Fragrance comparison

Explicite vs Riqqa

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 692 ratings analysed

Explicite

Ex Nihilo

3.87655 votes

Rank #29,023 FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

32%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Riqqa

Ard Al Zaafaran

4.1937 votes

Rank #26,387 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Riqqa takes 6 of 7 categories.

Explicite
Choose it for a floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Riqqa
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Explicite1/7

Riqqa6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ExpliciteEx Nihilo

RiqqaArd Al Zaafaran

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.87/ 5 · 655 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.19/ 5 · 37 votes

Have 50%Had 4%Want 46%

Category winnerRiqqaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

32%Like

13%Ok

14%Dislike

3%Hate

655 votes

43%Love

38%Like

14%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

37 votes

Category winnerRiqqaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityRiqqa

SillageExplicite

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value33

¤ Price value90

Category winnerRiqqaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

sweet92%

fresh84%

fresh spicy77%

woody69%

powdery61%

sweet100%

vanilla86%

cinnamon72%

warm spicy58%

fresh spicy44%

amber30%

Scent match32%Clearly different · both sweet and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

NutmegPink Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

PralinePeonyLilyPetalia

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmberVanilla

Top

CinnamonNutmegBergamot

Heart

PralineDatesTuberoseLily

Base

Tonka BeanVanillaAgarwoodBenzoinMyrrh

InformationalShared notesNutmeg, Praline, Lily and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Explicite, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer57

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night93

Spring60

Summer10

Fall90

Winter100

Day100

Night94

Category winnerRiqqaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex27

Women69

Men3

Unisex73

Women23

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,023

PerfumerJordi Fernández

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#26,387

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerRiqqaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ex Nihilo Explicite opens with a vibrant spark of pink pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, cutting through a warm, pillowy bouquet of pink peony and lily petals. At its center lies an addictive, buttery praline note that melts gradually into rich sandalwood, golden amber, and soft vanilla bourbon. It smells like a luxur…

Reviews →

Riqqa by Ard Al Zaafaran opens with a sharp burst of cinnamon and grated nutmeg, lifted briefly by citrus bergamot. The heart quickly pushes rich dates and praline forward, wrapping heavy sweetness around soft floral notes of tuberose and lily. As it dries down over several hours, the scent settles into a thick base o…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Explicite or Riqqa?

Riqqa takes 6 of 7 categories. Explicite is rated 3.87/5 from 655 votes; Riqqa is rated 4.19/5 from 37 votes. Choose Explicite for a floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Riqqa for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Explicite or Riqqa?

Riqqa lasts longest (Riqqa 76/100, Explicite 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Explicite or Riqqa?

Explicite projects furthest (Explicite 69/100, Riqqa 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Explicite and Riqqa smell similar?

Clearly different: a 32% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Nutmeg, Praline, Lily and Vanilla.

Is Explicite or Riqqa better for summer or winter?

For summer, Explicite is the stronger pick. For winter, Explicite is the stronger pick. Explicite suits day or night wear; Riqqa suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Explicite and Riqqa?

Explicite has top notes of Nutmeg and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Praline, Peony, Lily and Petalia, a base of Sandalwood, Amber and Vanilla. Riqqa has top notes of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Bergamot, heart notes of Praline, Dates, Tuberose and Lily, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Agarwood and Benzoin.