Fragrance comparison

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute vs Mysteriously No 2

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 35 ratings analysed

4 wins

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #46,684 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Mysteriously No 2

Marc Cain

3.3321 votes

Rank #52,835 Warm SpicyCinnamon

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 4 of 5 categories.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Mysteriously No 2
Choose it for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute4/5

Mysteriously No 21/5

Ratings & consensus: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Sillage & projection: Mysteriously No 2
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Mysteriously No 2Marc Cain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

3.33/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 43%Had 28%Want 29%

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

19%Love

33%Like

19%Ok

19%Dislike

10%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

SillageMysteriously No 2

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value54

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

warm spicy100%

cinnamon88%

vanilla77%

powdery65%

musky53%

amber42%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonClovesBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

HeliotropeJasmineSandalwoodRoseLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8 hrs

Tonka BeanMuskVanilla

InformationalShared notesRose, Jasmine, Sandalwood and Heliotrope. Durations are only published for Mysteriously No 2, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Spring43

Summer29

Fall100

Winter100

Day56

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

Men0

Unisex22

Women78

Date 33%Casual 30%Work 26%Party 12%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#46,684

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#52,835

PerfumerCorinne Cachen, Maarten Schoute, Michel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

Reviews →

Marc Cain Mysteriously No 2 is an oriental floral perfume built around a warm, comforting core of baking spices and soft sweetness. The first spray releases a sharp kick of crushed cloves and fiery cinnamon, lifted by a quick flash of tart bergamot. Within twenty minutes, the initial heat settles into an almond-tinted…

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, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Mysteriously No 2?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 4 of 5 categories. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes; Mysteriously No 2 is rated 3.33/5 from 21 votes. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Mysteriously No 2 for a warm spicy and cinnamon character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Mysteriously No 2?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute lasts longest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100, Mysteriously No 2 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Mysteriously No 2?

Projection is very close: Mysteriously No 2 62/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100 for sillage.

Do Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and Mysteriously No 2 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Rose, Jasmine, Sandalwood and Heliotrope.

Is Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Mysteriously No 2 better for summer or winter?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear; Mysteriously No 2 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and Mysteriously No 2?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss. Mysteriously No 2 has top notes of Cinnamon, Cloves and Bergamot, heart notes of Heliotrope, Jasmine, Sandalwood and Rose, a base of Tonka Bean, Musk and Vanilla.