Blog 

Round 89 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle brings back a familiar name in a stronger form. Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos defends a run of thirty-four straight wins, the longest reign the tournament has seen. Its challenger is Mancera Intense Cedrat Boise, the 2021 concentrated take on the citrus-woody Cedrat Boise that Naxos already beat in Round 57.

This time Mancera arrives with more weight: leather, Cambodian oud and white sandalwood under the bright Sicilian citrus. It is a fresh-meets-dark scent against a warm honey-tobacco one, so the two could hardly be more different in style. Both Fragrantica and Parfumo were reachable today, so the full five-part scoring formula is in use.

The tale of the tape

Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos: the champion

Naxos belongs to the Xerjoff 1861 collection, created for the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and dedicated to Sicily. It opens with lavender, bergamot and lemon. The heart brings honey, cinnamon and jasmine sambac over soft cashmere wood, and the dry-down of tobacco leaf, tonka bean and vanilla stays warm and creamy without turning sticky.

Fragrantica voters name sweet, honey, vanilla, lavender and tobacco as its main accords, and Parfumo still ranks it first among all unisex perfumes.

Community scores: Fragrantica 4.49/5 from 21,394 votes. Parfumo: Scent 8.9/10 from 13,978 ratings, Longevity 8.8, Sillage 8.5, Bottle 9.1, Value for money 7.6.

Mancera Intense Cedrat Boise: the challenger

Intense Cedrat Boise was launched by Mancera in 2021 as a deeper version of the original Cedrat Boise from 2011. Mancera does not credit a perfumer for it on either Fragrantica or Parfumo. Fragrantica classes it as an oriental woody fragrance and lists it for men; Parfumo lists it for women and men and ranks it 302nd among unisex perfumes.

Fragrantica lists Sicilian citruses, black currant and spices in the top; leather, white sandalwood, Cambodian oud, patchouli leaf and jasmine in the heart; and oakmoss, ambergris, white musk and vanilla in the base. Voters pick woody, citrus, animalic, warm spicy, leather and fruity as its main accords. In practice it opens bright and juicy, like the original, then turns darker and drier as the leather and oud come through, with oakmoss and ambergris giving the base a slightly rugged, mossy edge.

Community scores: Fragrantica 4.30/5 from 4,180 votes. Parfumo: Scent 7.9/10 from 891 ratings, Longevity 8.0, Sillage 7.7, Bottle 7.7, Value for money 7.8.

Head to head

Scent quality. Naxos leads, 4.49 against 4.30 on Fragrantica and 8.9 against 7.9 on Parfumo. The Fragrantica gap is modest, which shows how well liked Intense Cedrat Boise is, but on Parfumo Naxos is a full point ahead and has more than fifteen times as many ratings.

Performance. Naxos takes both. Parfumo users rate its longevity 8.8 against 8.0, and its sillage 8.5 against 7.7. Intense Cedrat Boise is still a solid performer, clearly stronger than many fresh citrus scents, but Naxos lasts longer and projects further.

Value. The one category the challenger wins. Parfumo users score the value for money of Intense Cedrat Boise at 7.8, against 7.6 for Naxos. At AlHimyan it also comes in the larger bottle, 120 ml against 100 ml.

Presentation. Naxos, 9.1 against 7.7. The honeycomb-gold Xerjoff bottle remains one of the most admired in niche perfumery; the Mancera flacon is simple and solid. Bottle scores are shown for context only and are not part of the formula.

The verdict

Winner: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos. The champion takes its thirty-fifth consecutive round with a margin of 0.55. Intense Cedrat Boise did better than the original did in Round 57 and won the value category outright, but the community vote and performance decided the round.

A note on method. Fragrantica and Parfumo ratings for both perfumes were read on 14 October 2026. Fragrantica scores are converted to a 10-point scale. Longevity, sillage and value for money come from Parfumo community bars for both perfumes.

Which one should you buy?

Buy Naxos if you want a honey-tobacco scent with lavender freshness on top, a crowd favourite that lasts all day and night and works for both men and women.

Buy Intense Cedrat Boise if you like fresh citrus openings but want more depth behind them: juicy citrus and black currant at first, then leather, oud and moss. It is the easier choice for daytime, and the larger 120 ml bottle makes it a strong everyday option.

How to wear them in the UAE

Naxos is rich, so go light. Two sprays, one on the neck and one on the chest or the kandura collar, suit cool evenings, air-conditioned majlis gatherings and the winter months from November onwards.

Intense Cedrat Boise is more flexible in the heat. Its citrus top makes it wearable in the daytime and at the office, and three sprays are fine. The leather and oud in the heart also sit well next to traditional oud, so it can carry from a work day into an evening gathering.

Frequently asked questions

What does Mancera Intense Cedrat Boise smell like? Bright citrus and black currant at the start, then leather, white sandalwood and Cambodian oud, drying down to oakmoss, ambergris, white musk and vanilla.

How is it different from the original Cedrat Boise? The original is a fresher citrus-woody scent. The Intense version adds leather, oud and a darker mossy base, so it feels warmer and heavier.

When was it released, and who made it? In 2021, by the French house Mancera. Mancera does not credit a perfumer for it.

Is Intense Cedrat Boise long-lasting? Yes. Parfumo users rate its longevity 8.0 out of 10 and its sillage 7.7.

Is it for men or women? Fragrantica lists it for men, Parfumo for women and men, and AlHimyan sells it as unisex. Its leather and oud lean masculine, but the citrus and vanilla make it easy to share.

Where can I buy them in the UAE? Shop both at AlHimyan: Xerjoff XJ 1861 Naxos Eau de Parfum 100 ml and Mancera Cedrat Boise Intense Eau de Parfum 120 ml.

Next round

Naxos has now won thirty-five rounds in a row. A new challenger steps up next time. Follow the Perfume Battle on the AlHimyan blog and on Instagram to see who finally ends the reign.