Fragrance comparison

Handbook For The Recently Deceased vs Al Bashiq

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 186 ratings analysed

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Al Bashiq

Nabeel

4.14177 votes

Rank #3,841 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Al Bashiq takes 4 of 4 categories.

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

Handbook For The Recently Deceased0/4

Al Bashiq4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

Al BashiqNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

4.14/ 5 · 177 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

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

56%Love

23%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

177 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAl Bashiq

SillageAl Bashiq

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value78

Category winnerAl BashiqBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

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

LeatherIncenseCypressStyraxSaffronCardamomLavenderArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)MyrrhBalsamic NotesEarthy NotesGuaiac WoodOlibanumLabdanumCedar

Base

VetiverAmberTobaccoTolu BalsamBenzoinPatchouliSweet NotesAmbergris

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

Spring32

Summer14

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

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

Men82

Unisex13

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Overall rank#3,841

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerAl BashiqHigher 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 →

Al Bashiq by Nabeel delivers a heavy dose of leather, dark resins, and bitter almond. It is a bold, cold weather scent that cuts through freezing air, pairing best with heavy wool coats or leather jackets during winter nights.

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 Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq takes 4 of 4 categories. Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes; Al Bashiq is rated 4.14/5 from 177 votes. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Al Bashiq for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq lasts longest (Al Bashiq 82/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq projects furthest (Al Bashiq 75/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Al Bashiq smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense, Artemisia and Patchouli.

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

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

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

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. Al Bashiq has top notes of Leather, Incense, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh, Balsamic Notes and Earthy Notes, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Tobacco and Tolu Balsam.