Fragrance comparison

Varensia vs Esprit du Roi

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 851 ratings analysed

4 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Esprit du Roi

Penhaligon's

3.80238 votes

Rank #6,879 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 4 of 5 categories.

Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection.
Esprit du Roi
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Varensia4/5

Esprit du Roi1/5

Ratings & consensus: Varensia
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Varensia
Sillage & projection: Varensia
Value for money: Varensia
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Esprit du Roi

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Esprit du RoiPenhaligon's

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

3.80/ 5 · 238 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerVarensiaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

42%Love

44%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

180 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityVarensia

SillageVarensia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value47

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

citrus84%

green77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both citrus and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

NeroliOrangeMandarin OrangeRaspberryAldehydesClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

Black CurrantCassisYlang YlangGeraniumRoseJasmineLotus

Base6-8+ hrs

oak mossCarnationPowdery NotesVetiverSandalwoodBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

Top

Tomato LeafMintAldehydesCitrusesBergamotCitronAmalfi LemonArtemisia

Heart

GeraniumClovesJasmineYlang-YlangHoneysuckle

Base

oak mossVetiverRaspberryAmbergrisSandalwoodPatchouliMuskVirginia Cedar

InformationalShared notesRaspberry, Aldehydes, Cloves and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Varensia, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Spring100

Summer80

Fall0

Winter28

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

Casual 35%Date 29%Work 19%Party 16%

Men81

Unisex14

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Overall rank#6,879

PerfumerBertrand Duchaufour

Launched—

Reviews35

Category winnerEsprit du RoiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Varensia by Ulric de Varens is an unapologetic, retro chypre that balances bright citrus with dense, earthy forest moss. The first spritz unleashes crisp aldehydes, bitter neroli, and tangy mandarin orange before settling into ripe black currant and sweet cassis. As the initial sharpness fades, a heart of spiced carna…

Reviews →

Esprit du Roi is a crisp green aromatic from Penhaligon's, built around tomato leaf, mint, citrus, geranium, clove, oakmoss and musky woods. Reviewers often describe it as clean, classy and traditional, with a lively herb garden opening rather than a simple lemon cologne. It suits people who like old-school aromatic c…

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, Varensia or Esprit du Roi?

Varensia takes 4 of 5 categories. Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes; Esprit du Roi is rated 3.80/5 from 238 votes. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Choose Esprit du Roi for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Varensia or Esprit du Roi?

Varensia lasts longest (Varensia 71/100, Esprit du Roi 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varensia or Esprit du Roi?

Varensia projects furthest (Varensia 65/100, Esprit du Roi 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varensia and Esprit du Roi smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and aromatic accords. Common notes include Raspberry, Aldehydes, Cloves and Bergamot.

Is Varensia or Esprit du Roi better for summer or winter?

Varensia suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varensia and Esprit du Roi?

Varensia has top notes of Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry, heart notes of Black Currant, Cassis, Ylang Ylang and Geranium, a base of oak moss, Carnation, Powdery Notes and Vetiver. Esprit du Roi has top notes of Tomato Leaf, Mint, Aldehydes and Citruses, heart notes of Geranium, Cloves, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of oak moss, Vetiver, Raspberry and Ambergris.