Fragrance comparison

Nisean vs Abjar

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 665 ratings analysed

Nisean

Parfums de Marly

4.12579 votes

Rank #3,383 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #24,475 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories.

Nisean
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Nisean2/7

Abjar5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NiseanParfums de Marly

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.12/ 5 · 579 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

32%Like

9%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

579 votes

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerAbjarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value28

Category winnerNiseanBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber88%

warm spicy77%

patchouli65%

balsamic53%

earthy42%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Pink PepperLimeGrapefruit

Heart2-4 hrs

SaffronLabdanumOlibanumFlowersGeraniumRose

Base8-12 hrs

Precious WoodsPatchouli LeafAmberCedar

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesAmber. Durations are only published for Nisean, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day53

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAbjarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men82

Unisex17

Women1

Work 38%Date 32%Casual 19%Party 11%

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,383

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews82

Overall rank#24,475

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNiseanHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Parfums de Marly Nisean is a dark, dry woody amber that skips the sugary vanilla common in modern niche perfumery. The spray starts sharp. A brisk crackle of pink pepper, bitter grapefruit, and lime lifts off the skin before dense resins take over. Soon, smoky olibanum and leathery labdanum anchor the scent into a ric…

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, Nisean or Abjar?

Abjar takes 5 of 7 categories. Nisean is rated 4.12/5 from 579 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Nisean for a woody and amber character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Nisean or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Nisean 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nisean or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Nisean 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nisean and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Amber.

Is Nisean or Abjar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Nisean is the stronger pick. Nisean suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nisean and Abjar?

Nisean has top notes of Pink Pepper, Lime and Grapefruit, heart notes of Saffron, Labdanum, Olibanum and Flowers, a base of Precious Woods, Patchouli Leaf, Amber and Cedar. 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).