Fragrance comparison

DUA’s Empire of Iris vs Maktub

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 37 ratings analysed

3 wins

DUA’s Empire of Iris

The Dua Brand

4.888 votes

Rank #28,405 Warm SpicyIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

Maktub

Kalem

4.5929 votes

Rank #19,381 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

DUA’s Empire of Iris takes 3 of 4 categories.

DUA’s Empire of Iris
Choose it for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Maktub
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

DUA’s Empire of Iris3/4

Maktub1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: DUA’s Empire of Iris
Sillage & projection: DUA’s Empire of Iris
Value for money: DUA’s Empire of Iris
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Maktub

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DUA’s Empire of IrisThe Dua Brand

MaktubKalem

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.88/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 61%Had 4%Want 36%

4.59/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 10%Had 4%Want 86%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

88%Love

13%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

72%Love

21%Like

3%Ok

0%Dislike

3%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate97

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate90

Category winners

LongevityDUA’s Empire of Iris

SillageDUA’s Empire of Iris

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value80

¤ Price value53

Category winnerDUA’s Empire of IrisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

iris92%

powdery84%

amber77%

violet69%

chocolate61%

sweet100%

fruity83%

amber65%

oud48%

warm spicy30%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IrisChocolateLeatherBenzoinCinnamonDavanaPatchouliOlibanumViolet

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

DatesPersimmonAgarwood (Oud)BenzoinOlibanumCashmeranDavanaCinnamon

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBenzoin, Cinnamon, Davana and Olibanum. Durations are only published for DUA’s Empire of Iris, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring71

Summer29

Fall100

Winter86

Day47

Night100

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Date 40%Casual 24%Party 20%Work 16%

Men5

Unisex70

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,405

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#19,381

PerfumerUmid Asadov

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerMaktubHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

DUA's Empire of Iris by The Dua Brand takes the classic powdery iris flower and turns it into a warm, decadent treat. The opening hits immediately with aromatic davana fruit and a dusting of dry cinnamon. Give it five minutes to settle on skin, and a buttery iris emerges alongside rich, dark chocolate shavings and swe…

Reviews →

Maktub by Kalem is an amber woody fragrance that wraps the skin in dense, rich warmth. Built around a core of sticky dates and dry agarwood, it suits cold winter evenings and formal wear. It offers a heavy, resinous alternative to traditional sweet profiles.

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, DUA’s Empire of Iris or Maktub?

DUA’s Empire of Iris takes 3 of 4 categories. DUA’s Empire of Iris is rated 4.88/5 from 8 votes; Maktub is rated 4.59/5 from 29 votes. Choose DUA’s Empire of Iris for a warm spicy and iris character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Maktub for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, DUA’s Empire of Iris or Maktub?

DUA’s Empire of Iris lasts longest (DUA’s Empire of Iris 72/100, Maktub 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, DUA’s Empire of Iris or Maktub?

DUA’s Empire of Iris projects furthest (DUA’s Empire of Iris 75/100, Maktub 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do DUA’s Empire of Iris and Maktub smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Benzoin, Cinnamon, Davana and Olibanum.