Fragrance comparison

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow vs Abjar

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 95 ratings analysed

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow

Proad

4.229 votes

Rank #39,829 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,837 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories.

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow1/4

Abjar3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Standing Somewhere In The Shadow
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Abjar

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Standing Somewhere In The ShadowProad

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 14%Had 1%Want 85%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

11%Hate

9 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

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price value28

Category winnerStanding Somewhere In The ShadowBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

vanilla84%

tobacco77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

Black PepperCardamomPink Pepper

Heart2 to 3 hours

LeatherCinnamonBlack TeaDark Chocolate

Base5 to 8 hours

TobaccoVanillaPatchouliBenzoinAgarwood (Oud)CedarSandalwoodTonka Bean

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesLeather, Tobacco, Benzoin and Agarwood (Oud). Durations are only published for Standing Somewhere In The Shadow, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter75

Day33

Night100

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#39,829

PerfumerJutinat Piyaweerawong

Launched—

Reviews3

Overall rank#25,837

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbjarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow by Proad is a dark, atmospheric fragrance built around warm spices, bitter woods, and resinous sweetness. It opens with an assertive burst of black pepper, pink pepper, and cardamom that delivers an immediate medicinal, aromatic prickle. As the sharp spices settle, a rich heart of blac…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Standing Somewhere In The Shadow or Abjar?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories. Standing Somewhere In The Shadow is rated 4.22/5 from 9 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Standing Somewhere In The Shadow for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Standing Somewhere In The Shadow or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Standing Somewhere In The Shadow 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Standing Somewhere In The Shadow or Abjar?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Standing Somewhere In The Shadow 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Standing Somewhere In The Shadow and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Leather, Tobacco, Benzoin and Agarwood (Oud).

Is Standing Somewhere In The Shadow or Abjar better for summer or winter?

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Standing Somewhere In The Shadow and Abjar?

Standing Somewhere In The Shadow has top notes of Black Pepper, Cardamom and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Leather, Cinnamon, Black Tea and Dark Chocolate, a base of Tobacco, Vanilla, Patchouli and Benzoin. 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).