Fragrance comparison

Varens Secret 3 vs Nueva Maja

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 59 ratings analysed

Varens Secret 3

Ulric de Varens

4.008 votes

Rank #47,324 VanillaAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

11%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Nueva Maja

Myrurgia

4.1051 votes

Rank #10,505 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Nueva Maja takes 3 of 4 categories.

Varens Secret 3
Choose it for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Nueva Maja
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Varens Secret 31/4

Nueva Maja3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Varens Secret 3Ulric de Varens

Nueva MajaMyrurgia

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 22%Had 7%Want 70%

4.10/ 5 · 51 votes

Have 52%Had 22%Want 27%

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

50%Love

22%Like

25%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityNueva Maja

SillageNueva Maja

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value68

Category winnerVarens Secret 3Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

vanilla100%

amber92%

almond84%

patchouli77%

sweet69%

citrus61%

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

floral84%

fresh spicy77%

lavender69%

powdery61%

Scent match11%Clearly different

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

GeraniumAldehydesJasmineCitrusesOrange Blossom

Heart

CarnationLavenderIrisClovesRoseLeatherNutmegViolet

Base

MuskSandalwoodPatchouliOakmossAmberTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesCitruses, Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris. 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

Spring83

Summer42

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night85

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

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

Men5

Unisex48

Women48

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,324

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#10,505

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerNueva MajaHigher 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 →

Nueva Maja reads as a vintage floral aldehyde with a soapy, aromatic opening and a warmer, powdery base. Reviewers describe lavender, geranium, dried flowers and soft spice, with an airy black tea feel on some skin. It suits shoppers who enjoy classic perfumery, especially fragrances that balance clean soapiness, spi…

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 Nueva Maja?

Nueva Maja takes 3 of 4 categories. Varens Secret 3 is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes; Nueva Maja is rated 4.10/5 from 51 votes. Choose Varens Secret 3 for a vanilla and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Nueva Maja for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Varens Secret 3 or Nueva Maja?

Nueva Maja lasts longest (Nueva Maja 68/100, Varens Secret 3 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varens Secret 3 or Nueva Maja?

Nueva Maja projects furthest (Nueva Maja 58/100, Varens Secret 3 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varens Secret 3 and Nueva Maja smell similar?

Clearly different: a 11% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Citruses, Tonka Bean, Rose and Iris.

Is Varens Secret 3 or Nueva Maja better for summer or winter?

Varens Secret 3 suits evening wear; Nueva Maja suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varens Secret 3 and Nueva Maja?

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. Nueva Maja has top notes of Geranium, Aldehydes, Jasmine and Citruses, heart notes of Carnation, Lavender, Iris and Cloves, a base of Musk, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Oakmoss.