Fragrance comparison

Handbook For The Recently Deceased vs Mellis

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 133 ratings analysed

Handbook For The Recently Deceased

DS&Durga · 2021

2.789 votes

Rank #23,052 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Mellis

Annette Neuffer

4.04124 votes

Rank #4,513 Warm SpicyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mellis takes 4 of 4 categories.

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

Handbook For The Recently Deceased0/4

Mellis4/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

MellisAnnette Neuffer

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

4.04/ 5 · 124 votes

Have 12%Had 12%Want 77%

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

33%Love

47%Like

20%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityMellis

SillageMellis

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value61

Category winnerMellisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

warm spicy100%

citrus92%

vanilla84%

woody77%

sweet69%

cacao61%

Scent match26%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

Mandarin OrangeClovesCinnamonLimeBergamotPink Pepper

Heart

Turkish Rose OilRumCarnationTobaccoArtemisiaJasmine

Base

BeeswaxCacao PodTahitian VanillaBenzoinPatchouliTonka BeanSandalwood

InformationalShared notesArtemisia, 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

Spring50

Summer13

Fall100

Winter88

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%

Men17

Unisex67

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Overall rank#4,513

PerfumerAnnette Neuffer

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerMellisHigher 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 →

Mellis by Annette Neuffer is a Oriental Spicy fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Annette Neuffer. Top notes are Mandarin Orange, Cloves, Cinnamon, Lime, Bergamot and Pink Pepper; middle notes are Turkish Rose Oil, Rum, Carnation, Tobacco, Artemisia and Jasmine; base notes are Beeswax, Cacao…

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 Mellis?

Mellis takes 4 of 4 categories. Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes; Mellis is rated 4.04/5 from 124 votes. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Mellis for a warm spicy and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

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

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

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

Mellis projects furthest (Mellis 73/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Mellis smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Artemisia, Beeswax and Patchouli.

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

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

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

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. Mellis has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Cloves, Cinnamon and Lime, heart notes of Turkish Rose Oil, Rum, Carnation and Tobacco, a base of Beeswax, Cacao Pod, Tahitian Vanilla and Benzoin.