Fragrance comparison

Oud vs Quintessence (2015)

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 190 ratings analysed

Oud

The Spirit of Dubai

4.22160 votes

Rank #24,328 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Quintessence (2015)

Manos Gerakinis

4.3730 votes

Rank #33,957 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Quintessence (2015) takes 4 of 7 categories.

Oud
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Quintessence (2015)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Oud3/7

Quintessence (2015)4/7

Ratings & consensus: Quintessence (2015)
Community sentiment: Quintessence (2015)
Longevity: Oud
Sillage & projection: Oud
Value for money: Quintessence (2015)
Versatility: Quintessence (2015)
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

OudThe Spirit of Dubai

Quintessence (2015)Manos Gerakinis

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

4.37/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 23%Had 10%Want 68%

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

160 votes

63%Love

23%Like

3%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

30 votes

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityOud

SillageOud

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value40

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

oud92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

warm spicy100%

amber86%

vanilla72%

fresh spicy58%

metallic44%

oud30%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both warm spicy, amber and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

SaffronPineappleLimePineBlack PepperDamask RoseIncenseCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)JasmineGuaiac WoodResinsOlibanumRed RoseRoseEarthy Notes

Base

Indian OudPatchouliSandalwoodLeatherCedarWoodsy NotesAmbergrisTobacco

Top15-30 mins

SaffronBlack PepperCloves

Heart2-4 hrs

Agarwood (Oud)WormwoodPatchouliCedar

Base6-10+ hrs

BenzoinVanillaAmber

InformationalShared notesSaffron, Black Pepper, Agarwood (Oud) and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Quintessence (2015), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer33

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer13

Fall88

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Category winnerQuintessence (2015)Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

Men60

Unisex40

Women0

Date 36%Work 29%Casual 25%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,328

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#33,957

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerOudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Spirit of Dubai Oud opens with a sharp burst of bitter lime, pungent saffron, and prickly black pepper before dropping straight into dense Indian agarwood. The wood here smells raw and medicinal at first, heavily saturated with dark leather, smoky incense, and dry cypriol oil. As the initial sharpness burns off, s…

Reviews →

Quintessence (2015) hits your skin with immediate warmth. A dry crackle of black pepper and clove blooms first, lifted by an earthy thread of saffron. The opening smells bold. Give it ten minutes. Once the sharp spice settles, dark cedarwood and bitter wormwood emerge alongside a mellow agarwood accord that never turn…

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, Oud or Quintessence (2015)?

Quintessence (2015) takes 4 of 7 categories. Oud is rated 4.22/5 from 160 votes; Quintessence (2015) is rated 4.37/5 from 30 votes. Choose Oud for a woody and oud character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Quintessence (2015) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Oud or Quintessence (2015)?

Oud lasts longest (Oud 86/100, Quintessence (2015) 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oud or Quintessence (2015)?

Oud projects furthest (Oud 78/100, Quintessence (2015) 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Oud and Quintessence (2015) smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, amber and oud accords. Common notes include Saffron, Black Pepper, Agarwood (Oud) and Patchouli.

Is Oud or Quintessence (2015) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Oud is the stronger pick. For winter, Oud is the stronger pick. Quintessence (2015) suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oud and Quintessence (2015)?

Oud has top notes of Saffron, Pineapple, Lime and Pine, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Jasmine, Guaiac Wood and Resins, a base of Indian Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Leather. Quintessence (2015) has top notes of Saffron, Black Pepper and Cloves, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Wormwood, Patchouli and Cedar, a base of Benzoin, Vanilla and Amber.