Fragrance comparison

Baz vs Qessence

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 216 ratings analysed

4 wins

Baz

The Spirit of Dubai

4.30128 votes

Rank #24,229 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Qessence

Missala

3.7988 votes

Rank #12,607 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Baz takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Baz4/7

Qessence3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

BazThe Spirit of Dubai

QessenceMissala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 128 votes

Have 85%Had 15%Want 0%

3.79/ 5 · 88 votes

Have 25%Had 17%Want 58%

Category winnerBazRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

13%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

5%Hate

128 votes

27%Love

50%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

2%Hate

66 votes

Category winnerBazMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityBaz

SillageBaz

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value64

Category winnerQessenceBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

leather84%

smoky77%

musky69%

balsamic61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

earthy77%

amber69%

rose61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LeatherPlumCorianderBlack PepperCoffeeAldehydesCardamomPine

Heart

IncenseEarthy NotesBirch LeafResinMyrrhOlibanumGuaiac WoodCedar

Base

Agarwood (Oud)CivetCastoreumMuskTobaccoPeru BalsamGurjan balsamPatchouli

Top

ChamomileMarigoldSaffronCorianderCinnamonOrange

Heart

Damask RoseelemiYlang-YlangIrisJasmineCalamus

Base

OakmossOlibanumPatchouliAgarwood (Oud)LabdanumVirginia CedarMuskVetiver

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Olibanum, Cedar and Agarwood (Oud). Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring70

Summer37

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring48

Summer26

Fall100

Winter74

Day100

Night94

Category winnerQessenceMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men66

Unisex29

Women4

Men10

Unisex40

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,229

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#12,607

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews9

Category winnerQessenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Baz by The Spirit of Dubai hits skin with a massive blast of dark leather, cracked black pepper, and bitter coffee. It settles into a heavy resinous core dominated by smoky incense, myrrh, and sweet plum. As the hours pass, dense agarwood, civet, and raw castoreum emerge to create a dry, animalic base that stays notic…

Reviews →

Qessence is a dry, spicy rose and incense scent with an old-school oriental feel. It opens herbal and warm, then settles into a balsamic, mossy, woody base with powdery edges. It suits someone who enjoys complex, mature perfumes more than easy crowd-pleasers. The rose, resins and woods can read quite unisex, especial…

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, Baz or Qessence?

Baz takes 4 of 7 categories. Baz is rated 4.30/5 from 128 votes; Qessence is rated 3.79/5 from 88 votes. Choose Baz for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Qessence for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Baz or Qessence?

Baz lasts longest (Baz 87/100, Qessence 83/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Baz or Qessence?

Baz projects furthest (Baz 84/100, Qessence 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Baz and Qessence smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Coriander, Olibanum, Cedar and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Baz or Qessence better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Baz and Qessence?

Baz has top notes of Leather, Plum, Coriander and Black Pepper, heart notes of Incense, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Resin, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Civet, Castoreum and Musk. Qessence has top notes of Chamomile, Marigold, Saffron and Coriander, heart notes of Damask Rose, elemi, Ylang-Ylang and Iris, a base of Oakmoss, Olibanum, Patchouli and Agarwood (Oud).