Fragrance comparison

Arete vs Meydan

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 534 ratings analysed

Arete

Gritti

4.2563 votes

Rank #13,087 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Meydan

The Spirit of Dubai

4.48471 votes

Rank #24,516 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Meydan takes 4 of 7 categories.

Arete
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Meydan
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Arete3/7

Meydan4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AreteGritti

MeydanThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 63 votes

Have 29%Had 12%Want 60%

4.48/ 5 · 471 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

Category winnerMeydanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

33%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

63 votes

69%Love

19%Like

5%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

471 votes

Category winnerMeydanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityMeydan

SillageMeydan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value38

Category winnerAreteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

leather77%

whiskey69%

musky61%

woody100%

leather92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both woody, leather and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

LabdanumCinnamonCardamomBergamot

Heart3 to 4 hours

LeatherWhiskey

Base7 to 10 hours

Guaiac WoodPatchouliStyraxSandalwoodVanillaAmbroxanHaitian VetiverMusk

Top

SaffronLavenderCypressStyraxCardamomNutmegBergamotArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)TobaccoGeraniumCedarCashmeranLily-of-the-ValleyLabdanumJasmine

Base

LeatherPatchouliVetiverMuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinSandalwoodAmber

InformationalShared notesLabdanum, Cardamom, Bergamot and Leather. Durations are only published for Arete, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer8

Fall100

Winter92

Day95

Night100

Spring65

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAreteMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

Men82

Unisex17

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,087

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#24,516

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAreteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arete by Gritti is a warm, resinous leather fragrance that merges boozy depth with rich spices and woods. It opens with an immediate burst of aromatic cardamom, sharp bergamot, sweet cinnamon, and sticky labdanum. As the initial sharpness settles, a robust heart of worn leather and peaty whiskey takes over, giving the…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Arete or Meydan?

Meydan takes 4 of 7 categories. Arete is rated 4.25/5 from 63 votes; Meydan is rated 4.48/5 from 471 votes. Choose Arete for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Meydan for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Arete or Meydan?

Meydan lasts longest (Meydan 88/100, Arete 81/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Arete or Meydan?

Meydan projects furthest (Meydan 80/100, Arete 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Arete and Meydan smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, leather and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Cardamom, Bergamot and Leather.

Is Arete or Meydan better for summer or winter?

For summer, Meydan is the stronger pick. For winter, Meydan is the stronger pick. Arete suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Arete and Meydan?

Arete has top notes of Labdanum, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Leather and Whiskey, a base of Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Styrax and Sandalwood. 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.