Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Novel

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 100 ratings analysed

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #28,386 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Novel

ALT. Fragrances

4.5221 votes

Rank #19,275 WoodyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Novel takes 3 of 5 categories.

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

Durra2/5

Novel3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

NovelALT. Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.52/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 46%Had 1%Want 53%

Category winnerNovelRating 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

38%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value84

Category winnerNovelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

woody100%

vanilla83%

powdery65%

fresh spicy48%

sweet30%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both woody, fresh spicy 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

Vanilla

Heart

CedarPepper

Base

Woody NotesTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesWoody Notes and Vanilla. 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

Spring8

Summer0

Fall100

Winter92

Day73

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men17

Unisex78

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,386

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#19,275

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerNovelHigher 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 →

Novel by ALT. Fragrances is a Oriental Vanilla fragrance for women and men. Top note is Vanilla; middle notes are Cedar and Pepper; base notes are Woody Notes and Tonka Bean.

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 Novel?

Novel takes 3 of 5 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Novel is rated 4.52/5 from 21 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Novel for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Novel?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Novel 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Novel?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Novel 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Novel smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Woody Notes and Vanilla.

Is Durra or Novel better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Durra and Novel?

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. Novel has top notes of Vanilla, heart notes of Cedar and Pepper, a base of Woody Notes and Tonka Bean.