Fragrance comparison

Varens Secret 3 vs Ambre Antique

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 15 ratings analysed

2 wins

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Ambre Antique

Ava Luxe

3.867 votes

Rank #57,025 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Secret 3 takes 2 of 3 categories.

Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Ambre Antique
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Varens Secret 32/3

Ambre Antique1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varens Secret 3
Sillage & projection: Ambre Antique
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varens Secret 3

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Ambre AntiqueAva Luxe

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

3.86/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 10%Had 6%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

13%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

43%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityVarens Secret 3

SillageAmbre Antique

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

woody100%

citrus92%

yellow floral84%

sweet77%

white floral69%

vanilla61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both vanilla, citrus and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Bitter AlmondCitruses

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanRoseIris

Base6-8 hrs

PatchouliVanillaAmber

Top

CitrusesRed Berries

Heart

Ylang-YlangOrange BlossomRoseIris

Base

VetiverAmberVanillaSandalwood

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Rose, Iris and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Varens Secret 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day45

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 36%Casual 29%Party 20%Work 16%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#57,025

PerfumerSerena Ava Franco

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varens Secret 3 by Ulric de Varens is a warm, powdery oriental fragrance built around sweet almond, creamy vanilla, and resinous amber. The opening arrives with a punchy flash of bitter almond and quick citruses that can feel slightly sharp for the first three minutes. Give it a moment. Once the alcohol burns away, th…

Reviews →

Ambre Antique is a warm unisex amber with a bright citrus and red berry opening, then a floral heart of ylang-ylang, orange blossom, rose, and iris. The base is the main story: amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and vetiver give it a sweet, woody, softly powdery finish. It suits shoppers who want an indie amber that feels fl…

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 3 or Ambre Antique?

Varens Secret 3 takes 2 of 3 categories. Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes; Ambre Antique is rated 3.86/5 from 7 votes. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Ambre Antique for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Secret 3 or Ambre Antique?

Varens Secret 3 lasts longest (Varens Secret 3 65/100, Ambre Antique 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Secret 3 or Ambre Antique?

Ambre Antique projects furthest (Ambre Antique 50/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Secret 3 and Ambre Antique smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share vanilla, citrus and sweet accords. Common notes include Citruses, Rose, Iris and Vanilla.

Is Varens Secret 3 or Ambre Antique better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear; Ambre Antique suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Secret 3 and Ambre Antique?

Varens Secret 3 has top notes of Bitter Almond and Citruses, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla and Amber. Ambre Antique has top notes of Citruses and Red Berries, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Orange Blossom, Rose and Iris, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Vanilla and Sandalwood.