Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Handbook For The Recently Deceased

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 95 ratings analysed

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,299 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Abjar2/4

Handbook For The Recently Deceased2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Handbook For The Recently Deceased

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

22%Love

11%Like

22%Ok

11%Dislike

33%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value35

Category winnerHandbook For The Recently DeceasedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, amber and smoky

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

IncenseChalk

Heart2-4 hrs

Woody NotesArtemisia

Base6-8 hrs

BeeswaxPaperPatchouli

InformationalShared notesIncense and Woody Notes. Durations are only published for Handbook For The Recently Deceased, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring20

Summer20

Fall100

Winter80

Day69

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

Casual 41%Work 26%Date 22%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,299

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Category winnerHandbook For The Recently DeceasedHigher 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 →

DS&Durga Handbook For The Recently Deceased brings an eerie, atmospheric character to life through dry incense, blackboard chalk, and aged paper. The initial spray releases a cool mineral breeze that feels like striking cold limestone inside a shadowed chapel. Within twenty minutes, the mineral edge softens as green a…

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 Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Handbook For The Recently Deceased smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and smoky accords. Common notes include Incense and Woody Notes.

Is Abjar or Handbook For The Recently Deceased better for summer or winter?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

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). Handbook For The Recently Deceased has top notes of Incense and Chalk, heart notes of Woody Notes and Artemisia, a base of Beeswax, Paper and Patchouli.