Fragrance comparison

Varens Secret 3 vs Il Sérieux

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 8 ratings analysed

1 wins

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

25%scent match

Clearly different

Il Sérieux

ILMIN Parfums

—0 votes

Rank #72,401 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varens Secret 3 takes 1 of 1 categories.

Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Il Sérieux
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character.

Varens Secret 31/1

Il Sérieux0/1

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
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

Il SérieuxILMIN Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

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%

warm spicy100%

woody91%

powdery83%

citrus74%

rose65%

iris56%

Scent match25%Clearly different · both citrus

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

CitrusesRoseSaffron

Heart

Pimento SeedsIris

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Rose, Iris and Patchouli. 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

No season votes yet

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#72,401

PerfumerNot listed

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 →

Il Sérieux reads as a warm spicy, woody scent with a polished floral edge. The opening suggests citrus, rose and saffron, then moves into a softer iris heart before settling into sandalwood, patchouli and amber. It looks best suited to someone who likes dry, elegant spice over sugary sweetness. The powdery iris and ro…

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.

Do Varens Secret 3 and Il Sérieux smell similar?

Clearly different: a 25% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus accords. Common notes include Citruses, Rose, Iris and Patchouli.

Is Varens Secret 3 or Il Sérieux better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Varens Secret 3 and Il Sérieux?

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. Il Sérieux has top notes of Citruses, Rose and Saffron, heart notes of Pimento Seeds and Iris, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Amber.