Qaa'ed Lattafa / لطافة 2018

◘Simplified fragrance pyramid:

Top notes: peach blossom or magnolia, slightly pungent ethereal tones

Heart notes: apricot pulp, peach zest, mango pulp, cardamom, rose geranium

Base notes: saffron extract, vegan (faux) leather, balsamic wood, chemical fixatives
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◘Range intensity (projection & sillage):
(6 out of 10) Medium. Has the aura of a new leather set.

◘Progression:
Hardly any progression. Top note barely present, except for pungent ethereal saffron impressions . Heart note quite intense, then mellowing and finally remaining as a leathery, peachy skin scent. Woody tones are then sometimes perceptible. Saffron is always more or less perceptible.

◘Duration:
8 hrs and more. In drydown clearly friendlier, creamier and more natural.

◘Flask & outer design:
Bravo, Lattafa.
Round black imitation leather box lined with anthracite velvet and embossed with logos and names. Flacon made of very heavy glass, but unfortunately framed with cheap-looking, golden plastic faux metal rim. Casket lid sits very tightly on the base. Flacon lid makes wonderful clicking sound when put on, but unfortunately sits quite loosely on spray button surround.
Very nice for the low price. The fakemetal stuff could be omitted, then the design would be much better.
The gold-orange liquid doesn't really match the outer colour of the packaging. Beige leather would have been more appropriate. The fragrance has no association with black.
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◘Description:
It is a saffron fragrance. Saffron in different facets. Real saffron is very delicate, expensive, exhausting to harvest and hardly smells intense enough to be mass produced as a perfume base. It is an attempt to mimic the effect of saffron.
In addition, Qaa'ed is also a kind of leather scent. An attempt to make a vegan leather from fruit peels, one might suppose.

One wonders when judging what the fragrance is supposed to express and what it actually expresses.
Some fragrance implementations often fail because of the components used. Here, most likely also a question of price.
Completely uncitrusy at the start, but somehow later becoming balsamic and slightly vanilla, the fragrance seems very synthetic all the time. Yes, that is, synthetic and not artificial, as I am reluctant to use the term synthetic.
Always remaining slightly sweet and nectarine in the background, the fragrance captivates with its radiant, fruity leather note.
The composition as a whole is difficult to assess.
Is it beige synthetic leather, fresh from the factory and treated with natural saffron and other substances to appear more natural, or is it a natural, sweet organic leather that has unfortunately been pimped out with synthetic apricot extract?
Or is it an attempt to create a wear-resistant vegan fruit leather from fruit peels, spices, extracts and chemical additives?
A cream-coloured chesterfield sofa in a room with apricot-coloured walls comes to mind. This represents the fragrance very well.

What I lack in leather feeling in LaYuqawam pour homme, Qaa'ed has too much of.
When I read comments and statements about LY tobacco blaze, and then tested the fragrance, a lot of things seemed wrong to me in retrospect. Just like Qaa'ed smells, that's how I imagined tobacco blaze at the time. But the tb by LaYuqawam is a 90% dupe of Shuhrah.
It's a unisex fragrance. As a woman's fragrance, I find it a bit too intense and too material. As a men's fragrance, it's not spicy enough, not adventurous enough, not action-packed enough.
In drydown / after a few hours on the skin it is very pleasant and then milder nuances of woody and skin tones unfold.

A freshly cleaned cockpit in a cream Bentley or Rolls Royce could smell like this, or an aging yacht could be spruced up with the scent to fetch a better price when selling.
◘Accasion:
Dining out, Dinner, Leisure, Cuddling, Wellness, Sunbathing

◘Season:
Mainly summer

◘Age recommendation:
all ages except the elderly or pregnant women, for whom the scent might be perceived as a little too chemical.
◘Similars & Fragrance Twins:
-

◘Associations:
vegan leather, stone fruit, leather sofa, luxury interior, yacht, handbag, fruity honey
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◘Other:
People who are exposed to chemical smells on a daily basis, or who work in a furniture store, for example, may not really notice the synthetic content. People who love natural essences and essential oils will not do themselves any favours with this fragrance.