Fragrance comparison

Novel vs Abjar

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 107 ratings analysed

Novel

ALT. Fragrances

4.5221 votes

Rank #19,275 WoodyVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #23,931 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 3 of 5 categories.

Novel
Choose it for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Novel2/5

Abjar3/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

NovelALT. Fragrances

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.52/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 46%Had 1%Want 53%

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

57%Love

38%Like

5%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

21 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

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate88

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value28

Category winnerNovelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

vanilla83%

powdery65%

fresh spicy48%

sweet30%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Vanilla

Heart

CedarPepper

Base

Woody NotesTonka Bean

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesPepper and Woody Notes. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring8

Summer0

Fall100

Winter92

Day73

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex78

Women6

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#19,275

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#23,931

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerNovelHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Novel by ALT. Fragrances is a Oriental Vanilla fragrance for women and men. Top note is Vanilla; middle notes are Cedar and Pepper; base notes are Woody Notes and Tonka Bean.

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, Novel or Abjar?

Abjar takes 3 of 5 categories. Novel is rated 4.52/5 from 21 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Novel for a woody and vanilla character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Novel or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Novel 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Novel or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Novel 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Novel and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Pepper and Woody Notes.

Is Novel or Abjar better for summer or winter?

Novel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Novel and Abjar?

Novel has top notes of Vanilla, heart notes of Cedar and Pepper, a base of Woody Notes and Tonka Bean. 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).