Fragrance comparison

Old Books vs Al Bashiq

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 203 ratings analysed

Old Books

The Perfumer's Story by Azzi

4.2326 votes

Rank #42,046 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

66%scent match

Closely related

6 wins

Al Bashiq

Nabeel

4.14177 votes

Rank #3,842 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Al Bashiq takes 6 of 7 categories.

Old Books
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Al Bashiq
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Old Books1/7

Al Bashiq6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Old BooksThe Perfumer's Story by Azzi

Al BashiqNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 12%Had 2%Want 86%

4.14/ 5 · 177 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

Category winnerAl BashiqRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

62%Love

15%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

56%Love

23%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

177 votes

Category winnerAl BashiqMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAl Bashiq

SillageAl Bashiq

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value78

Category winnerAl BashiqBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody90%

warm spicy80%

balsamic70%

aromatic60%

patchouli50%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

Scent match66%Closely related · both amber, woody and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

PatchouliIncenseOlibanumCedarMyrrhAmberVetiverelemi

No top / heart / base split published

Top

LeatherIncenseCypressStyraxSaffronCardamomLavenderArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)MyrrhBalsamic NotesEarthy NotesGuaiac WoodOlibanumLabdanumCedar

Base

VetiverAmberTobaccoTolu BalsamBenzoinPatchouliSweet NotesAmbergris

InformationalShared notesPatchouli, Incense, Olibanum and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring54

Summer31

Fall100

Winter92

Day100

Night78

Spring32

Summer14

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerOld BooksMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men63

Unisex31

Women6

Men82

Unisex13

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,046

PerfumerAzzi Glasser

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#3,842

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerAl BashiqHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Old Books by The Perfumer's Story by Azzi captures the scent of aged paper and library quiet. It centers on frankincense and rich myrrh, wrapping the wearer in a dry, woody cocoon. This fragrance is designed for quiet autumn afternoons spent reading by a window.

Reviews →

Al Bashiq by Nabeel delivers a heavy dose of leather, dark resins, and bitter almond. It is a bold, cold weather scent that cuts through freezing air, pairing best with heavy wool coats or leather jackets during winter nights.

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, Old Books or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq takes 6 of 7 categories. Old Books is rated 4.23/5 from 26 votes; Al Bashiq is rated 4.14/5 from 177 votes. Choose Old Books for a amber and woody character. Wins on versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Al Bashiq for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Old Books or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq lasts longest (Al Bashiq 82/100, Old Books 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Old Books or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq projects furthest (Al Bashiq 75/100, Old Books 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Old Books and Al Bashiq smell similar?

Closely related: a 66% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Patchouli, Incense, Olibanum and Cedar.

Is Old Books or Al Bashiq better for summer or winter?

For summer, Old Books is the stronger pick. For winter, Al Bashiq is the stronger pick. Old Books suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Old Books and Al Bashiq?

Old Books features Patchouli, Incense, Olibanum, Cedar and Myrrh. Al Bashiq has top notes of Leather, Incense, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh, Balsamic Notes and Earthy Notes, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Tobacco and Tolu Balsam.