Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Santal Exotique

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 100 ratings analysed

4 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #23,909 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Santal Exotique

The Exotic Island Perfumer

4.2914 votes

Rank #32,423 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 4 of 5 categories.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Santal Exotique
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Abjar4/5

Santal Exotique1/5

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Santal Exotique
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

Santal ExotiqueThe Exotic Island Perfumer

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 17%Had 4%Want 80%

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

64%Love

21%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

7%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value75

Category winnerSantal ExotiqueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

warm spicy92%

lactonic84%

sweet77%

amber69%

vanilla61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody 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

Top

PandanusCardamomOlibanumNutmegelemiCinnamon

Heart

MilkPalisander RosewoodVanillaTonka BeanMassoia

Base

SandalwoodWhite MuskCivet

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Civet and Sandalwood. 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–

Spring50

Summer33

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night67

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,909

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#32,423

PerfumerJuan Perez

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 →

Santal Exotique by The Exotic Island Perfumer is an oriental woody fragrance crafted by nose Juan Perez. It contrasts sharp cinnamon and green pandanus leaf against a heavy heart of steamed milk, tonka bean, and Hawaiian sandalwood. Wear it during late autumn evenings when cool air lets the dense spice and creamy wood…

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 Santal Exotique?

Abjar takes 4 of 5 categories. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Santal Exotique is rated 4.29/5 from 14 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Santal Exotique for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Santal Exotique?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Santal Exotique 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Santal Exotique?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Santal Exotique 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Santal Exotique smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Civet and Sandalwood.

Is Abjar or Santal Exotique better for summer or winter?

Santal Exotique suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Santal Exotique?

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). Santal Exotique has top notes of Pandanus, Cardamom, Olibanum and Nutmeg, heart notes of Milk, Palisander Rosewood, Vanilla and Tonka Bean, a base of Sandalwood, White Musk and Civet.