Fragrance comparison

Meydan vs Valero

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 697 ratings analysed

5 wins

Meydan

The Spirit of Dubai

4.48471 votes

Rank #23,750 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

52%scent match

Some overlap

Valero

Parfums de Marly

3.01226 votes

Rank #18,073 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Meydan takes 5 of 7 categories.

Meydan
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Valero
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Meydan5/7

Valero2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MeydanThe Spirit of Dubai

ValeroParfums de Marly

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.48/ 5 · 471 votes

Have 84%Had 16%Want 0%

3.01/ 5 · 226 votes

Have 23%Had 6%Want 71%

Category winnerMeydanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

69%Love

19%Like

5%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

471 votes

23%Love

23%Like

17%Ok

8%Dislike

29%Hate

226 votes

Category winnerMeydanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate50

Category winners

LongevityMeydan

SillageMeydan

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value10

Category winnerMeydanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

amber61%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic90%

woody80%

citrus70%

lavender60%

warm spicy50%

Scent match52%Some overlap · both woody, fresh spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronLavenderCypressStyraxCardamomNutmegBergamotArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)TobaccoGeraniumCedarCashmeranLily-of-the-ValleyLabdanumJasmine

Base

LeatherPatchouliVetiverMuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinSandalwoodAmber

Top15-30 mins

CitronBergamotJuniper

Heart2-4 hrs

LavenderGeraniumNutmegCypress

Base6-8+ hrs

Ambrox SuperPatchouliSandalwood

InformationalShared notesLavender, Cypress, Nutmeg and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Valero, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring65

Summer28

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer97

Fall74

Winter28

Day100

Night37

Category winnerValeroMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex17

Women2

Men80

Unisex13

Women7

Casual 38%Work 34%Date 17%Party 11%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,750

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,073

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews93

Category winnerValeroHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Meydan opens with a sharp burst of green cypress, bitter artemisia, and medicinal saffron that immediately signals an uncompromising Arabian leather scent. As the top notes quiet down, dark tobacco and smoky agarwood emerge alongside a spicy geranium heart. The base settles into a heavy, dark leather wrapped in patcho…

Reviews →

Valero by Parfums de Marly hits skin with an immediate snap of tart citron, crisp bergamot, and chilled juniper berries. The first two minutes bring a fast solvent lift before aromatic lavender, nutmeg, and dry cypress take over the heart. It smells undeniably clean. Think of an upscale barbershop shave cream infused …

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, Meydan or Valero?

Meydan takes 5 of 7 categories. Meydan is rated 4.48/5 from 471 votes; Valero is rated 3.01/5 from 226 votes. Choose Meydan for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Valero for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Meydan or Valero?

Meydan lasts longest (Meydan 88/100, Valero 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Meydan or Valero?

Meydan projects furthest (Meydan 80/100, Valero 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Meydan and Valero smell similar?

Some overlap: a 52% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Cypress, Nutmeg and Bergamot.

Is Meydan or Valero better for summer or winter?

For summer, Valero is the stronger pick. For winter, Meydan is the stronger pick. Valero suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Meydan and Valero?

Meydan has top notes of Saffron, Lavender, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Tobacco, Geranium and Cedar, a base of Leather, Patchouli, Vetiver and Musk. Valero has top notes of Citron, Bergamot and Juniper, heart notes of Lavender, Geranium, Nutmeg and Cypress, a base of Ambrox Super, Patchouli and Sandalwood.