Fragrance comparison

Encounter vs Bahar

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 1,487 ratings analysed

Encounter

Calvin Klein

3.561,042 votes

Rank #31,237 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

28%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Bahar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.30445 votes

Rank #25,316 CitrusFresh

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bahar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Encounter
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Bahar
Choose it for a citrus and fresh character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Encounter2/7

Bahar5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

EncounterCalvin Klein

BaharThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.56/ 5 · 1,042 votes

Have 49%Had 31%Want 21%

4.30/ 5 · 445 votes

Have 40%Had 9%Want 51%

Category winnerBaharRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

18%Love

49%Like

4%Ok

28%Dislike

1%Hate

1,042 votes

60%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

9%Dislike

1%Hate

445 votes

Category winnerBaharMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityBahar

SillageBahar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value32

Category winnerEncounterBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

rum84%

oud77%

fresh spicy69%

citrus61%

citrus100%

fresh92%

woody84%

aquatic77%

aromatic69%

ozonic61%

Scent match28%Clearly different · both woody and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

RumCardamomMandarin Orange

Heart1 to 2 hours

CognacPepperPatchouliJasmine

Base2 to 4 hours

Agarwood (Oud)CedarMusk

Top

Sea NotesCitrusesOzonic notesWatery NotesBitter OrangeSpicy NotesGingerLime

Heart

SpicesSandalwoodViolet LeafLotusCyclamenCedarVanillaJasmine

Base

Precious WoodsAmberMuskVetiverAgarwood (Oud)PatchouliImmortelle

InformationalShared notesPatchouli, Jasmine, Agarwood (Oud) and Cedar. Durations are only published for Encounter, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring52

Summer24

Fall100

Winter84

Day62

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter30

Day–

Night–

Category winnerEncounterMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex4

Women1

Men47

Unisex47

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,237

PerfumerHonorine Blanc, Pierre Negrin

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,316

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBaharHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Calvin Klein Encounter is an oriental woody eau de toilette that focuses on dark spirits, gentle spices, and smooth timber. The opening pairs a splash of sweet rum with crushed cardamom and a bright touch of mandarin orange. As the initial brightness settles, the heart reveals warm cognac accented by black pepper, ear…

Reviews →

Bahar opens with an intense blast of salty sea notes, bitter orange, and sour lime. The ozonic freshness strikes cold and almost medicinal at first spray before settling into a dense core of cardamom, violet leaf, and sandalwood. As the hours pass, dark agarwood and amber push through the watery surface. Designed for …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Dans Ma Bulle Eau de ToiletteCarvenWINNER vs

NefertariAtelier Segall & BaruttiRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Cassilia BlackPacomaRUNNER-UP vs

Celestial FlowerThe Dua BrandWINNER

1 person compared this today

Icy Hard CandyHouse Of SillageRUNNER-UP vs

Un Air d'Amour Pour MadameDorinWINNER

1 person compared this today

PiscesBellaVitaWINNER vs

Montabaco VeranoOrmonde JayneRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Encounter or Bahar?

Bahar takes 5 of 7 categories. Encounter is rated 3.56/5 from 1,042 votes; Bahar is rated 4.30/5 from 445 votes. Choose Encounter for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Bahar for a citrus and fresh character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Encounter or Bahar?

Bahar lasts longest (Bahar 84/100, Encounter 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Encounter or Bahar?

Bahar projects furthest (Bahar 75/100, Encounter 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Encounter and Bahar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 28% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Jasmine, Agarwood (Oud) and Cedar.

Is Encounter or Bahar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Encounter is the stronger pick. For winter, Encounter is the stronger pick. Encounter suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Encounter and Bahar?

Encounter has top notes of Rum, Cardamom and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cognac, Pepper, Patchouli and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Cedar and Musk. Bahar has top notes of Sea Notes, Citruses, Ozonic notes and Watery Notes, heart notes of Spices, Sandalwood, Violet Leaf and Lotus, a base of Precious Woods, Amber, Musk and Vetiver.