Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Runaway

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

Updated 6 Nov 2026 116 ratings analysed

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,710 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Runaway

Karen Walker

4.3030 votes

Rank #19,945 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Runaway
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Abjar3/7

Runaway3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

RunawayKaren Walker

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.30/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 32%Had 5%Want 63%

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

57%Love

30%Like

3%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

30 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value48

Category winnerRunawayBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

cinnamon77%

conifer69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match26%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

Top

CinnamonCardamomPepperLemon

Heart

RoseJasmine Sambac

Base

Pine needlesVetiverGuaiac WoodVanillaelemi

InformationalShared notesPepper and Guaiac Wood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring19

Summer6

Fall81

Winter100

Day89

Night100

Category winnerRunawayMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men0

Unisex44

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,710

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#19,945

PerfumerVéronique Nyberg

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerRunawayHigher 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 →

Karen Walker Runaway smells like a fresh pine forest floor littered with dry spices. Véronique Nyberg balances sharp cardamom and black pepper against damp pine needles, dark guaiac wood, and a sweet touch of vanilla. It is a dry, woody fragrance with a surprisingly airy quality, making it ideal for crisp autumn days …

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 Runaway?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Runaway is rated 4.30/5 from 30 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Runaway for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Runaway?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Runaway 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Runaway?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Runaway 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Runaway smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Pepper and Guaiac Wood.

Is Abjar or Runaway better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Abjar and Runaway?

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). Runaway has top notes of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Rose and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Pine needles, Vetiver, Guaiac Wood and Vanilla.