Fragrance comparison

Inception vs Abjar

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 147 ratings analysed

Inception

Maori Collection

4.0261 votes

Rank #34,808 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,258 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Inception
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Inception2/7

Abjar5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InceptionMaori Collection

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.02/ 5 · 61 votes

Have 50%Had 18%Want 33%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

30%Love

52%Like

8%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

61 votes

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value28

Category winnerInceptionBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody83%

warm spicy65%

fresh spicy48%

animalic30%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both amber, woody and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

AmberWoody NotesPepperCloves

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesAmber, Woody Notes and Pepper. Durations are only published for Inception, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring69

Summer31

Fall100

Winter85

Day100

Night82

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerInceptionMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex71

Women14

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,808

PerfumerPaolo Terenzi

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,258

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbjarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Inception by Maori Collection delivers a focused woody spicy scent centered on a robust amber foundation. The fragrance opens with a sharp burst of pepper and aromatic cloves, bringing an immediate punch of fresh spicy energy that quickly settles into the skin. As the heat of the spices mellows, dry woody notes emerge…

Reviews →

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

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, Inception or Abjar?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Inception is rated 4.02/5 from 61 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Inception for a amber and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Inception or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Inception 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Inception or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Inception 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Inception and Abjar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and animalic accords. Common notes include Amber, Woody Notes and Pepper.

Is Inception or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Inception is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Inception suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Inception and Abjar?

Inception features Amber, Woody Notes, Pepper and Cloves. Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud).