Fragrance comparison

Samba for Men vs Haibah

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

Updated 21 Oct 2026 184 ratings analysed

Samba for Men

Perfumer's Workshop

3.78122 votes

Rank #8,992 LavenderFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Haibah

The Spirit of Dubai

4.2362 votes

Rank #27,037 OudEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Haibah takes 4 of 7 categories.

Samba for Men
Choose it for a lavender and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Haibah
Choose it for a oud and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Samba for Men3/7

Haibah4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Samba for MenPerfumer's Workshop

HaibahThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.78/ 5 · 122 votes

Have 34%Had 66%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 82%Had 18%Want 0%

Category winnerHaibahRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

32%Love

55%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

2%Hate

113 votes

65%Love

13%Like

11%Ok

3%Dislike

8%Hate

62 votes

Category winnerSamba for MenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityHaibah

SillageHaibah

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value82

¤ Price value16

Category winnerSamba for MenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

lavender100%

floral92%

woody84%

aromatic77%

citrus69%

fresh spicy61%

oud100%

earthy90%

woody80%

warm spicy70%

rose60%

amber50%

Scent match15%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LavenderBergamot

Heart

FreesiaYlang-Ylang

Base

CedarMusk

Top

Agarwood (Oud)Taif RoseSpicy NotesWoody NotesLeatherSaffronPeachApple

Heart

AmberTruffleMossIrisRoseMay RoseYlang-YlangHerbal Notes

Base

Indian OudEarthy NotesGuaiac WoodPatchouliSandalwoodCedarMusk

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Cedar and Musk. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter33

Day–

Night–

Spring64

Summer32

Fall96

Winter100

Day43

Night100

Category winnerHaibahMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men83

Unisex18

Women0

Men70

Unisex21

Women9

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#8,992

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Overall rank#27,037

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSamba for MenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Samba for Men is a fresh aromatic from 1990 with lavender, bergamot, airy florals, cedar, and musk. On skin it often reads clean, lightly woody, and spring friendly, with a soft floral lift rather than a heavy barbershop feel. Reviewers point to its understated character, good value, and easy compliments, while also …

Reviews →

Haibah by The Spirit of Dubai leads with heavy Indian agarwood, smoky leather, and a prickle of saffron. Crisp apple, pear, and bergamot attempt to lift the opening, but dark resins quickly take over the skin. Beneath the fruit, intense earthiness settles into wet moss, black truffle, and velvet May rose. Dry cedarwoo…

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, Samba for Men or Haibah?

Haibah takes 4 of 7 categories. Samba for Men is rated 3.78/5 from 122 votes; Haibah is rated 4.23/5 from 62 votes. Choose Samba for Men for a lavender and floral character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Haibah for a oud and earthy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Samba for Men or Haibah?

Haibah lasts longest (Haibah 83/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Samba for Men or Haibah?

Haibah projects furthest (Haibah 78/100, Samba for Men 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Samba for Men and Haibah smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Cedar and Musk.

Is Samba for Men or Haibah better for summer or winter?

For summer, Haibah is the stronger pick. For winter, Haibah is the stronger pick. Haibah suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Samba for Men and Haibah?

Samba for Men has top notes of Lavender and Bergamot, heart notes of Freesia and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Cedar and Musk. Haibah has top notes of Agarwood (Oud), Taif Rose, Spicy Notes and Woody Notes, heart notes of Amber, Truffle, Moss and Iris, a base of Indian Oud, Earthy Notes, Guaiac Wood and Patchouli.