Fragrance comparison

Handbook For The Recently Deceased vs Aflaaj

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 33 ratings analysed

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Aflaaj

Asgharali

4.0524 votes

Rank #17,915 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Aflaaj
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Handbook For The Recently Deceased2/4

Aflaaj2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Sillage & projection: Aflaaj
Value for money: Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Aflaaj

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

AflaajAsgharali

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

4.05/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 34%Had 6%Want 59%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

22%Love

11%Like

22%Ok

11%Dislike

33%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

35%Love

47%Like

0%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityHandbook For The Recently Deceased

SillageAflaaj

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value25

Category winnerHandbook For The Recently DeceasedBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

woody100%

amber92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

rose69%

earthy61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

IncenseChalk

Heart2-4 hrs

Woody NotesArtemisia

Base6-8 hrs

BeeswaxPaperPatchouli

Top

RoseIncenseArtemisiaGeraniumApple

Heart

VetiverPatchouliLeatherCinnamon

Base

AmberFir ResinLabdanumCumin

InformationalShared notesIncense, Artemisia and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Handbook For The Recently Deceased, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer20

Fall100

Winter80

Day69

Night100

Spring0

Summer60

Fall100

Winter100

Day57

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

Casual 41%Work 26%Date 22%Party 11%

Men25

Unisex50

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Overall rank#17,915

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerAflaajHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

DS&Durga Handbook For The Recently Deceased brings an eerie, atmospheric character to life through dry incense, blackboard chalk, and aged paper. The initial spray releases a cool mineral breeze that feels like striking cold limestone inside a shadowed chapel. Within twenty minutes, the mineral edge softens as green a…

Reviews →

Aflaaj is a dense oriental woody scent with rose, incense and apple up top, then leather, patchouli and cinnamon over an ambered resin base. It opens aromatic and slightly smoky, then settles into something warm, textured and full-bodied. This tends to suit wearers who enjoy richer, more traditional styles with presen…

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, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Aflaaj?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes; Aflaaj is rated 4.05/5 from 24 votes. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Aflaaj for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Aflaaj?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased lasts longest (Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100, Aflaaj 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Aflaaj?

Aflaaj projects furthest (Aflaaj 67/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Aflaaj smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Incense, Artemisia and Patchouli.

Is Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Aflaaj better for summer or winter?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased suits evening wear; Aflaaj suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Aflaaj?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased has top notes of Incense and Chalk, heart notes of Woody Notes and Artemisia, a base of Beeswax, Paper and Patchouli. Aflaaj has top notes of Rose, Incense, Artemisia and Geranium, heart notes of Vetiver, Patchouli, Leather and Cinnamon, a base of Amber, Fir Resin, Labdanum and Cumin.