Fragrance comparison

Around Midnight vs Abjar

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 157 ratings analysed

Around Midnight

Mark Buxton

4.1771 votes

Rank #20,553 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,326 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories.

Around Midnight
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Around Midnight3/7

Abjar4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Around MidnightMark Buxton

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.17/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 30%Had 14%Want 56%

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

42%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

71 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

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value28

Category winnerAround MidnightBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

herbal77%

aromatic69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody, amber and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

PepperChamomileGeranium

Heart1 to 2 hours

Jasmine

Base3 to 5 hours

French labdanumCedarStyraxPatchouli

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesPepper and Styrax. Durations are only published for Around Midnight, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring27

Summer20

Fall80

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAround MidnightMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men75

Unisex25

Women0

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,553

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#25,326

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAround MidnightHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Around Midnight by Mark Buxton is a dry, resinous oriental fougere centered on smoky woods and herbal warmth. The scent opens with a sharp burst of black pepper and aromatic chamomile, balanced by the crisp greenery of geranium. As the initial spice settles, a quiet jasmine note softens the heart before shifting into …

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, Around Midnight or Abjar?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories. Around Midnight is rated 4.17/5 from 71 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Around Midnight for a amber and woody character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Around Midnight or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Around Midnight 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Around Midnight or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Around Midnight 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Around Midnight and Abjar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Pepper and Styrax.

Is Around Midnight or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Around Midnight is the stronger pick. Around Midnight suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Around Midnight and Abjar?

Around Midnight has top notes of Pepper, Chamomile and Geranium, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of French labdanum, Cedar, Styrax and Patchouli. 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).