Fragrance comparison

Varens Secret 1 vs Essencial Oud Vanilla

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 403 ratings analysed

Varens Secret 1

Ulric de Varens

4.504 votes

Rank #54,160 White FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Essencial Oud Vanilla

Natura · 2021

4.29399 votes

Rank #24,312 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essencial Oud Vanilla takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Varens Secret 11/4

Essencial Oud Vanilla3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Secret 1Ulric de Varens

Essencial Oud VanillaNatura

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 22%Had 17%Want 61%

4.29/ 5 · 399 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

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

53%Love

32%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

380 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityEssencial Oud Vanilla

SillageEssencial Oud Vanilla

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value61

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%

amber84%

fresh spicy69%

powdery53%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both 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

PripriocaBlack PepperSaffronLemonBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

MateRoseJasmineLily-of-the-ValleyPeony

Base

Vanilla BahianaGuaiac WoodIncenseAmberPatchouliSandalwoodGurjan balsamMusk

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Black Pepper, 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

Spring40

Summer10

Fall91

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

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

Men78

Unisex21

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#54,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,312

PerfumerJohn Gamba, Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Verônica Kato

Launched2021

Reviews0

Category winnerEssencial Oud VanillaHigher 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 →

Natura Essencial Oud Vanilla centers on a robust, earthy priprioca note balanced by a dark, smoky vanilla base. Designed for those seeking depth, this woody and warm spicy fragrance moves away from gourmand sweetness. It thrives in cooler autumn days and formal evening events, offering a signature with significant sub…

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 Essencial Oud Vanilla?

Essencial Oud Vanilla takes 3 of 4 categories. Varens Secret 1 is rated 4.50/5 from 4 votes; Essencial Oud Vanilla is rated 4.29/5 from 399 votes. Choose Varens Secret 1 for a white floral and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Essencial Oud Vanilla for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Varens Secret 1 or Essencial Oud Vanilla?

Essencial Oud Vanilla lasts longest (Essencial Oud Vanilla 78/100, Varens Secret 1 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Secret 1 or Essencial Oud Vanilla?

Essencial Oud Vanilla projects furthest (Essencial Oud Vanilla 66/100, Varens Secret 1 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Secret 1 and Essencial Oud Vanilla smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Black Pepper, Jasmine and Incense.

Is Varens Secret 1 or Essencial Oud Vanilla better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Secret 1 and Essencial Oud Vanilla?

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. Essencial Oud Vanilla has top notes of Priprioca, Black Pepper, Saffron and Lemon, heart notes of Mate, Rose, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Vanilla Bahiana, Guaiac Wood, Incense and Amber.