Fragrance comparison

Varensia vs Mata Hari

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 657 ratings analysed

3 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Mata Hari

DSH Perfumes

4.4144 votes

Rank #18,681 FloralAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 3 of 6 categories.

Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking.
Mata Hari
Choose it for a floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Varensia3/6

Mata Hari2/6

Ratings & consensus: Mata Hari
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Mata Hari
Sillage & projection: Varensia
Value for money: Varensia
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: Varensia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Mata HariDSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

4.41/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerMata HariRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

57%Love

36%Like

0%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

44 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityMata Hari

SillageVarensia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value75

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

floral100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

sweet77%

woody69%

aromatic61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both floral 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

Top15-30 mins

Fruity NotesOrangeNeroliBlood OrangeCorianderBergamotMandarin OrangeTarragon

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveCinnamonWhite HoneyChampacaJasmineTuberoseOrris RootLilac

Base6-8+ hrs

MyrhhLeatherMuskoak mossBenzoinTobaccoFrench labdanumPeru Balsam

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring–

Summer–

Fall–

Winter–

Day72

Night100

Spring50

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex16

Women84

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

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 42%Party 32%Casual 16%Work 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Overall rank#18,681

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerVarensiaHigher 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 →

Mata Hari by DSH Perfumes is a fierce, vintage-styled fruity chypre built on uncompromising botanical contrasts. The scent hits the skin with a tart blast of blood orange, bitter coriander, and sweet candied fruit notes. It does not apologize. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash fades into a thick, sultry b…

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 Mata Hari?

Varensia takes 3 of 6 categories. Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes; Mata Hari is rated 4.41/5 from 44 votes. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Choose Mata Hari for a floral and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varensia or Mata Hari?

Mata Hari lasts longest (Mata Hari 77/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varensia or Mata Hari?

Varensia projects furthest (Varensia 65/100, Mata Hari 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varensia and Mata Hari smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and aromatic accords. Common notes include Neroli, Orange, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.

Is Varensia or Mata Hari better for summer or winter?

Varensia suits evening wear; Mata Hari suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varensia and Mata Hari?

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. Mata Hari has top notes of Fruity Notes, Orange, Neroli and Blood Orange, heart notes of Clove, Cinnamon, White Honey and Champaca, a base of Myrhh, Leather, Musk and oak moss.