Fragrance comparison

An Air Of Despair vs Hayba

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 171 ratings analysed

An Air Of Despair

Imaginary Authors

3.5382 votes

Rank #14,999 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

61%scent match

Closely related

6 wins

Hayba

Ajmal

4.0089 votes

Rank #7,470 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Hayba takes 6 of 7 categories.

An Air Of Despair
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Hayba
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

An Air Of Despair1/7

Hayba6/7

Ratings & consensus: Hayba
Community sentiment: Hayba
Longevity: Hayba
Sillage & projection: Hayba
Value for money: Hayba
Versatility: An Air Of Despair
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Hayba

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

An Air Of DespairImaginary Authors

HaybaAjmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.53/ 5 · 82 votes

Have 18%Had 6%Want 76%

4.00/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 52%Had 12%Want 36%

Category winnerHaybaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

34%Like

3%Ok

30%Dislike

1%Hate

74 votes

47%Love

33%Like

5%Ok

8%Dislike

7%Hate

75 votes

Category winnerHaybaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityHayba

SillageHayba

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value42

¤ Price value78

Category winnerHaybaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy88%

musky77%

powdery65%

metallic53%

leather42%

woody100%

warm spicy86%

powdery72%

rose58%

musky44%

earthy30%

Scent match61%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SaffronCedarMusk

No top / heart / base split published

Top

RoseSaffronLily-of-the-ValleyNutmeg

Heart

Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaPatchouliAmber

Base

SandalwoodGuaiac WoodMuskCedar

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Cedar and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer29

Fall100

Winter61

Day100

Night–

Spring80

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAn Air Of DespairMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex20

Women40

Men31

Unisex54

Women14

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,999

PerfumerJosh Meyer

Launched—

Reviews21

Overall rank#7,470

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerHaybaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

An Air Of Despair is a dry, cedar-led scent with saffron adding a leathery, slightly metallic warmth and musk keeping it clean rather than fluffy. It opens sharp for some wearers, then settles into a smooth, comforting woodiness that can feel cozy, austere, and quietly distinctive. This suits someone who enjoys minima…

Reviews →

Ajmal Hayba is a unisex woody floral musk built around a spicy rose opening. Rose and saffron lift quickly into nutmeg warmth, then the heart turns darker and earthier with nagarmotha (cypriol), patchouli and amber. The dry-down is smooth and woody, with sandalwood and guaiac over musk and cedar. It reads warm, sligh…

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, An Air Of Despair or Hayba?

Hayba takes 6 of 7 categories. An Air Of Despair is rated 3.53/5 from 82 votes; Hayba is rated 4.00/5 from 89 votes. Choose An Air Of Despair for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Hayba for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, An Air Of Despair or Hayba?

Hayba lasts longest (Hayba 77/100, An Air Of Despair 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, An Air Of Despair or Hayba?

Projection is very close: Hayba 63/100, An Air Of Despair 61/100 for sillage.

Do An Air Of Despair and Hayba smell similar?

Closely related: a 61% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Saffron, Cedar and Musk.

Is An Air Of Despair or Hayba better for summer or winter?

For summer, An Air Of Despair is the stronger pick. For winter, Hayba is the stronger pick. An Air Of Despair suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in An Air Of Despair and Hayba?

An Air Of Despair features Saffron, Cedar and Musk. Hayba has top notes of Rose, Saffron, Lily-of-the-Valley and Nutmeg, heart notes of Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Patchouli and Amber, a base of Sandalwood, Guaiac Wood, Musk and Cedar.