Fragrance comparison

Aperture vs Abjar

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 180 ratings analysed

Aperture

Ulrich Lang

4.3094 votes

Rank #10,998 MuskyAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,681 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories.

Aperture
Choose it for a musky and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Aperture3/7

Abjar4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ApertureUlrich Lang

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 94 votes

Have 27%Had 6%Want 66%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

26%Like

1%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

94 votes

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value28

Category winnerApertureBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

aldehydic92%

fresh84%

amber77%

white floral69%

animalic61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both amber and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesPink PepperBlack PepperWhite Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

TobaccoLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineCedar

Base6-8+ hrs

AmbergrisMuskVetiverAmber

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Tobacco and Amber. Durations are only published for Aperture, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer24

Fall100

Winter72

Day100

Night64

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerApertureMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men34

Unisex66

Women0

Work 33%Casual 31%Date 25%Party 11%

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,998

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#24,681

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerApertureHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aperture by Ulrich Lang is a cool, aromatic woody scent that captures the crisp chill of a photography darkroom. The fragrance opens with an icy prickle of white pepper, black pepper, and pink pepper suspended in airy aldehydes. As the initial sharp burst settles on warm skin, dry cedar and sweet pipe tobacco take cen…

Reviews →

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

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, Aperture or Abjar?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories. Aperture is rated 4.30/5 from 94 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Aperture for a musky and aldehydic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Aperture or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Aperture 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aperture or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Aperture 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Aperture and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and animalic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Tobacco and Amber.

Is Aperture or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Aperture suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aperture and Abjar?

Aperture has top notes of Aldehydes, Pink Pepper, Black Pepper and White Pepper, heart notes of Tobacco, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Cedar, a base of Ambergris, Musk, Vetiver and Amber. Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud).