Fragrance comparison

Varensia vs Opium Collector Edition 2008

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 680 ratings analysed

3 wins

Varensia

Ulric de Varens

3.83613 votes

Rank #7,781 CitrusFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

17%scent match

Clearly different

Opium Collector Edition 2008

Yves Saint Laurent

3.9667 votes

Rank #24,378 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Varensia takes 3 of 5 categories.

Varensia
Choose it for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking.
Opium Collector Edition 2008
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Varensia3/5

Opium Collector Edition 20082/5

Ratings & consensus: Varensia
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Opium Collector Edition 2008
Sillage & projection: Opium Collector Edition 2008
Value for money: Varensia
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Varensia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

VarensiaUlric de Varens

Opium Collector Edition 2008Yves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 613 votes

3.96/ 5 · 67 votes

Have 34%Had 20%Want 46%

Category winnerVarensiaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

43%Love

31%Like

3%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

67 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityOpium Collector Edition 2008

SillageOpium Collector Edition 2008

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value44

Category winnerVarensiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

fruity92%

floral84%

mossy77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

balsamic84%

woody77%

aromatic69%

sweet61%

Scent match17%Clearly different · both 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

ClovesWest Indian BayMandarin OrangePlumJasmineCitrusesCorianderPepper

Heart

CarnationCinnamonRoseSandalwoodPatchouliOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

MyrrhAmberIncenseOpoponaxVanillaBenzoinTolu BalsamLabdanum

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Cloves, Rose and Jasmine. 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

Spring46

Summer46

Fall100

Winter92

Day50

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

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,781

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews49

Overall rank#24,378

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Opium Collector Edition 2008 by Yves Saint Laurent delivers a bold blast of spiced cloves, dark stewed plum, and sun-warmed resins. Built on the iconic spicy DNA created by Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac, this limited release opens with fiery black pepper and sharp mandarin orange before settling into velvety carnat…

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 Opium Collector Edition 2008?

Varensia takes 3 of 5 categories. Varensia is rated 3.83/5 from 613 votes; Opium Collector Edition 2008 is rated 3.96/5 from 67 votes. Choose Varensia for a citrus and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Choose Opium Collector Edition 2008 for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Varensia or Opium Collector Edition 2008?

Opium Collector Edition 2008 lasts longest (Opium Collector Edition 2008 80/100, Varensia 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Varensia or Opium Collector Edition 2008?

Opium Collector Edition 2008 projects furthest (Opium Collector Edition 2008 73/100, Varensia 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Varensia and Opium Collector Edition 2008 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 17% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Cloves, Rose and Jasmine.

Is Varensia or Opium Collector Edition 2008 better for summer or winter?

Varensia suits evening wear; Opium Collector Edition 2008 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Varensia and Opium Collector Edition 2008?

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. Opium Collector Edition 2008 has top notes of Cloves, West Indian Bay, Mandarin Orange and Plum, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Rose and Sandalwood, a base of Myrrh, Amber, Incense and Opoponax.