Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Dark

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 174 ratings analysed

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,180 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

24%scent match

Clearly different

Dark

Desigual

3.5688 votes

Rank #18,815 Warm SpicyVanilla

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.
Dark
Choose it for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Abjar5/7

Dark2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

DarkDesigual

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.56/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 57%Had 23%Want 20%

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

19%Love

49%Like

2%Ok

27%Dislike

2%Hate

88 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value68

Category winnerDarkBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

warm spicy100%

vanilla92%

woody84%

sweet77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match24%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

SaffronCinnamonGingerBlack PepperNutmeg

Heart2-3 hrs

VetiverOrange BlossomPatchouliDriftwood

Base5-7 hrs

Black Vanilla HuskTonka BeanOakmossAmberTobaccoMusk

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Tobacco and Amber. Durations are only published for Dark, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring26

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day43

Night100

Category winnerAbjarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Date 31%Casual 29%Party 24%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,180

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,815

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerDarkHigher 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 →

Desigual Dark is a warm, spicy oriental fragrance built around cozy sweetness and kitchen spices. It wastes no time. You get a direct punch of fiery cinnamon, zesty ginger, and pungent black pepper right after spraying. Within twenty minutes, the sharp kitchen spices calm down into an earthy heart of driftwood, orange…

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 Dark?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Dark is rated 3.56/5 from 88 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Dark for a warm spicy and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Dark?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Dark 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Dark?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Dark 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Dark smell similar?

Clearly different: a 24% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Tobacco and Amber.

Is Abjar or Dark better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Abjar and Dark?

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). Dark has top notes of Saffron, Cinnamon, Ginger and Black Pepper, heart notes of Vetiver, Orange Blossom, Patchouli and Driftwood, a base of Black Vanilla Husk, Tonka Bean, Oakmoss and Amber.