Fragrance comparison

Malabar vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 10 Oct 2026 34 ratings analysed

4 wins

Malabar

House of Hautt

4.4020 votes

Rank #42,633 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

13%scent match

Clearly different

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #46,236 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Malabar takes 4 of 5 categories.

Malabar
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. 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.

Malabar4/5

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MalabarHouse of Hautt

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.40/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 51%Had 13%Want 36%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerMalabarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

5%Hate

20 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

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityMalabar

SillageMalabar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery92%

leather84%

amber77%

iris69%

vanilla61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match13%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

Pink PepperSagePomeloMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart3-4 hrs

IrisTonka BeanCedarSandalwoodCardamom

Base8-10+ hrs

LeatherSuedeVanillaAmberwoodLabdanumOakmossIncenseAmbroxan

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesCedar, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Incense. Durations are only published for Malabar, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer7

Fall100

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex14

Women0

Date 40%Party 28%Work 18%Casual 15%

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,633

PerfumerEdison Fujita

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#46,236

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMalabarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

House of Hautt Malabar is a rich woody leather fragrance with a plush, modern twist. The scent opens with a lively splash of pomelo, mandarin orange, and crushed pink pepper, quickly anchored by savory sage. As the citrus sparkle recedes, a velvety core of powdery iris, cardamom, and dry cedar takes command. In the de…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Malabar or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Malabar takes 4 of 5 categories. Malabar is rated 4.40/5 from 20 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Malabar for a woody and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. 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, Malabar or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Malabar lasts longest (Malabar 85/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Malabar or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Malabar projects furthest (Malabar 74/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Malabar and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 13% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Cedar, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Incense.

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

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

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

Malabar has top notes of Pink Pepper, Sage, Pomelo and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Iris, Tonka Bean, Cedar and Sandalwood, a base of Leather, Suede, Vanilla and Amberwood. 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.