Fragrance comparison

Istanbul's Soul vs Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 205 ratings analysed

4 wins

Istanbul's Soul

Alghabra Parfums

3.74146 votes

Rank #7,684 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil

Gucci

4.1259 votes

Rank #14,614 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Istanbul's Soul takes 4 of 7 categories.

Istanbul's Soul
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Istanbul's Soul4/7

Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil3/7

Ratings & consensus: Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil
Community sentiment: Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil
Longevity: Istanbul's Soul
Sillage & projection: Istanbul's Soul
Value for money: Istanbul's Soul
Versatility: Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Istanbul's Soul

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Istanbul's SoulAlghabra Parfums

Ode on Melancholy Perfume OilGucci

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.74/ 5 · 146 votes

Have 30%Had 10%Want 60%

4.12/ 5 · 59 votes

Have 18%Had 3%Want 79%

Category winnerOde on Melancholy Perfume OilRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

42%Love

29%Like

10%Ok

17%Dislike

2%Hate

100 votes

53%Love

24%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

59 votes

Category winnerOde on Melancholy Perfume OilMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIstanbul's Soul

SillageIstanbul's Soul

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value21

Category winnerIstanbul's SoulBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber90%

warm spicy80%

balsamic70%

earthy60%

patchouli50%

woody100%

earthy83%

powdery65%

warm spicy48%

patchouli30%

Scent match55%Closely related · both woody, earthy and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Spicy NotesIncensePepperGeranium

Heart

PatchouliCypriol Oil or NagarmothaCedar

Base

AmberGuaiac WoodTonka BeanBenzoinSandalwood

Notes

Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaCedarSandalwoodPatchouli

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesPatchouli, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Cedar and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring39

Summer18

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring59

Summer41

Fall100

Winter65

Day100

Night100

Category winnerOde on Melancholy Perfume OilMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men59

Unisex36

Women5

Men50

Unisex43

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#7,684

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#14,614

PerfumerAlberto Morillas

Launched—

Reviews7

Category winnerIstanbul's SoulHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Istanbul's Soul by Alghabra Parfums is a Woody Spicy fragrance for women and men. Istanbul's Soul was launched in 2019. Top notes are Spicy Notes, Incense, Pepper and Geranium; middle notes are Patchouli, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Cedar; base notes are Amber, Guaiac Wood, Tonka Bean, Benzoin and Sandalwood.

Reviews →

Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil by Gucci presents a quiet, meditative blend built entirely around shaded woods and dry earth. Instead of bright citrus top notes or sweet fruit, it opens directly with smoky cypriol oil and dark cedar. Creamy sandalwood smooths out the edges, introducing a fine powdery texture that keeps …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Parfum de FĂT FRUMOS (Prince Charming)B.A.S.M. by Createur 5 D’EmotionsWINNER vs

Heritage ManNabeelRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Dunhill EditionAlfred DunhillRUNNER-UP vs

Boss SportHugo BossWINNER

1 person compared this today

Champaca HeadspaceHeadspaceWINNER vs

Sweet Amoris Сладкий ФлиртOsmoGenes PerfumesRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Ho Hang ClubBalenciagaWINNER vs

Jil Sander Man IIIJil SanderRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Istanbul's Soul or Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil?

Istanbul's Soul takes 4 of 7 categories. Istanbul's Soul is rated 3.74/5 from 146 votes; Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil is rated 4.12/5 from 59 votes. Choose Istanbul's Soul for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil for a woody and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Istanbul's Soul or Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil?

Istanbul's Soul lasts longest (Istanbul's Soul 85/100, Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Istanbul's Soul or Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil?

Istanbul's Soul projects furthest (Istanbul's Soul 74/100, Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Istanbul's Soul and Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, earthy and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Cedar and Sandalwood.

Is Istanbul's Soul or Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil is the stronger pick. For winter, Istanbul's Soul is the stronger pick. Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Istanbul's Soul and Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil?

Istanbul's Soul has top notes of Spicy Notes, Incense, Pepper and Geranium, heart notes of Patchouli, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Cedar, a base of Amber, Guaiac Wood, Tonka Bean and Benzoin. Ode on Melancholy Perfume Oil features Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Cedar, Sandalwood and Patchouli.