Fragrance comparison

Northman vs Al Lail

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 70 ratings analysed

3 wins

Northman

Alexander

4.5016 votes

Rank #41,613 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Al Lail

Sultan Pasha Attars

3.9354 votes

Rank #10,685 AnimalicMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Northman takes 3 of 5 categories.

Northman
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Al Lail
Choose it for a animalic and musky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Northman3/5

Al Lail2/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NorthmanAlexander

Al LailSultan Pasha Attars

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.50/ 5 · 16 votes

Have 22%Had 4%Want 74%

3.93/ 5 · 54 votes

Have 31%Had 9%Want 60%

Category winnerNorthmanRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

63%Love

25%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

65%Love

8%Like

8%Ok

16%Dislike

3%Hate

37 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityNorthman

SillageNorthman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value44

¤ Price value46

Category winnerAl LailBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

smoky61%

animalic100%

musky92%

citrus84%

amber77%

white floral69%

powdery61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AbsintheIncenseLime

Heart

SaffronPatchouliRose

Base

Woody NotesTolu BalsamLabdanumVanila

Top

LemonRoseSweet OrangeAbsintheLime

Heart

BeeswaxPeachOrange BlossomJasmineBulgarian Rose

Base

CivetMuskAnimal notesPatchouliSiam BenzoinSandalwoodOpoponaxAmbergris

InformationalShared notesAbsinthe, Lime, Patchouli 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

Spring27

Summer18

Fall100

Winter100

Day70

Night100

Spring100

Summer30

Fall70

Winter100

Day71

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men95

Unisex5

Women0

Men43

Unisex29

Women29

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#41,613

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#10,685

PerfumerSultan Pasha

Launched—

Reviews20

Category winnerAl LailHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Northman is a smoky amber woods scent with a sharp, herbal opening. You get absinthe and incense first, lifted by a squeeze of lime, then a warm heart of saffron with earthy patchouli and a darker rose tone. In the dry-down it turns resinous and cosy, with labdanum, balsams, woods and a soft vanilla glow. It often rea…

Reviews →

Al Lail by Sultan Pasha Attars is a complex, animalic floral that captures the humid, night-blooming beauty of jasmine. With a rich base of civet, patchouli, and benzoin, this 2016 release demands respect from fans of vintage, indolic perfumes. It performs beautifully on skin during cool, crisp autumn evenings when th…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Northman or Al Lail?

Northman takes 3 of 5 categories. Northman is rated 4.50/5 from 16 votes; Al Lail is rated 3.93/5 from 54 votes. Choose Northman for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Al Lail for a animalic and musky character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Northman or Al Lail?

Northman lasts longest (Northman 89/100, Al Lail 77/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Northman or Al Lail?

Northman projects furthest (Northman 75/100, Al Lail 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Northman and Al Lail smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Absinthe, Lime, Patchouli and Rose.

Is Northman or Al Lail better for summer or winter?

Northman suits evening wear; Al Lail suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Northman and Al Lail?

Northman has top notes of Absinthe, Incense and Lime, heart notes of Saffron, Patchouli and Rose, a base of Woody Notes, Tolu Balsam, Labdanum and Vanila. Al Lail has top notes of Lemon, Rose, Sweet Orange and Absinthe, heart notes of Beeswax, Peach, Orange Blossom and Jasmine, a base of Civet, Musk, Animal notes and Patchouli.