Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Herod

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 10,170 ratings analysed

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,475 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

11%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Herod

Parfums de Marly

4.4410,084 votes

Rank #1,119 TobaccoVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Herod takes 4 of 7 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter.
Herod
Choose it for a tobacco and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Abjar3/7

Herod4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

HerodParfums de Marly

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.44/ 5 · 10,084 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerHerodRating 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

63%Love

25%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

10,084 votes

Category winnerHerodMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value34

Category winnerHerodBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

tobacco100%

vanilla92%

warm spicy84%

cinnamon77%

amber69%

sweet61%

Scent match11%Clearly different · both 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

CinnamonPepperwood™

Heart2-4 hrs

Tobacco LeafIncenseOsmanthusLabdanum

Base6-8+ hrs

VanillaIso E SuperCedarMuskCypriol Oil or NagarmothaVetiverAmber

InformationalShared notesIncense and Amber. Durations are only published for Herod, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring27

Summer9

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Category winnerAbjarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men78

Unisex20

Women2

Date 39%Casual 25%Party 20%Work 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,475

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,119

PerfumerOlivier Pescheux

Launched—

Reviews210

Category winnerHerodHigher 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 →

Herod by Parfums de Marly smells like pure autumn comfort in a heavy glass bottle. The cinnamon hits immediately. Within minutes, a rich wave of unburned pipe tobacco leaf combines with dark Madagascar vanilla, creating an aroma that feels like spiced cherry cordial poured over aged cedar. Smoky incense and leather-li…

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 Herod?

Herod takes 4 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Herod is rated 4.44/5 from 10,084 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Herod for a tobacco and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Herod?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Herod 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Herod?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Herod 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Herod smell similar?

Clearly different: a 11% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Incense and Amber.

Is Abjar or Herod better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Abjar and Herod?

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). Herod has top notes of Cinnamon and Pepperwood™, heart notes of Tobacco Leaf, Incense, Osmanthus and Labdanum, a base of Vanilla, Iso E Super, Cedar and Musk.