Fragrance comparison

Dark Desire vs Abjar

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 144 ratings analysed

Dark Desire

Parfums d'Elmar

4.2158 votes

Rank #11,593 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,386 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories.

Dark Desire
Choose it for a amber and powdery 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.

Dark Desire3/7

Abjar4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dark DesireParfums d'Elmar

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.21/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 35%Had 8%Want 57%

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

67%Love

10%Like

5%Ok

10%Dislike

7%Hate

58 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

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value28

Category winnerDark DesireBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

fresh spicy84%

oud77%

woody69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both amber and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

CarrotWormwoodOrange BlossomCardamomYellow Mandarin

Heart2-4 hrs

CuminVioletBulgarian RoseMyrrhCinnamon

Base8-12+ hrs

Agarwood (Oud)AmberOlibanumTonka BeanCivetPatchouliCastoreumVirginia Cedar

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesAgarwood (Oud), Amber, Civet and Castoreum. Durations are only published for Dark Desire, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring68

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerDark DesireMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men56

Unisex38

Women6

Date 39%Party 29%Casual 17%Work 15%

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,593

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#24,386

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDark DesireHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dark Desire by Parfums d'Elmar hits the skin with immediate presence. A vivid burst of yellow mandarin, bitter wormwood, and earthy carrot root quickly cuts through the air. Within minutes, cardamom and warm cinnamon generate a dense, radiant heat. The heart reveals powdery violet petals paired with dark Bulgarian ros…

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, Dark Desire or Abjar?

Abjar takes 4 of 7 categories. Dark Desire is rated 4.21/5 from 58 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Dark Desire for a amber and powdery 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, Dark Desire or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Dark Desire 79/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dark Desire or Abjar?

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

Do Dark Desire and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and woody accords. Common notes include Agarwood (Oud), Amber, Civet and Castoreum.

Is Dark Desire or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Dark Desire is the stronger pick. For winter, Dark Desire is the stronger pick. Dark Desire suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dark Desire and Abjar?

Dark Desire has top notes of Carrot, Wormwood, Orange Blossom and Cardamom, heart notes of Cumin, Violet, Bulgarian Rose and Myrrh, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Amber, Olibanum and Tonka Bean. 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).