Fragrance comparison

Dubai vs Espelette

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

Updated 23 Oct 2026 139 ratings analysed

3 wins

Dubai

Bortnikoff

4.13119 votes

Rank #9,921 OudCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Espelette

Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

4.1020 votes

Rank #38,529 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Dubai takes 3 of 5 categories.

Dubai
Choose it for a oud and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Espelette
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Dubai3/5

Espelette2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DubaiBortnikoff

EspeletteParfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.13/ 5 · 119 votes

Have 35%Had 9%Want 56%

4.10/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 35%Had 19%Want 46%

Category winnerDubaiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

68%Love

9%Like

4%Ok

5%Dislike

13%Hate

119 votes

40%Love

45%Like

0%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityDubai

SillageEspelette

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value15

¤ Price value75

Category winnerEspeletteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

oud100%

citrus92%

fruity84%

woody77%

leather69%

earthy61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

patchouli77%

powdery69%

vanilla61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AppleLemonBergamotDavanaGingerPomelo

Heart

RosePassionfruitCardamomJasmineYlang-YlangPeachGurjan balsam

Base

Indian OudNagarmothaLeatherPatchouliAmberMuskVanillaVetiver

Top15-30 mins

Sichuan PepperPepper

Heart2-4 hrs

CardamomYlang-YlangPeach

Base6-8+ hrs

PatchouliVanillaSandalwoodMusk

InformationalShared notesCardamom, Ylang-Ylang, Peach and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Espelette, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer58

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring67

Summer33

Fall67

Winter100

Day100

Night69

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men31

Unisex38

Women31

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Date 33%Casual 30%Work 21%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,921

PerfumerDmitry Bortnikoff

Launched—

Reviews11

Overall rank#38,529

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerDubaiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dmitry Bortnikoff launched Dubai in 2024 as an oriental fougere centered on authentic Indian oud. The scent opens with a sharp flash of green apple, sour bergamot, and spicy ginger before settling into a dense heart of passionfruit, rose, and cardamom. The base anchors down with dark leather, nagarmotha, patchouli, an…

Reviews →

Espelette by Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque is a dry, crackling spice scent anchored by deep earth. The first spray delivers a stinging burst of real Sichuan pepper and black pepper. It tingles in the nose. Within ten minutes, that fiery blast softens as green cardamom, ripe peach, and sunny ylang-ylang round off …

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, Dubai or Espelette?

Dubai takes 3 of 5 categories. Dubai is rated 4.13/5 from 119 votes; Espelette is rated 4.10/5 from 20 votes. Choose Dubai for a oud and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Espelette for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Dubai or Espelette?

Dubai lasts longest (Dubai 74/100, Espelette 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Dubai or Espelette?

Espelette projects furthest (Espelette 78/100, Dubai 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Dubai and Espelette smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang, Peach and Patchouli.

Is Dubai or Espelette better for summer or winter?

Espelette suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Dubai and Espelette?

Dubai has top notes of Apple, Lemon, Bergamot and Davana, heart notes of Rose, Passionfruit, Cardamom and Jasmine, a base of Indian Oud, Nagarmotha, Leather and Patchouli. Espelette has top notes of Sichuan Pepper and Pepper, heart notes of Cardamom, Ylang-Ylang and Peach, a base of Patchouli, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Musk.