Fragrance comparison

Khallab vs Istanbul IST

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 195 ratings analysed

4 wins

Khallab

Ajmal

4.33171 votes

Rank #5,014 OudCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

Istanbul IST

The Scent of Departure

3.5424 votes

Rank #55,944 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Khallab takes 4 of 5 categories.

Khallab
Choose it for a oud and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Istanbul IST
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Khallab4/5

Istanbul IST1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

KhallabAjmal

Istanbul ISTThe Scent of Departure

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 171 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

3.54/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 9%Had 16%Want 75%

Category winnerKhallabRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

54%Love

32%Like

1%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

151 votes

13%Love

58%Like

0%Ok

29%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityKhallab

SillageKhallab

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value71

¤ Price value75

Category winnerIstanbul ISTBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

oud100%

citrus86%

woody72%

rose58%

warm spicy44%

fresh spicy30%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

fruity77%

sweet69%

rose61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and rose

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Agarwood (Oud)Woodsy NotesGrapefruitSpicesRose

No top / heart / base split published

Top

SpiceselemiBergamotRed BerriesGrapefruit

Heart

LitchiRosePepperSweet NotesLotusRaspberryViolet

Base

Woodsy NotesSandalwoodCinnamonMusk

InformationalShared notesWoodsy Notes, Grapefruit, Spices and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer47

Fall100

Winter87

Day97

Night100

Spring86

Summer100

Fall71

Winter43

Day100

Night75

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men55

Unisex37

Women8

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#5,014

PerfumerNazir Ajmal

Launched—

Reviews13

Overall rank#55,944

PerfumerGerald Ghislain

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerKhallabHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Khallab by Ajmal is a bold citrus rose oud that opens bright and sharp, then settles into a warm, woody, spicy glow. The grapefruit lift keeps the early wear feeling crisp, while rose and woods add body and polish. This is the kind of scent that tends to read confident and statement making, with a strong trail and lon…

Reviews →

Istanbul IST by The Scent of Departure opens with a sharp burst of bergamot and grapefruit, layered over a warm, peppery core. It settles into a soft cedarwood base, capturing the breezy vibe of the Bosporus. It works well for casual daytime wear during warm spring months.

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, Khallab or Istanbul IST?

Khallab takes 4 of 5 categories. Khallab is rated 4.33/5 from 171 votes; Istanbul IST is rated 3.54/5 from 24 votes. Choose Khallab for a oud and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Istanbul IST for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Khallab or Istanbul IST?

Khallab lasts longest (Khallab 83/100, Istanbul IST 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Khallab or Istanbul IST?

Khallab projects furthest (Khallab 73/100, Istanbul IST 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Khallab and Istanbul IST smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and rose accords. Common notes include Woodsy Notes, Grapefruit, Spices and Rose.

Is Khallab or Istanbul IST better for summer or winter?

Khallab suits day or night wear; Istanbul IST suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Khallab and Istanbul IST?

Khallab features Agarwood (Oud), Woodsy Notes, Grapefruit, Spices and Rose. Istanbul IST has top notes of Spices, elemi, Bergamot and Red Berries, heart notes of Litchi, Rose, Pepper and Sweet Notes, a base of Woodsy Notes, Sandalwood, Cinnamon and Musk.