Shaghaf Oud Ahmar Swiss Arabian 2023 Eau de Parfum

Opening: Strong. Fruity - apple and citrus. Sweet and amber. Touch of dry woods.

During the dry down the natural fruity notes developed well. I'm getting a good blast of crisp apple, hints of a plump peach and a bright citrus backing them. The amber is really nice in here, it's warm and it's fruity. I get a touch of woodiness and it blends well into the background; helping to level out the fruity and amber sweetness. I only get a touch of soft florals notes. They add a gentle pleasant contrast.

This shares very close similarities to Haramain Amber Oud Gold Edition. I do prefer this a lot more because it's a bit fruiter and more gentle. I feel as though its the airier florals doing a good job of softening this up and adding a touch more elegance to the aroma. Really lovely.

The Swiss Arabian Shaghaf Oud line is already very hyped. It all started with this original, which went viral on social media. The subsequent releases are also very popular, especially "Shaghaf Oud Tonka | Swiss Arabian," "Shaghaf Oud Azraq (Eau de Parfum) | Swiss Arabian," and also a bit of this Ahmar. The line manages to offer great performance and stylistically comes very close to its inspirations. There is also something independent included to some extent. On top of that, there’s this really good price. These limited editions Azraq, Ahmar & Tonka are not quite as cheap as, for example, the original, but absolutely affordable. Additionally, these editions come in a niche-like elegant packaging that opens up. With this great brand from Dubai, you get a very, very good price-performance ratio.

This Ahmar was launched last year and it was quite well received. As is often the case with these fragrances from Dubai, they arrive in mainstream shops quite late, as they are initially sold out quickly and often overpriced due to the hype. Currently, there are quite a few circulating, and you can even find better prices in some cases.
The Ahmar clearly goes in the fruity Erba Pura direction. This direction has been very trendy in recent years, and the dupe market was quite full of this DNA. However, this Ahmar does not go 1:1 into that of Xerjoff's. From the very beginning, this fragrance is milder, and the musk component in the scent is by no means as overpowering. The base is also somewhat more independent and leans towards Oriental. The opening is extremely pleasant with a fruity melon-peach note, and apple comes through quickly. A great fruit mix that feels very harmonious and juicy. It also has a slightly exotic-fruity quality and quickly reminds one of Erba Pura. The fruity sweetness is simply pleasant in this fragrance. Even though vanilla & tonka are also included here, it is more of this fruit cocktail in the opening. The sweet notes become active more from the base along with sandalwood, amber, musk, a light rose note, and subtly Oriental. Even though the name suggests it, I don’t really get Oud. Overall, everything is very coherent, harmonious, and extremely pleasing. Whether man or woman, this fragrance always fits if you like this exotic-fruity direction a la Erba Pura. It is also quite versatile in terms of occasion, especially in leisure time.
Performance is really good, like most "dupes" of this well-known style. It seems to be doing well with this DNA. Here you get longevity in the double-digit range and a sillage that radiates extremely well. You will definitely stand out with this fragrance, even without overspraying.

Overall, a great option if you like these fruity notes. For me, the best fragrance with this DNA in this price category. I like it even better than the "original" from the niche department, as the title suggests.

So: Leeeeeeeeets Go
I took the opportunity to stock up on this new fragrance in Dubai. The saleswoman from Swiss Arabian told me that it is a "Limited Edition" (also stated on the packaging) and that no one at Swiss Arabian knows how long this scent will remain in the portfolio. After this information, I stocked up on 2 bottles and the matching highly concentrated perfume oil (100% alcohol-free) from Shagaf Oud Ahmar.

This is a gourmand fragrance, but it also has citrus and powdery notes. Upon spraying, you immediately smell the melon and peach from the top notes. Accompanying this is the fresh and zesty aroma of bergamot. After a while, the tonka bean and vanilla become more prominent. This gives the fragrance a pleasant sweetness without being overwhelming or intrusive. The musk note and sandalwood round off the sweet scent and make it complete.
Was there still OUD!!! Do I smell Oud??? I must admit, really only very minimally, if at all. When I sniff OUD fragrances here in Dubai, they are already too intense/strong for European noses. Therefore, while Oud may be present, it is really very minimal in my perception, as this scent comes across as rather pleasantly sweet, fruity, and powdery.

This sweet, citrusy, and powdery fragrance composition is, in my eyes, a timeless perfume with a pleasant fruitiness. It can be worn by both men and women and in any season. With this fragrance, you definitely won't offend anyone, as it is very likable and will please 9 out of 10 people.

This multifaceted scent can be sprayed on at any time, such as for business occasions, private events, celebrations, and especially for club visits and of course for dates.

This is an EdP with the usual good projection, longevity, and sillage. Since I am the type to "overspray" and always spray about 10-15 times (minimum), the longevity and sillage for me were around 10 hours :-) At some point, I also became olfactorily blind. The projection was quite decent. I noticed how people in the shopping mall looked for me or scanned the area for who was projecting so extremely when they were near me... and that lasted for several hours. My better half scolded me for always having to "overspray" and stand out. But my goodness, there are worse things than smelling good. The scent was still very noticeable on my clothes the next day. This speaks for the fragrance and its performance, as one also knows from the golden Shagaf Oud.

The red bottle signals a strong and powerful scent, yet it is actually pleasantly sweet, citrusy, and powdery. Simply a MEGA fragrance. The shape of the bottle is well-known. The packaging is very elaborate and resembles a very high-priced fragrance.

The bottle costs 200.00 AED (about 50.00 EUR) at Swiss Arabian in Dubai, while I paid 165.00 AED (about 41.00 EUR) per bottle after some haggling in the Swiss Arabian store.

Conclusion: I wouldn't be surprised if this fragrance becomes an absolute bestseller among perfume enthusiasts and like-minded individuals.

I would appreciate a trophy if you enjoyed it.

Recently, I got a few samples of Xerjoff's Erba Pura and Gold er-souked here.
More or less by chance, I also stumbled upon the Shaghaf Oud Ahmar and thought I would give it a try.
At a price of about 60 EUR, I considered a blind buy justified (yes, you can rationalize anything...)

Right from the first contact with Ahmar, the strong similarity to Erba Pura was obvious.
The difference in the opening is that it is not as squeaky or piercing, but it presents an enormous density that does not come off as artificial/synthetic.

After the first few minutes, both begin to resemble each other more and more. Erba Pura is slowly moving towards the heart note and comes across a bit lighter, while the Ahmar holds on to its fruity density and takes a bit more time before presenting us with the heart note. However, a very light and subtle rose emerges, nestled within the fruit compote. This continues to resonate in the background, while Erba Pura remains distinctly linear in this phase, simply staying fruity.

Towards the end, the Ahmar becomes softer, losing hardly any of its previously mentioned density, which is likely due to the woods that are completely absent in Erba Pura. In contrast, Erba Pura becomes a bit fresher and cooler in the final stage.

So, what about the longevity/sillage?
Well, if Erba Pura is said to be a beast mode fragrance, then Ahmar is Armageddon.
So far, I haven't dared to apply more than two sprays of Ahmar.
And don't be fooled if you can "barely" perceive the scent after a relatively short time. Even after several hours, the fragrance remains enveloping and radiates!

You can think what you want about clones. My respect goes to Xerjoff's Erba Pura, without which this one surely wouldn't exist today. Still, what Swiss Arabian delivers here is great. By far the best clone on the market that impresses with quality and also brings in some of its own ideas.

And here we have another Erba Pura dupe.
Yes, the original is popular, but many also hate it.
But overall, it is a fragrance that one should know.
Do we really need another one? Aren't 5-6 alternatives enough?

So, one thing upfront: of all the dupes I have tested or owned over the years, Shaghaf Oud Ahmar is by far the best.
Even when I compare it to my previous favorite, the "Amber Oud Gold Edition | Al Haramain / الحرمين," it is clearly better.
It smells less synthetic compared to Al Haramain.
It has fewer rough edges,
is more floral, thus also a bit more feminine, and that synthetic shower gel note that Al Haramain has is almost completely absent here.

But without further comparison, I’ll dive right into the scent.
It starts off quite alcoholic.
So, when you first spray it, don’t go right in with your nose, or you might feel a bit nauseous.
But that doesn’t last even a minute.
Then the alcohol fades away, and you perceive a fruit cocktail similar to what you know from the original.
Peach and melon are the most prominent to me, supported by a freshness that prevents the scent from drifting too much into sweetness.

In the dry down, I perceive floral notes in the background; which notes they are is hard to say.
I can only recognize that there is something floral.
It could be rose, but the fruity notes are so overwhelmingly present that everything in the background is hard to discern.
Over time, I also notice apple, which makes the scent feel even fruitier.
Despite its fruity sweetness, Shaghaf Oud Ahmar always gives off a clean vibe.
This probably comes from the musk, which isn’t really present but somehow makes the scent appear clean.

It also becomes creamy towards the end, thanks to the tonka bean and sandalwood.
It leaves a very fruity, sweet, slightly clean, floral cloud that envelops you and strongly reminds one of Erba Pura.
The oud that many perceive here, I must say I don’t smell at all.

It’s a feel-good fragrance that can be worn effortlessly in any season, including summer.
In the cold winter, it might not be optimal, but otherwise, it’s top-notch.
A bit more feminine than the other dupes, as mentioned at the beginning, but still very wearable for men.

The performance is quite okay.
Many have rated the sillage and longevity as 10, but I don’t see it that high.
But I’ve only had it for a few months.
My "Amber Oud Gold Edition | Al Haramain / الحرمين" was also rather moderate in performance at first, and after a year, it became a beast.
I can imagine that the Swiss Arabian will become just as strong, as it already performs above average.
However, compared to "Shaghaf Oud / شغف عود (Eau de Parfum) | Swiss Arabian," "Shaghaf Oud Azraq (Eau de Parfum) | Swiss Arabian," or "Shaghaf Oud Tonka | Swiss Arabian," it lags a bit behind in terms of performance.
For summer, though, the projection and longevity are more than respectable.

My conclusion: if you already have one of the countless EP dupes, then you don’t need this one. But if you want the best quality and as little synthetics as possible, then you should get rid of your "Ana Abiyedh / آنا أبيض (Eau de Parfum) | Lattafa / لطافة" and whatever else they are called and get the "Shaghaf Oud Ahmar (Eau de Parfum) | Swiss Arabian."
You won’t regret it.
If you don’t like EP at all, then you should definitely pass on this one.