Fragrance comparison

Handbook For The Recently Deceased vs Desert Vetiver

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 21 ratings analysed

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Desert Vetiver

Saponificio Varesino

3.7312 votes

Rank #21,236 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Desert Vetiver takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Handbook For The Recently Deceased1/4

Desert Vetiver3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

Desert VetiverSaponificio Varesino

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

3.73/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 69%Had 6%Want 25%

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

20%Love

60%Like

20%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityHandbook For The Recently Deceased

SillageDesert Vetiver

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value56

Category winnerDesert VetiverBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

citrus77%

herbal69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both woody 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

elemiPine TreeIncenseOrangeArtemisiaGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

Black PepperMarjoramJuniper BerriesGeraniumRoseLavender

Base

ClovesPatchouliVetiverAmberPrecious WoodsMoss

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

Spring50

Summer25

Fall100

Winter75

Day100

Night60

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

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

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Overall rank#21,236

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerDesert VetiverHigher 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 →

Desert Vetiver opens brighter and more resinous than its name suggests, with citrus, elemi, incense and pine giving it a crisp, aromatic lift. As it settles, pepper, herbs and woods come forward, while the vetiver stays in the background rather than dominating. It suits someone who likes classic masculine blends with …

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 Desert Vetiver?

Desert Vetiver takes 3 of 4 categories. Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes; Desert Vetiver is rated 3.73/5 from 12 votes. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Desert Vetiver for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Desert Vetiver?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased lasts longest (Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100, Desert Vetiver 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Desert Vetiver?

Desert Vetiver projects furthest (Desert Vetiver 61/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Desert Vetiver smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense, Artemisia and Patchouli.

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

Handbook For The Recently Deceased suits evening wear; Desert Vetiver suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

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

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. Desert Vetiver has top notes of elemi, Pine Tree, Incense and Orange, heart notes of Black Pepper, Marjoram, Juniper Berries and Geranium, a base of Cloves, Patchouli, Vetiver and Amber.