Fragrance comparison

Handbook For The Recently Deceased vs Âme Sombre Grade 1

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 101 ratings analysed

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

50%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Âme Sombre Grade 1

Sultan Pasha Attars

4.3492 votes

Rank #4,149 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Âme Sombre Grade 1 takes 4 of 4 categories.

Handbook For The Recently Deceased
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Âme Sombre Grade 1
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Handbook For The Recently Deceased0/4

Âme Sombre Grade 14/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Âme Sombre Grade 1
Sillage & projection: Âme Sombre Grade 1
Value for money: Âme Sombre Grade 1
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Âme Sombre Grade 1

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

Âme Sombre Grade 1Sultan Pasha Attars

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

4.34/ 5 · 92 votes

Have 32%Had 11%Want 57%

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

71%Love

19%Like

0%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

63 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage70

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityÂme Sombre Grade 1

SillageÂme Sombre Grade 1

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value39

Category winnerÂme Sombre Grade 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

rose77%

smoky69%

tobacco61%

Scent match50%Some overlap · both amber, woody and smoky

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

IncenseRoseSaffron

Heart

Bulgarian RoseAmberHoneyJasmine

Base

TobaccoWhite AmberIndian OudBeeswaxPatchouliHyraxBenzoinCedar

InformationalShared notesIncense, Beeswax 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

Spring41

Summer24

Fall82

Winter100

Day63

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

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

Men10

Unisex80

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Overall rank#4,149

PerfumerSultan Pasha

Launched—

Reviews29

Category winnerÂme Sombre Grade 1Higher 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 →

Âme Sombre Grade 1 is a potent attar driven by a resinous frankincense and rose heart. It feels deeply spiritual and grounded, favoring experienced perfume lovers who enjoy rich, animalic undertones. Best suited for cooler weather or formal evening occasions where its dense presence can fully open on the skin.

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 Âme Sombre Grade 1?

Âme Sombre Grade 1 takes 4 of 4 categories. Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes; Âme Sombre Grade 1 is rated 4.34/5 from 92 votes. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Âme Sombre Grade 1 for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Âme Sombre Grade 1?

Âme Sombre Grade 1 lasts longest (Âme Sombre Grade 1 80/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Âme Sombre Grade 1?

Âme Sombre Grade 1 projects furthest (Âme Sombre Grade 1 70/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Âme Sombre Grade 1 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 50% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and smoky accords. Common notes include Incense, Beeswax and Patchouli.

Is Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Âme Sombre Grade 1 better for summer or winter?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased suits evening wear; Âme Sombre Grade 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Âme Sombre Grade 1?

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. Âme Sombre Grade 1 has top notes of Incense, Rose and Saffron, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Amber, Honey and Jasmine, a base of Tobacco, White Amber, Indian Oud and Beeswax.