Fragrance comparison

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute vs Tonka Sublime

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 46 ratings analysed

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #45,971 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Tonka Sublime

Houbigant

4.2532 votes

Rank #38,827 AmberSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Tonka Sublime takes 3 of 5 categories.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Tonka Sublime
Choose it for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute2/5

Tonka Sublime3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Tonka SublimeHoubigant

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

4.25/ 5 · 32 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 85%

Category winnerTonka SublimeRating 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

41%Love

50%Like

3%Ok

6%Dislike

0%Hate

32 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityTonka Sublime

SillageAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value45

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%

amber100%

sweet92%

fruity84%

woody77%

vanilla69%

powdery61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both sweet and woody

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

AlmondStar AniseMirabelle PlumNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

Tonka BeanDavanaJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesStar Anise, Neroli, Jasmine and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Tonka Sublime, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Spring38

Summer6

Fall94

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

Men11

Unisex68

Women21

Date 34%Work 27%Casual 24%Party 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,971

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#38,827

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerTonka SublimeHigher 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 →

Houbigant Tonka Sublime approaches gourmand territory with classical French discipline. The opening is tart and boozy, driven by ripe mirabelle plum and sharp star anise before raw almond smooths out the edges. It settles fast. Within twenty minutes, the star anise recedes to let coumarin-rich tonka bean and herbal da…

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 Tonka Sublime?

Tonka Sublime takes 3 of 5 categories. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes; Tonka Sublime is rated 4.25/5 from 32 votes. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Tonka Sublime for a amber and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Tonka Sublime?

They last about the same: Tonka Sublime 68/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Tonka Sublime?

Projection is very close: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100, Tonka Sublime 60/100 for sillage.

Do Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and Tonka Sublime smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Star Anise, Neroli, Jasmine and Sandalwood.

Is Acqua di Nabeel Absolute or Tonka Sublime better for summer or winter?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear; Tonka Sublime suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Acqua di Nabeel Absolute and Tonka Sublime?

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. Tonka Sublime has top notes of Almond, Star Anise, Mirabelle Plum and Neroli, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Davana and Jasmine, a base of Sandalwood and Amber.