Fragrance comparison

Contemporary vs Abraj

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 364 ratings analysed

5 wins

Contemporary

Clive Christian

4.31198 votes

Rank #25,723 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

Abraj

The Spirit of Dubai

4.09166 votes

Rank #27,628 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Contemporary takes 5 of 7 categories.

Contemporary
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Abraj
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Contemporary5/7

Abraj2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ContemporaryClive Christian

AbrajThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.31/ 5 · 198 votes

Have 43%Had 10%Want 47%

4.09/ 5 · 166 votes

Have 44%Had 13%Want 42%

Category winnerContemporaryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

28%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

198 votes

49%Love

28%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

2%Hate

166 votes

Category winnerContemporaryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityContemporary

SillageAbraj

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value23

¤ Price value37

Category winnerAbrajBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

woody90%

mossy80%

aromatic70%

powdery60%

violet50%

woody100%

aromatic91%

warm spicy83%

fresh spicy74%

citrus65%

powdery56%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 60 minutes

GeraniumBlackberryVioletBlack Pepper

Heart3 to 4 hours

CedarNutmeg

Base4 to 7 hours

MossMalt

Top

BergamotCardamomSaffronLavenderPetitgrainDamask RosePink PepperPine

Heart

CypressVioletCedarGeraniumRed RoseJasmineThymeLeather

Base

PatchouliMuskOakmossMossSandalwoodVanillaAmberCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

InformationalShared notesGeranium, Violet, Cedar and Moss. Durations are only published for Contemporary, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring94

Summer100

Fall75

Winter49

Day100

Night70

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter44

Day–

Night–

Category winnerContemporaryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men55

Unisex34

Women11

Men57

Unisex38

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,723

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#27,628

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerContemporaryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Contemporary by Clive Christian takes the traditional aromatic fougere framework and gives it a sharper, fruitier edge. The scent opens with a burst of tart blackberry and crisp geranium, dusted with pungent black pepper and clean, slightly powdery violet. As the tart fruit settles, warm nutmeg and dry cedar take over…

Reviews →

Abraj opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, black pepper, and saffron, immediately signaling a dense woody chypre architecture. As it warms on skin, dry cedar, cypress, and dark leather take command, anchored by a heavy base of patchouli, cypriol oil, and agarwood. It wears best in crisp autumn or winter air during fo…

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, Contemporary or Abraj?

Contemporary takes 5 of 7 categories. Contemporary is rated 4.31/5 from 198 votes; Abraj is rated 4.09/5 from 166 votes. Choose Contemporary for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Abraj for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Contemporary or Abraj?

Contemporary lasts longest (Contemporary 76/100, Abraj 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Contemporary or Abraj?

Abraj projects furthest (Abraj 68/100, Contemporary 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Contemporary and Abraj smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Geranium, Violet, Cedar and Moss.

Is Contemporary or Abraj better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Contemporary and Abraj?

Contemporary has top notes of Geranium, Blackberry, Violet and Black Pepper, heart notes of Cedar and Nutmeg, a base of Moss and Malt. Abraj has top notes of Bergamot, Cardamom, Saffron and Lavender, heart notes of Cypress, Violet, Cedar and Geranium, a base of Patchouli, Musk, Oakmoss and Moss.