Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Helios

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

Updated 24 Oct 2026 86 ratings analysed

3 wins

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #29,419 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Helios

Risala

4.147 votes

Rank #50,169 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Durra takes 3 of 4 categories.

Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Helios
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Durra3/4

Helios1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Durra
Sillage & projection: Durra
Value for money: Helios
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

HeliosRisala

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.14/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 44%Had 0%Want 56%

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

57%Love

14%Like

14%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 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

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value100

Category winnerHeliosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

vanilla100%

sweet92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

green69%

honey61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both aromatic, amber and sweet

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

Top

MintLavender

Heart

VanillaBenzoin

Base

TobaccoHoneyTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesLavender, Vanilla and Tobacco. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Spring57

Summer14

Fall100

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,419

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#50,169

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 →

Helios by Risala is a sweet aromatic tobacco scent with a cool mint and lavender opening, then a warmer core of vanilla and benzoin. It settles into honeyed tonka and soft tobacco, giving it a cozy, night-friendly feel. It reads clearly masculine and better suited to cooler weather. If you like smooth vanilla-tobacco …

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 Helios?

Durra takes 3 of 4 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Helios is rated 4.14/5 from 7 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Helios for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Helios?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Helios 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Helios?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Helios 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Helios smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, amber and sweet accords. Common notes include Lavender, Vanilla and Tobacco.

Is Durra or Helios better for summer or winter?

Durra suits evening wear; Helios suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Durra and Helios?

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. Helios has top notes of Mint and Lavender, heart notes of Vanilla and Benzoin, a base of Tobacco, Honey and Tonka Bean.