Fragrance comparison

Dear John vs Sehr-i Istanbul

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 365 ratings analysed

Dear John

Lush

3.77358 votes

Rank #11,486 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Sehr-i Istanbul

Parfumane

4.437 votes

Rank #36,001 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sehr-i Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories.

Dear John
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Sehr-i Istanbul
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Dear John1/4

Sehr-i Istanbul3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Sehr-i Istanbul
Sillage & projection: Sehr-i Istanbul
Value for money: Sehr-i Istanbul
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Dear John

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Dear JohnLush

Sehr-i IstanbulParfumane

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 358 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

4.43/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 38%Had 0%Want 63%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

31%Love

44%Like

11%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

300 votes

57%Love

29%Like

14%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity92

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevitySehr-i Istanbul

SillageSehr-i Istanbul

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value85

Category winnerSehr-i IstanbulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic90%

warm spicy80%

citrus70%

conifer60%

green50%

amber100%

woody90%

citrus80%

aromatic70%

musky60%

earthy50%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

LimeCloveVetiverPineVirginia CedarCorianderCoffee

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

CorianderLimeLemonOrange

Heart2-4 hrs

CloveCypriol Oil or NagarmothaLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

LabdanumAmberMuskAmberwoodVetiver

InformationalShared notesLime, Clove, Vetiver and Coriander. Durations are only published for Sehr-i Istanbul, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring51

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring60

Summer80

Fall100

Winter60

Day100

Night50

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men49

Unisex46

Women4

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#11,486

PerfumerMark Constantine

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#36,001

PerfumerBekir Kantarcı

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerDear JohnHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dear John is a dry, smoky woody scent with clove spice, cedar, vetiver and a small but noticeable coffee twist. It opens brighter with lime and aromatic lift, then settles into something warmer, earthier and more nostalgic. The overall feel is unisex, slightly masculine leaning, and best suited to cool weather or anyo…

Reviews →

Sehr-i Istanbul by Parfumane is a balanced oriental spicy perfume that pairs bright Mediterranean citrus with dry spice and comforting resins. It opens with an uplifting burst of lime, orange, and cracked coriander seed that feels crisp rather than overly tart. As the zesty opening settles, warm clove buds and earthy …

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, Dear John or Sehr-i Istanbul?

Sehr-i Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories. Dear John is rated 3.77/5 from 358 votes; Sehr-i Istanbul is rated 4.43/5 from 7 votes. Choose Dear John for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Sehr-i Istanbul for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dear John or Sehr-i Istanbul?

Sehr-i Istanbul lasts longest (Sehr-i Istanbul 92/100, Dear John 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dear John or Sehr-i Istanbul?

Sehr-i Istanbul projects furthest (Sehr-i Istanbul 70/100, Dear John 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dear John and Sehr-i Istanbul smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and citrus accords. Common notes include Lime, Clove, Vetiver and Coriander.

Is Dear John or Sehr-i Istanbul better for summer or winter?

Sehr-i Istanbul suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dear John and Sehr-i Istanbul?

Dear John features Lime, Clove, Vetiver, Pine and Virginia Cedar. Sehr-i Istanbul has top notes of Coriander, Lime, Lemon and Orange, heart notes of Clove, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Labdanum, Amber, Musk and Amberwood.