Fragrance comparison

Abu Dhabi vs Softness of Vanilla Iris

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 8 ratings analysed

Abu Dhabi

Memoirs Of A Perfume Collector

3.333 votes

Rank #62,130 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Softness of Vanilla Iris

The Dua Brand

3.405 votes

Rank #50,401 PowderySoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Abu Dhabi
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Softness of Vanilla Iris
Choose it for a powdery and soft spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Abu Dhabi2/4

Softness of Vanilla Iris2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abu Dhabi
Sillage & projection: Abu Dhabi
Value for money: Softness of Vanilla Iris
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Softness of Vanilla Iris

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Abu DhabiMemoirs Of A Perfume Collector

Softness of Vanilla IrisThe Dua Brand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.33/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

3.40/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 44%Had 11%Want 44%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

33%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

20%Love

20%Like

40%Ok

20%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate58

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage25

♥ Love / hate60

Category winners

LongevityAbu Dhabi

SillageAbu Dhabi

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value0

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSoftness of Vanilla IrisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

sweet84%

rose77%

oud69%

warm spicy61%

powdery100%

soft spicy92%

iris84%

aromatic77%

earthy69%

musky61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Ylang-YlangPink PepperCardamomMarigoldOrris

Heart

Assam OudIndian JasmineNarcissusTaif RoseTuberoseRose Oil

Base

Vietnamese OudTahitian VanillaPistachioCedarwoodVetiverCoffeeMyrrhHoney

Top

CorianderCarrotPink PepperSicilian Bergamot

Heart

OrrisOsmanthusJasmineMagnolia

Base

Tahitian VanillaVanillaAmberMuskCedarwoodVetiverOrchid

InformationalShared notesPink Pepper, Orris, Indian Jasmine and Tahitian Vanilla. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall50

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#62,130

PerfumerJean Claude Delville

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#50,401

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerSoftness of Vanilla IrisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Jean Claude Delville crafts Abu Dhabi around heavy Vietnamese oud, dark Yemeni coffee, and a thick pistachio loukoum base. Cardamom and ylang-ylang cut through the dense opening before rose oil and tuberose soften the middle. Built for freezing winter nights and black-tie dinners, this rich oriental scent stays heavy …

Reviews →

Softness of Vanilla Iris leans powdery, spicy and aromatic, with coriander and carrot pushing the opening in a crisp, dusty direction before iris and vanilla soften it. It reads more textured than sweet, and the iris feels dry rather than creamy. This looks best for someone who enjoys rooty, spicy iris styles and does…

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, Abu Dhabi or Softness of Vanilla Iris?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Abu Dhabi is rated 3.33/5 from 3 votes; Softness of Vanilla Iris is rated 3.40/5 from 5 votes. Choose Abu Dhabi for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Softness of Vanilla Iris for a powdery and soft spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Abu Dhabi or Softness of Vanilla Iris?

Abu Dhabi lasts longest (Abu Dhabi 100/100, Softness of Vanilla Iris 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abu Dhabi or Softness of Vanilla Iris?

Abu Dhabi projects furthest (Abu Dhabi 100/100, Softness of Vanilla Iris 25/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abu Dhabi and Softness of Vanilla Iris smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Orris, Indian Jasmine and Tahitian Vanilla.

Is Abu Dhabi or Softness of Vanilla Iris better for summer or winter?

Abu Dhabi suits evening wear; Softness of Vanilla Iris suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abu Dhabi and Softness of Vanilla Iris?

Abu Dhabi has top notes of Ylang-Ylang, Pink Pepper, Cardamom and Marigold, heart notes of Assam Oud, Indian Jasmine, Narcissus and Taif Rose, a base of Vietnamese Oud, Tahitian Vanilla, Pistachio and Cedarwood. Softness of Vanilla Iris has top notes of Coriander, Carrot, Pink Pepper and Sicilian Bergamot, heart notes of Orris, Osmanthus, Jasmine and Magnolia, a base of Tahitian Vanilla, Vanilla, Amber and Musk.