Khalid

خالد

Lattafa

If Khalid by Lattafa is anything, it is not: subtle.
The scent doesn't enter the room - it kicks the door down, wears suede that hasn't seen daylight in years, and generously spreads birch tar on everything that doesn't resist.

The opening is a real olfactory slap.
Smoky. Tar-like. Woody. And above all, very loud.
I smell leather, juniper, birch, and most of all: birch tar.
Not as an accent, but as a full service.
No campfire romance vibe, but rather: "I soaked my birch tar vest in an asphalt pot last night and threw it on this morning."

Khalid does not smell cheap or artificial - I’ll give him that.
The leather actually smells surprisingly realistic - but not like an Italian bespoke saddle or an English leather glove, rather like an oiled motorcycle jacket that has kissed the asphalt at 180 km/h.

After about 30 minutes, the performance calms down a bit. But that doesn't mean it becomes quiet.
Perhaps the other ingredients from the pyramid are now mixing in. But for me, this aggressive leather-tar-wood scent remains more than present in my nose.

I can understand that this scent polarizes - and is certainly a discovery for fans of rustic leather notes. But for me personally, it's too much road, too little salon.

My conclusion:
For anyone who has ever wondered what it smells like when a road worker with a passion for motorcycles undresses in a juniper grove - voilà.
Khalid delivers.
Honest. Rough. Unvarnished.
But for me: too much of a good thing.

Unfortunately, it's only a 2 out of 10 for me.
He gets an extra respect point for the skillful execution - but we two will not become friends.