Fragrance comparison

Varens Secret 1 vs Betty Barclay

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 42 ratings analysed

Varens Secret 1

Ulric de Varens

4.504 votes

Rank #54,160 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

Betty Barclay

3.7938 votes

Rank #35,223 WoodyWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Varens Secret 1
Choose it for a white floral and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Betty Barclay
Choose it for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Varens Secret 12/4

Betty Barclay2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Betty Barclay
Sillage & projection: Varens Secret 1
Value for money: Varens Secret 1
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Betty Barclay

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Secret 1Ulric de Varens

Betty BarclayBetty Barclay

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 17%Want 61%

3.79/ 5 · 38 votes

Have 43%Had 25%Want 31%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

24%Love

50%Like

8%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

38 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityBetty Barclay

SillageVarens Secret 1

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value50

Category winnerVarens Secret 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

patchouli69%

balsamic61%

woody100%

white floral92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

powdery69%

tuberose61%

Scent match60%Closely related · both white floral, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Mandarin OrangePeachBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

JasmineGardeniaIncense

Base6-8 hrs

AmberPatchouliSandalwood

Top

PeachCorianderBergamotMandarin OrangeAmalfi Lemon

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangCarnationJasmineRoseLily-of-the-Valley

Base

PatchouliSandalwoodMuskIncenseCivettaAmberBenzoinTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Peach, Jasmine and Incense. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring69

Summer23

Fall100

Winter46

Day100

Night80

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Party 27%Casual 22%Work 16%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#54,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#35,223

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerBetty BarclayHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ulric de Varens Varens Secret 1 starts with a noticeable crackle of black pepper over juicy peach and bright mandarin orange. It smells sweet, spicy, and immediately warm. Within twenty minutes, the initial fruitiness softens as creamy white gardenia and jasmine take over, wrapped in a gentle ribbon of smoky incense. …

Reviews →

Betty Barclay by Betty Barclay is an oriental floral fragrance for women that debuted in 1994. It leads with a bright, fruity opening of peach and mandarin orange, which transitions into a lush, tuberose-heavy heart. This scent settles into a warm, woody base of patchouli and sandalwood, creating a classic, approachab…

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 Secret 1 or Betty Barclay?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Varens Secret 1 is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes; Betty Barclay is rated 3.79/5 from 38 votes. Choose Varens Secret 1 for a white floral and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Betty Barclay for a woody and white floral character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Secret 1 or Betty Barclay?

Betty Barclay lasts longest (Betty Barclay 64/100, Varens Secret 1 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Secret 1 or Betty Barclay?

Projection is very close: Varens Secret 1 55/100, Betty Barclay 54/100 for sillage.

Do Varens Secret 1 and Betty Barclay smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Peach, Jasmine and Incense.

Is Varens Secret 1 or Betty Barclay better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 1 suits evening wear; Betty Barclay suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Secret 1 and Betty Barclay?

Varens Secret 1 has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Peach and Black Pepper, heart notes of Jasmine, Gardenia and Incense, a base of Amber, Patchouli and Sandalwood. Betty Barclay has top notes of Peach, Coriander, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Carnation and Jasmine, a base of Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk and Incense.