Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Istanbul

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 94 ratings analysed

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,837 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

16%scent match

Clearly different

Istanbul

Proad

4.008 votes

Rank #47,435 Warm SpicyCoffee

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Istanbul
Choose it for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Abjar3/4

Istanbul1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

IstanbulProad

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 11%Had 2%Want 88%

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

50%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value50

Category winnerIstanbulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

warm spicy100%

coffee92%

amber84%

sweet77%

balsamic69%

musky61%

Scent match16%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

Notes

CoffeeStyraxLabdanumElemi resinIncenseSweet NotesRaspberryGingerMuskBenzoinRoseTobacco

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesStyrax, Incense, Tobacco and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Istanbul, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,837

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#47,435

PerfumerTristan Badard

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerAbjarHigher 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 →

Istanbul by Proad delivers a rich blend of roasted coffee, warm resins, and dark spices. Created by perfumer Tristan Badard, this oriental floral fragrance opens with a sharp flash of ginger paired with tart raspberry and dark coffee beans. As the initial brightness settles, the heart reveals a smooth rose note surrou…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Abjar or Istanbul?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Istanbul is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Istanbul for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Istanbul?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Istanbul 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Istanbul?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Istanbul 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Istanbul smell similar?

Clearly different: a 16% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Styrax, Incense, Tobacco and Benzoin.

Is Abjar or Istanbul better for summer or winter?

Istanbul suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Istanbul?

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). Istanbul features Coffee, Styrax, Labdanum, Elemi resin and Incense.