Fragrance comparison

Varens Original Russian Legend vs Poker Face

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 65 ratings analysed

3 wins

Varens Original Russian Legend

Ulric de Varens

3.9655 votes

Rank #31,064 LeatherSmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Poker Face

Akbari

4.3010 votes

Rank #34,246 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Original Russian Legend takes 3 of 5 categories.

Varens Original Russian Legend
Choose it for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Poker Face
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Varens Original Russian Legend3/5

Poker Face2/5

Ratings & consensus: Poker Face
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Original Russian Legend
Sillage & projection: Poker Face
Value for money: Varens Original Russian Legend
Versatility: Not scored
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

Poker FaceAkbari

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 25%Had 20%Want 55%

4.30/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 40%Had 15%Want 45%

Category winnerPoker FaceRating 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

60%Love

20%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityVarens Original Russian Legend

SillagePoker Face

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value68

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%

white floral84%

powdery77%

fresh spicy69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both woody and warm spicy

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

GrapefruitLemonLime

Heart

Orange BlossomPink PepperCardamomJasmineNutmegWatery Notes

Base

Woody NotesSandalwoodLeatherCedarAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesLime, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom and Woody Notes. 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

Spring83

Summer100

Fall50

Winter33

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

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

Men57

Unisex29

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,064

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#34,246

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

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 →

Poker Face by Akbari opens with a bright, zesty citrus hit (grapefruit, lemon, lime), then turns into a modern fruity fresh spicy style. Wearers often describe an Invictus-like sweetness, with a berry and bubblegum feel, before it settles into woods, amber, musk, and a touch of leather. It reads confident and crowd-pl…

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 Poker Face?

Varens Original Russian Legend takes 3 of 5 categories. Varens Original Russian Legend is rated 3.96/5 from 55 votes; Poker Face is rated 4.30/5 from 10 votes. Choose Varens Original Russian Legend for a leather and smoky character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Poker Face for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Original Russian Legend or Poker Face?

Varens Original Russian Legend lasts longest (Varens Original Russian Legend 74/100, Poker Face 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Original Russian Legend or Poker Face?

Poker Face projects furthest (Poker Face 61/100, Varens Original Russian Legend 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Original Russian Legend and Poker Face smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Lime, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom and Woody Notes.

Is Varens Original Russian Legend or Poker Face better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Varens Original Russian Legend and Poker Face?

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. Poker Face has top notes of Grapefruit, Lemon and Lime, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Pink Pepper, Cardamom and Jasmine, a base of Woody Notes, Sandalwood, Leather and Cedar.