Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Handbook For The Recently Deceased

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 88 ratings analysed

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #28,917 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Durra2/4

Handbook For The Recently Deceased2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

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

22%Love

11%Like

22%Ok

11%Dislike

33%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value35

Category winnerHandbook For The Recently DeceasedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

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

IncenseChalk

Heart2-4 hrs

Woody NotesArtemisia

Base6-8 hrs

BeeswaxPaperPatchouli

InformationalShared notesWoody Notes and Incense. Durations are only published for Handbook For The Recently Deceased, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Spring20

Summer20

Fall100

Winter80

Day69

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

Casual 41%Work 26%Date 22%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,917

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Category winnerHandbook For The Recently DeceasedHigher 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 →

DS&Durga Handbook For The Recently Deceased brings an eerie, atmospheric character to life through dry incense, blackboard chalk, and aged paper. The initial spray releases a cool mineral breeze that feels like striking cold limestone inside a shadowed chapel. Within twenty minutes, the mineral edge softens as green a…

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 Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Handbook For The Recently Deceased smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Woody Notes and Incense.

Is Durra or Handbook For The Recently Deceased better for summer or winter?

Durra suits evening wear; Handbook For The Recently Deceased suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Durra and Handbook For The Recently Deceased?

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. Handbook For The Recently Deceased has top notes of Incense and Chalk, heart notes of Woody Notes and Artemisia, a base of Beeswax, Paper and Patchouli.