Fragrance comparison

Melody vs Abjar

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 89 ratings analysed

Melody

Marc de la Morandiere

4.003 votes

Rank #60,087 AmberPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

18%scent match

Clearly different

2 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,103 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 2 of 3 categories.

Melody
Choose it for a amber and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Melody1/3

Abjar2/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MelodyMarc de la Morandiere

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 3 votes

Have 7%Had 0%Want 93%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

33%Like

33%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

3 votes · too few to score

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageMelody

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value28

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

powdery92%

floral84%

vanilla77%

sweet69%

yellow floral61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match18%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperStyraxBergamotYlang-YlangIncenseHawthorn

Heart2-4 hrs

MimosaHoneyJasmineRoseVioletLilacSandalwoodVirginian Cedar

Base6-10 hrs

Bourbon VanillaBenzoinAmberMusk

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesStyrax, Incense, Sandalwood and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Melody, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day32

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Date 41%Party 31%Casual 15%Work 13%

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#60,087

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,103

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbjarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Melody by Marc de la Morandiere is an opulent oriental floral that opens with a brisk punch of black pepper, balsamic styrax, and smoky incense. As the sharp opening settles, the perfume reveals a warm heart of powdery mimosa, golden honey, and delicate lilac. Sandalwood and cedarwood provide an earthy, structured bac…

Reviews →

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

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, Melody or Abjar?

Abjar takes 2 of 3 categories. Melody is rated 4.00/5 from 3 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Melody for a amber and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Melody or Abjar?

They last about the same: Abjar 91/100, Melody 90/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Melody or Abjar?

Melody projects furthest (Melody 88/100, Abjar 84/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Melody and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Styrax, Incense, Sandalwood and Benzoin.

Is Melody or Abjar better for summer or winter?

Melody suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Melody and Abjar?

Melody has top notes of Black Pepper, Styrax, Bergamot and Ylang-Ylang, heart notes of Mimosa, Honey, Jasmine and Rose, a base of Bourbon Vanilla, Benzoin, Amber and Musk. Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud).