Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Russian Legend vs Gold

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 84 ratings analysed

Varens Original Russian Legend

Ulric de Varens

3.9655 votes

Rank #31,660 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Gold

Undergreen

4.0029 votes

Rank #19,109 AmberCitrus

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 ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Gold
Choose it for a amber and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Varens Original Russian Legend4/8

Gold4/8

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Original Russian LegendUlric de Varens

GoldUndergreen

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.00/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 33%Had 24%Want 44%

Category winnerVarens Original Russian LegendRating 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

24%Love

62%Like

3%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerGoldMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Russian Legend

SillageGold

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value34

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%

amber100%

citrus88%

warm spicy77%

balsamic65%

fresh spicy53%

smoky42%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both amber, 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

LimeLemonGrapefruit

Heart2-3 hrs

GingerCardamonOrange Blossom

Base4-6 hrs

IncenseMyrrhBenzoin

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

Spring67

Summer47

Fall100

Winter33

Day100

Night32

Category winnerGoldMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men15

Unisex85

Women0

Casual 40%Work 33%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#19,109

PerfumerFabrice Olivieri

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerGoldHigher 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 →

Undergreen Gold bursts open with an electric shock of crushed lime, bitter grapefruit, and sour lemon. That razor-sharp citrus flash lasts twenty minutes before warming into spicy grated ginger and sweet cardamom. The heart feels fizzy and effervescent, like artisanal spiced ginger ale poured over ice. As it settles o…

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 Gold?

No clear winner: the 8 categories split 4–4. Varens Original Russian Legend is rated 3.96/5 from 55 votes; Gold is rated 4.00/5 from 29 votes. Choose Varens Original Russian Legend for a leather and smoky character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Gold for a amber and citrus character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Russian Legend or Gold?

Varens Original Russian Legend lasts longest (Varens Original Russian Legend 74/100, Gold 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Russian Legend or Gold?

Gold projects furthest (Gold 64/100, Varens Original Russian Legend 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Russian Legend and Gold smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and smoky accords. Common notes include Lime, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom and Incense.

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

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

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

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. Gold has top notes of Lime, Lemon and Grapefruit, heart notes of Ginger, Cardamon and Orange Blossom, a base of Incense, Myrrh and Benzoin.