Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Esprit De Noel

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 85 ratings analysed

3 wins

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #28,200 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Esprit De Noel

Houbigant

4.836 votes

Rank #36,220 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Durra takes 3 of 3 categories.

Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Esprit De Noel
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Durra3/3

Esprit De Noel0/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

Esprit De NoelHoubigant

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.83/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 11%Had 0%Want 89%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

14%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

11%Hate

79 votes

83%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity47

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate96

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

amber100%

woody88%

warm spicy77%

aromatic65%

balsamic53%

citrus42%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, amber and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sea NotesWatery NotesAldehydesOzonic notesClary SagePineLavenderCumin

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)Earthy NotesBirch LeafCashmere WoodWoody NotesSandalwoodIncenseVanilla

Base

CastoreumCivettaMuskImmortelleTolu BalsamPrecious WoodsTobaccoVetiver

Top15-30 mins

SpicesOrangeBergamotCloves

Heart2-4 hrs

OlibanumMyrrhPine

Base6-8+ hrs

Wood ResinTonka BeanAmberCedarMusk

InformationalShared notesPine and Musk. Durations are only published for Esprit De Noel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day86

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 35%Date 30%Work 19%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,200

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#36,220

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerDurraHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Durra opens with a sharp burst of salty sea notes, cold aldehydes, and clary sage before diving into a dark heart of agarwood and smoky incense. The dry-down settles into heavy castoreum leather, amber, and bitter cumin on skin. It suits cold winter evenings, black-tie dinners, or outdoor gatherings where a dense, mar…

Reviews →

Houbigant Esprit De Noel brings the nostalgic warmth of holiday spices and cool evergreens directly to your skin. The opening bursts with sweet orange peel, sharp bergamot, and pungent cloves that wake up the nose. Within minutes, the scent settles into a dry heart of crisp pine needles, smoky olibanum, and earthy myr…

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, Durra or Esprit De Noel?

Durra takes 3 of 3 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Esprit De Noel is rated 4.83/5 from 6 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Esprit De Noel for a amber and woody character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Esprit De Noel?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Esprit De Noel 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Esprit De Noel?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Esprit De Noel 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Esprit De Noel smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Pine and Musk.

Is Durra or Esprit De Noel better for summer or winter?

Durra suits evening wear; Esprit De Noel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Durra and Esprit De Noel?

Durra has top notes of Sea Notes, Watery Notes, Aldehydes and Ozonic notes, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Cashmere Wood, a base of Castoreum, Civetta, Musk and Immortelle. Esprit De Noel has top notes of Spices, Orange, Bergamot and Cloves, heart notes of Olibanum, Myrrh and Pine, a base of Wood Resin, Tonka Bean, Amber and Cedar.