Fragrance comparison

Handbook For The Recently Deceased vs Preja Buja

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 31 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

2 wins

Preja Buja

Acqua di Biella

3.4022 votes

Rank #22,000 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Preja Buja takes 2 of 3 categories.

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

Handbook For The Recently Deceased1/3

Preja Buja2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Handbook For The Recently DeceasedDS&Durga

Preja BujaAcqua di Biella

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

2.78/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 8%Had 1%Want 91%

3.40/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 8%Had 0%Want 92%

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

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate44

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage52

♥ Love / hate71

Category winners

LongevityHandbook For The Recently Deceased

SillagePreja Buja

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

smoky84%

beeswax77%

balsamic69%

warm spicy61%

amber100%

woody92%

musky84%

balsamic77%

warm spicy69%

powdery61%

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

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

AngelicaArtemisiaCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart

MyrrhIncenseYlang-Ylang

Base

PatchouliAgarwood (Oud)Cashmere WoodAmberMusk

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

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

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

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,052

PerfumerDavid Seth Moltz

Launched2021

Reviews7

Overall rank#22,000

PerfumerMaurizio Cerizza

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerPreja BujaHigher 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 →

Preja Buja by Acqua di Biella is a Woody Aromatic fragrance for women and men. Preja Buja was launched in 2016. The nose behind this fragrance is Maurizio Cerizza. Top notes are Angelica, Artemisia and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha; middle notes are Myrrh, Incense and Ylang-Ylang; base notes are Patchouli, Agarwood (Oud),…

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 Preja Buja?

Preja Buja takes 2 of 3 categories. Handbook For The Recently Deceased is rated 2.78/5 from 9 votes; Preja Buja is rated 3.40/5 from 22 votes. Choose Handbook For The Recently Deceased for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Preja Buja for a amber and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Preja Buja?

Handbook For The Recently Deceased lasts longest (Handbook For The Recently Deceased 73/100, Preja Buja 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Handbook For The Recently Deceased or Preja Buja?

Projection is very close: Preja Buja 52/100, Handbook For The Recently Deceased 50/100 for sillage.

Do Handbook For The Recently Deceased and Preja Buja smell similar?

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

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

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

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

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. Preja Buja has top notes of Angelica, Artemisia and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, heart notes of Myrrh, Incense and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Patchouli, Agarwood (Oud), Cashmere Wood and Amber.