Fragrance comparison

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute vs To Break

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 73 ratings analysed

3 wins

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #48,524 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

14%scent match

Clearly different

To Break

Mark Buxton

3.8159 votes

Rank #23,277 FruityIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 3 of 5 categories.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
To Break
Choose it for a fruity and iris character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute3/5

To Break2/5

Ratings & consensus: To Break
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Sillage & projection: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: To Break

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

To BreakMark Buxton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

3.81/ 5 · 59 votes

Have 34%Had 7%Want 59%

Category winnerTo BreakRating 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

31%Love

34%Like

24%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

59 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

SillageAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value44

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%

fruity100%

iris92%

powdery84%

sweet77%

floral69%

musky61%

Scent match14%Clearly different · both sweet

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

PineappleGreen AppleMagnolia

Heart1 to 2 hours

IrisSpices

Base3 to 4 hours

Ambrette (Musk Mallow)AmbergrisSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesSandalwood and Musk. Durations are only published for To Break, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Spring100

Summer59

Fall76

Winter47

Day100

Night53

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

Men4

Unisex74

Women22

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#48,524

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,277

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerTo BreakHigher 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 →

To Break by Mark Buxton offers an unconventional twist on fruity floral perfumery. The scent opens with a sharp burst of pineapple and crisp green apple, smoothed quickly by creamy magnolia blossoms. As the initial brightness settles, a distinctive chalky iris arrives alongside warm dry spices, pulling the profile awa…

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 To Break?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 3 of 5 categories. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes; To Break is rated 3.81/5 from 59 votes. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose To Break for a fruity and iris character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or To Break?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute lasts longest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100, To Break 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or To Break?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute projects furthest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100, To Break 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and To Break smell similar?

Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Sandalwood and Musk.

Is Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or To Break better for summer or winter?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear; To Break suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and To Break?

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. To Break has top notes of Pineapple, Green Apple and Magnolia, heart notes of Iris and Spices, a base of Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Ambergris, Sandalwood and Musk.