Fragrance comparison

Istanbul vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 22 ratings analysed

3 wins

Istanbul

Proad

4.008 votes

Rank #47,435 Warm SpicyCoffee

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #49,352 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories.

Istanbul
Choose it for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Istanbul3/4

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Istanbul
Sillage & projection: Istanbul
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Istanbul

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IstanbulProad

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 11%Had 2%Want 88%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityIstanbul

SillageIstanbul

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

coffee92%

amber84%

sweet77%

balsamic69%

musky61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both warm spicy and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

CoffeeStyraxLabdanumElemi resinIncenseSweet NotesRaspberryGingerMuskBenzoinRoseTobacco

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesIncense, Sweet Notes, Musk and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Istanbul, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer25

Fall100

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,435

PerfumerTristan Badard

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#49,352

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIstanbulHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Istanbul by Proad delivers a rich blend of roasted coffee, warm resins, and dark spices. Created by perfumer Tristan Badard, this oriental floral fragrance opens with a sharp flash of ginger paired with tart raspberry and dark coffee beans. As the initial brightness settles, the heart reveals a smooth rose note surrou…

Reviews →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Istanbul or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories. Istanbul is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Istanbul for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Istanbul or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Istanbul lasts longest (Istanbul 75/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Istanbul or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Projection is very close: Istanbul 63/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100 for sillage.

Do Istanbul and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and sweet accords. Common notes include Incense, Sweet Notes, Musk and Benzoin.

Is Istanbul or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

Istanbul suits evening wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Istanbul and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Istanbul features Coffee, Styrax, Labdanum, Elemi resin and Incense. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.