Fragrance comparison

Abraj vs Shambhala

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 175 ratings analysed

3 wins

Abraj

The Spirit of Dubai

4.09166 votes

Rank #27,625 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Shambhala

Grisiau

4.009 votes

Rank #42,793 FreshFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abraj takes 3 of 4 categories.

Abraj
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Shambhala
Choose it for a fresh and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Abraj3/4

Shambhala1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbrajThe Spirit of Dubai

ShambhalaGrisiau

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 166 votes

Have 44%Had 13%Want 42%

4.00/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 11%Had 3%Want 86%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

49%Love

28%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

166 votes

22%Love

56%Like

22%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityAbraj

SillageAbraj

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value37

¤ Price value54

Category winnerShambhalaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic91%

warm spicy83%

fresh spicy74%

citrus65%

powdery56%

fresh100%

floral91%

citrus83%

ozonic74%

woody65%

green56%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

BergamotCardamomSaffronLavenderPetitgrainDamask RosePink PepperPine

Heart

CypressVioletCedarGeraniumRed RoseJasmineThymeLeather

Base

PatchouliMuskOakmossMossSandalwoodVanillaAmberCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Top30 to 60 minutes

Mountain AirCitron

Heart2 to 3 hours

NeroliTea LeafLotusCypress

Base3 to 5 hours

Nag ChampaSandalwoodAgarwood (Oud)Oakmoss

InformationalShared notesCypress, Oakmoss and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Shambhala, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter44

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer75

Fall100

Winter50

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex38

Women6

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#27,625

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#42,793

PerfumerRoger Howell

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerAbrajHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Abraj opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, black pepper, and saffron, immediately signaling a dense woody chypre architecture. As it warms on skin, dry cedar, cypress, and dark leather take command, anchored by a heavy base of patchouli, cypriol oil, and agarwood. It wears best in crisp autumn or winter air during fo…

Reviews →

Shambhala by Grisiau brings a crisp, elevated atmosphere into a grounding resinous base. The opening reveals brisk mountain air and tangy citron, producing a clean, breezy sparkle that feels open and brisk. As the initial brightness settles, the heart introduces calming tea leaf, dewy lotus, neroli, and woody cypress.…

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, Abraj or Shambhala?

Abraj takes 3 of 4 categories. Abraj is rated 4.09/5 from 166 votes; Shambhala is rated 4.00/5 from 9 votes. Choose Abraj for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Shambhala for a fresh and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Abraj or Shambhala?

Abraj lasts longest (Abraj 73/100, Shambhala 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abraj or Shambhala?

Abraj projects furthest (Abraj 68/100, Shambhala 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abraj and Shambhala smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Cypress, Oakmoss and Sandalwood.

Is Abraj or Shambhala better for summer or winter?

Shambhala suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abraj and Shambhala?

Abraj has top notes of Bergamot, Cardamom, Saffron and Lavender, heart notes of Cypress, Violet, Cedar and Geranium, a base of Patchouli, Musk, Oakmoss and Moss. Shambhala has top notes of Mountain Air and Citron, heart notes of Neroli, Tea Leaf, Lotus and Cypress, a base of Nag Champa, Sandalwood, Agarwood (Oud) and Oakmoss.