening wear; Downtown suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Original Russian Legend and Downtown?

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. Downtown has top notes of Blackberry, Cardamom, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Gardenia, Sandalwood and Geranium, a base of Incense, Olibanum, Musk and Moss.