Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs MDM Black

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 93 ratings analysed

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,156 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

MDM Black

Marc de la Morandiere

4.297 votes

Rank #38,541 AromaticCitrus

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.
MDM Black
Choose it for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Abjar3/4

MDM Black1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: MDM Black
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

MDM BlackMarc de la Morandiere

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 27%Had 16%Want 57%

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

71%Love

14%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

14%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMDM BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

citrus92%

woody84%

fresh spicy77%

warm spicy69%

earthy61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody and aromatic

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

BergamotOrange BlossomRosemaryMandarin OrangeMintGrapefruitLemonGreen Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderCinnamonCarnationRoseGuaiac WoodNutmegGreen Apple

Base6-8+ hrs

PatchouliMossVetiverVanillaSandalwoodIncenseTonka BeanMusk

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Lavender, Incense and Guaiac Wood. Durations are only published for MDM Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day86

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Date 30%Casual 28%Work 25%Party 18%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,156

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#38,541

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Marc de la Morandiere MDM Black hits the skin with a brisk surge of bergamot, sharp lemon, and cool mint before quickly revealing a deeper, darker core. It bridges sunny Mediterranean brightness and shadowy woods. The opening citrus spark softens within twenty minutes as aromatic lavender, warm cinnamon, and green app…

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 MDM Black?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; MDM Black is rated 4.29/5 from 7 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose MDM Black for a aromatic and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or MDM Black?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, MDM Black 83/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or MDM Black?

Projection is very close: Abjar 84/100, MDM Black 83/100 for sillage.

Do Abjar and MDM Black smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Lavender, Incense and Guaiac Wood.

Is Abjar or MDM Black better for summer or winter?

MDM Black suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and MDM Black?

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). MDM Black has top notes of Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Rosemary and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Lavender, Cinnamon, Carnation and Rose, a base of Patchouli, Moss, Vetiver and Vanilla.