Fragrance comparison

Fou d’Opium vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 34 ratings analysed

3 wins

Fou d’Opium

DSH Perfumes

4.3520 votes

Rank #20,822 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #46,517 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Fou d’Opium takes 3 of 5 categories.

Fou d’Opium
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Fou d’Opium3/5

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute2/5

Ratings & consensus: Fou d’Opium
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Fou d’Opium
Sillage & projection: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Fou d’Opium

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fou d’OpiumDSH Perfumes

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.35/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 32%Had 7%Want 62%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerFou d’OpiumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

55%Love

30%Like

10%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityFou d’Opium

SillageAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber92%

woody84%

powdery77%

floral69%

white floral61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both warm spicy, woody and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

SpicesCarnationTolu BalsamLabdanumCivetCinnamonNeroliIncenseVanilaAldehydesAmbergrisAustralian Sandalwood

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesNeroli and Incense. Durations are only published for Fou d’Opium, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer82

Fall100

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex78

Women22

Date 45%Party 32%Casual 13%Work 11%

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,822

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#46,517

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFou d’OpiumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fou d'Opium by DSH Perfumes is a fiery, resinous spicy oriental that revives the opulent spirit of vintage 1970s perfumery. The scent opens with a sharp flash of aldehydes, bergamot, and ripe plum before unleashing a dense swirl of clove bud, cinnamon bark, and powdery carnation. Warm tolu balsam, golden labdanum, and…

Reviews →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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, Fou d’Opium or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Fou d’Opium takes 3 of 5 categories. Fou d’Opium is rated 4.35/5 from 20 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Fou d’Opium for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Fou d’Opium or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Fou d’Opium lasts longest (Fou d’Opium 87/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fou d’Opium or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute projects furthest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100, Fou d’Opium 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fou d’Opium and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and white floral accords. Common notes include Neroli and Incense.

Is Fou d’Opium or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

Fou d’Opium suits evening wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fou d’Opium and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Fou d’Opium features Spices, Carnation, Tolu Balsam, Labdanum and Civet. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.