Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Paradoxical

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 123 ratings analysed

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #23,872 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Paradoxical

Sly John's Lab

3.4337 votes

Rank #41,139 AromaticGreen

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.
Paradoxical
Choose it for a aromatic and green character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Abjar5/7

Paradoxical2/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Abjar
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Paradoxical
Versatility: Paradoxical
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

ParadoxicalSly John's Lab

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.43/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 29%Had 15%Want 57%

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

14%Love

41%Like

24%Ok

19%Dislike

3%Hate

37 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate61

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value65

Category winnerParadoxicalBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

green92%

fresh spicy84%

lavender77%

amber69%

citrus61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both aromatic 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

MintAppleLemonCardamomBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderIncenseJuniperYlang-Ylang

Base5-7 hrs

Tonka BeanMossVetiverAmberCedar

InformationalShared notesLavender, Incense and Amber. Durations are only published for Paradoxical, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring75

Summer100

Fall92

Winter42

Day100

Night38

Category winnerParadoxicalMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men67

Unisex28

Women6

Work 38%Casual 35%Date 19%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,872

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#41,139

PerfumerDominique Moellhausen

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Paradoxical by Sly John's Lab delivers a crisp, clean aromatic profile that feels familiar and easy to wear right away. The scent opens with a cooling blast of crushed green mint, tart green apple, and bright bergamot that quickly sharpens into a fresh, barbershop style heart. Herbal lavender and piney juniper berries…

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 Paradoxical?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Paradoxical is rated 3.43/5 from 37 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Paradoxical for a aromatic and green character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Paradoxical?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Paradoxical 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Paradoxical?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Paradoxical 52/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Paradoxical smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and amber accords. Common notes include Lavender, Incense and Amber.

Is Abjar or Paradoxical better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Abjar and Paradoxical?

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). Paradoxical has top notes of Mint, Apple, Lemon and Cardamom, heart notes of Lavender, Incense, Juniper and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Tonka Bean, Moss, Vetiver and Amber.