Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Castley

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 1,305 ratings analysed

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,475 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Castley

Parfums de Marly

3.991,219 votes

Rank #4,046 Fresh SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Castley
Choose it for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Abjar5/7

Castley2/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Abjar
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Abjar
Versatility: Castley
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Castley

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

CastleyParfums de Marly

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.99/ 5 · 1,219 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

45%Love

25%Like

18%Ok

7%Dislike

5%Hate

1,219 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value23

Category winnerAbjarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

fresh spicy100%

citrus90%

woody80%

oud70%

warm spicy60%

amber50%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

Top15-30 mins

BergamotGingerBlack PepperGrapefruit

Heart2-4 hrs

PepperNeroliPetitgrainTimurRose

Base6-8+ hrs

AkigalawoodLabdanumBenzoinLeather

InformationalShared notesPepper, Leather and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Castley, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring94

Summer100

Fall70

Winter19

Day100

Night37

Category winnerCastleyMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men88

Unisex11

Women1

Work 38%Casual 33%Date 17%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,475

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#4,046

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews205

Category winnerCastleyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

Castley by Parfums de Marly is a crisp citrus aromatic fragrance centered on zesty bergamot, fresh ginger, and modern woody minerals. The first spray releases a brisk burst of tart grapefruit and sharp black pepper that quickly energizes the senses. Within twenty minutes, the opening bite softens into green petitgrain…

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, Abjar or Castley?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Castley is rated 3.99/5 from 1,219 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Castley for a fresh spicy and citrus character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Castley?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Castley 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Castley?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Castley 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Castley smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Pepper, Leather and Benzoin.

Is Abjar or Castley better for summer or winter?

For summer, Castley is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Castley suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Castley?

Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud). Castley has top notes of Bergamot, Ginger, Black Pepper and Grapefruit, heart notes of Pepper, Neroli, Petitgrain and Timur, a base of Akigalawood, Labdanum, Benzoin and Leather.