Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Hot! Fragrances Blue

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 88 ratings analysed

3 wins

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #28,892 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

36%scent match

Some overlap

Hot! Fragrances Blue

Ulric de Varens · 2008

3.339 votes

Rank #56,220 WoodyAmber

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.
Hot! Fragrances Blue
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Durra3/4

Hot! Fragrances Blue1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Durra
Sillage & projection: Durra
Value for money: Hot! Fragrances Blue
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

Hot! Fragrances BlueUlric de Varens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.33/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 39%Had 39%Want 21%

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

33%Like

0%Ok

44%Dislike

0%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

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value63

Category winnerHot! Fragrances BlueBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

woody100%

amber86%

musky72%

citrus58%

powdery44%

balsamic30%

Scent match36%Some overlap · both woody and amber

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

Notes

Cashmere WoodAmberMuskBergamotTeak WoodSandalwoodTonka BeanTobaccoMandarin Orange

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCashmere Wood, Sandalwood, Musk and Tobacco. Durations are only published for Hot! Fragrances Blue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Spring67

Summer100

Fall100

Winter33

Day100

Night43

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Casual 45%Work 28%Date 15%Party 13%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,892

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#56,220

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2008

Reviews3

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 →

Hot! Fragrances Blue by Ulric de Varens is an honest, low-cost woody aromatic scent built around sweet citrus and dry woods. Do not panic at first. The initial spray punches hard with tangy mandarin orange and bergamot, smothered in an overt rush of spun sugar. Give it five minutes. That sugary pop mellows out rapidly…

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 Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Durra takes 3 of 4 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Hot! Fragrances Blue is rated 3.33/5 from 9 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Hot! Fragrances Blue for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Hot! Fragrances Blue 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Hot! Fragrances Blue?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Hot! Fragrances Blue 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Hot! Fragrances Blue smell similar?

Some overlap: a 36% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood, Musk and Tobacco.

Is Durra or Hot! Fragrances Blue better for summer or winter?

Durra suits evening wear; Hot! Fragrances Blue suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Durra and Hot! Fragrances Blue?

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. Hot! Fragrances Blue features Cashmere Wood, Amber, Musk, Bergamot and Teak Wood.