Fragrance comparison

Papilio vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 117 ratings analysed

3 wins

Papilio

Puredistance

3.93103 votes

Rank #16,794 WoodyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #46,179 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Papilio takes 3 of 5 categories.

Papilio
Choose it for a woody and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Papilio3/5

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute2/5

Ratings & consensus: Papilio
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Papilio
Sillage & projection: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Papilio

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PapilioPuredistance

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.93/ 5 · 103 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerPapilioRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

27%Like

13%Ok

16%Dislike

2%Hate

103 votes

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityPapilio

SillageAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value19

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

floral92%

amber84%

citrus77%

powdery69%

leather61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both citrus and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Bergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

MagnoliaHedioneOrrisNeroliHeliotropeLily of the ValleyCarrot

Base8-10 hrs

CedarVetiverAmbroxanPeachAmbretteMuscenoneAmyrisOpoponax

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesNeroli, Heliotrope, Lily of the Valley and Cedar. Durations are only published for Papilio, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer45

Fall100

Winter63

Day100

Night84

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex33

Women56

Work 35%Casual 30%Date 27%Party 9%

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,794

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#46,179

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPapilioHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Puredistance Papilio opens with a bright flash of crisp bergamot that quickly yields to soft magnolia petals and earthy carrot seed. It is not a loud floral. Instead, silky orris and breezy hedione float over a grounded base of cedar, smooth vetiver, and warm opoponax. A subtle touch of ripe peach adds gentle sweetnes…

Reviews →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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, Papilio or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Papilio takes 3 of 5 categories. Papilio is rated 3.93/5 from 103 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Papilio for a woody and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Papilio or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

They last about the same: Papilio 67/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Papilio or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute projects furthest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100, Papilio 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Papilio and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus and woody accords. Common notes include Neroli, Heliotrope, Lily of the Valley and Cedar.

Is Papilio or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

Papilio suits daytime wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Papilio and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Papilio has top notes of Bergamot, heart notes of Magnolia, Hedione, Orris and Neroli, a base of Cedar, Vetiver, Ambroxan and Peach. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.