Fragrance comparison

Alhambra vs Meydan

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 478 ratings analysed

Alhambra

Paolo Gigli

4.717 votes

Rank #42,148 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

Meydan

The Spirit of Dubai

4.48471 votes

Rank #23,067 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Alhambra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Meydan
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Alhambra2/4

Meydan2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AlhambraPaolo Gigli

MeydanThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.71/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 15%Had 4%Want 81%

4.48/ 5 · 471 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

69%Love

19%Like

5%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

471 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityMeydan

SillageAlhambra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value38

Category winnerAlhambraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

musky77%

patchouli69%

oud61%

woody100%

leather92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Amalfi LemonMintGeranium

Heart3-4 hrs

PatchouliGuaiac WoodAgarwood (Oud)Vetiver

Base8-10 hrs

MuskAmber

Top

SaffronLavenderCypressStyraxCardamomNutmegBergamotArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)TobaccoGeraniumCedarCashmeranLily-of-the-ValleyLabdanumJasmine

Base

LeatherPatchouliVetiverMuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesGeranium, Patchouli, Guaiac Wood and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Alhambra, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night79

Spring65

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Work 36%Casual 28%Date 23%Party 13%

Men82

Unisex17

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,148

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,067

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMeydanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paolo Gigli Alhambra hits skin with an unexpected snap. Crisp Amalfi lemon and cooling garden mint jump forward right away. It feels brisk. Then, earthy patchouli and smoky guaiac wood anchor the profile into something dense, resinous, and deeply masculine. A faint touch of floral geranium prevents the opening from sm…

Reviews →

Meydan opens with a sharp burst of green cypress, bitter artemisia, and medicinal saffron that immediately signals an uncompromising Arabian leather scent. As the top notes quiet down, dark tobacco and smoky agarwood emerge alongside a spicy geranium heart. The base settles into a heavy, dark leather wrapped in patcho…

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, Alhambra or Meydan?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Alhambra is rated 4.71/5 from 7 votes; Meydan is rated 4.48/5 from 471 votes. Choose Alhambra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Meydan for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Alhambra or Meydan?

They last about the same: Meydan 88/100, Alhambra 87/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Alhambra or Meydan?

Projection is very close: Alhambra 82/100, Meydan 80/100 for sillage.

Do Alhambra and Meydan smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Geranium, Patchouli, Guaiac Wood and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Alhambra or Meydan better for summer or winter?

Alhambra suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alhambra and Meydan?

Alhambra has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Mint and Geranium, heart notes of Patchouli, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud) and Vetiver, a base of Musk and Amber. Meydan has top notes of Saffron, Lavender, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Tobacco, Geranium and Cedar, a base of Leather, Patchouli, Vetiver and Musk.