Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Russian Legend vs Elegance

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 94 ratings analysed

4 wins

Varens Original Russian Legend

Ulric de Varens

3.9655 votes

Rank #31,660 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

8%scent match

Clearly different

Elegance

Ana Hickmann

4.1039 votes

Rank #32,764 White FloralRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original Russian Legend takes 4 of 7 categories.

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.
Elegance
Choose it for a white floral and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Varens Original Russian Legend4/7

Elegance3/7

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

EleganceAna Hickmann

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.10/ 5 · 39 votes

Have 39%Had 36%Want 25%

Category winnerEleganceRating 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

36%Love

49%Like

5%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerEleganceMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Russian Legend

SillageVarens Original Russian Legend

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value78

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

leather100%

smoky92%

woody84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

animalic61%

white floral100%

rose92%

citrus84%

sweet77%

fresh69%

floral61%

Scent match8%Clearly different

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

Top

MelonPineappleCassisGrapefruitBergamotMandarin OrangeAppleLime

Heart

RoseLily-of-the-ValleyOrange BlossomJasmineMimosaViolet

Base

VanillaMuskCedarHoneyAmberVetiver

InformationalShared notesLime, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom and Rose. Durations are only published for Varens Original Russian Legend, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer20

Fall100

Winter73

Day41

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall69

Winter56

Day100

Night75

Category winnerEleganceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men0

Unisex18

Women82

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,660

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#32,764

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 →

Elegance by Ana Hickmann is a bright, fruit-forward floral composition built for daytime wear. Opening with a vivid blast of pineapple and melon, it quickly transitions into a bouquet of jasmine and lily-of-the-valley. The dry-down introduces a soft sweetness through honey and vanilla, making it a reliable choice for …

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 Elegance?

Varens Original Russian Legend takes 4 of 7 categories. Varens Original Russian Legend is rated 3.96/5 from 55 votes; Elegance is rated 4.10/5 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 Elegance for a white floral and rose character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Russian Legend or Elegance?

Varens Original Russian Legend lasts longest (Varens Original Russian Legend 74/100, Elegance 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Russian Legend or Elegance?

Varens Original Russian Legend projects furthest (Varens Original Russian Legend 57/100, Elegance 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Russian Legend and Elegance smell similar?

Clearly different: a 8% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Lime, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom and Rose.

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

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

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

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. Elegance has top notes of Melon, Pineapple, Cassis and Grapefruit, heart notes of Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Vanilla, Musk, Cedar and Honey.