Fragrance comparison

Istanbul vs Aram

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 35 ratings analysed

3 wins

Istanbul

Proad

4.008 votes

Rank #47,435 Warm SpicyCoffee

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

Aram

Olivier Durbano

4.1927 votes

Rank #18,446 CitrusWoody

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 value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Aram
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Istanbul3/4

Aram1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

IstanbulProad

AramOlivier Durbano

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 11%Had 2%Want 88%

4.19/ 5 · 27 votes

Have 18%Had 15%Want 67%

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

37%Love

44%Like

19%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

27 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage51

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityIstanbul

SillageIstanbul

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value33

Category winnerIstanbulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

coffee92%

amber84%

sweet77%

balsamic69%

musky61%

citrus100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

amber77%

fresh spicy69%

green61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both amber

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

GrapefruitElemi resinOlibanumLabdanumArtemisia

Heart

Green TeaAmmoniaDamask RoseAcáciaTobacco

Base

VetiverCedarIncenseBenzoinMyrrh

InformationalShared notesLabdanum, Elemi resin, Incense 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

Spring92

Summer77

Fall100

Winter46

Day100

Night40

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men25

Unisex75

Women0

Men44

Unisex56

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#47,435

PerfumerTristan Badard

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#18,446

PerfumerOlivier Durbano

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerAramHigher 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 →

Olivier Durbano Aram opens with a sharp burst of grapefruit and green artemisia, backed by the resinous warmth of elemi and olibanum. As it develops on skin, a dry green tea note emerges alongside Damascus rose and tobacco, creating a quiet, contemplative atmosphere. The base settles into earthy vetiver, cedar, and sm…

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 Aram?

Istanbul takes 3 of 4 categories. Istanbul is rated 4.00/5 from 8 votes; Aram is rated 4.19/5 from 27 votes. Choose Istanbul for a warm spicy and coffee character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Aram for a citrus and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Istanbul or Aram?

Istanbul lasts longest (Istanbul 75/100, Aram 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Istanbul or Aram?

Istanbul projects furthest (Istanbul 63/100, Aram 51/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Istanbul and Aram smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Labdanum, Elemi resin, Incense and Benzoin.

Is Istanbul or Aram better for summer or winter?

Istanbul suits evening wear; Aram suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Istanbul and Aram?

Istanbul features Coffee, Styrax, Labdanum, Elemi resin and Incense. Aram has top notes of Grapefruit, Elemi resin, Olibanum and Labdanum, heart notes of Green Tea, Ammonia, Damask Rose and Acácia, a base of Vetiver, Cedar, Incense and Benzoin.