Mdln0320

Since I discovered this fragrance, I want to smell it all the time. Of course, I do, and as a result, it gets sprayed on quite often - but the scent has two faces for me.

"Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" was a blind buy, and I was sure from the start that I would love it - I really like sweet powdery scents. However, I have been bothered by something in many of them over time, which is why I have quickly become "nose-blind" to almost all powdery fragrances. Only Kenzo Amour has never become boring - but in summer, it is just too sweet.

"Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" is perfect in this regard. Sweet, but not too overwhelming, floral, but not too floral, powdery, but not dusty or outdated, and clean without that synthetic note that often bothers me. Just a caressing, very pleasant companion. I usually perceive it on my skin quite distinctly for about 5-6 hours with 2-3 sprays, and on clothing, it lasts significantly longer. For the price, that’s impressive.

When my boyfriend smelled the fragrance on me for the first time, his reaction was also positive. "Mhh, you smell good... What does that smell like? ... Smells kind of like... sea." Sea? I looked at him confused at first. "To me, it smells somewhat salty, like sea air. But I like it, it smells very good." I was fascinated; I would have never made an association with sea air. To me, there was nothing salty or aquatic detectable. Until the moment I heard those words.

Do you know that feeling when you look at a photo or listen to a song, and someone else points out a detail (like "that looks like..." or "that sounds like she’s singing (another text)"), which you wouldn’t have noticed at all - then you see/hear it too, and suddenly you only perceive that?

Well, from then on, I perceived "Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" as a fresh, salty, powdery, and only slightly sweet sea breeze. And I found that simply beautiful. Refreshing, pleasant... I close my eyes, and suddenly it feels like I’m sitting on the beach right in front of the sea with strong waves, feeling the refreshing sea air with fine saltwater droplets with every breath.
Maybe the fragrance just develops differently on my skin in the heat. The summer days are currently a bit cooler (~20°C instead of ≥30°C), and suddenly the powdery sweet vanilla that I smelled at the beginning is much stronger again.

In the meantime, I also got to know "Black Tie | Celine," and I must unfortunately say - there is no comparison between the two. I also fell in love shockingly with "Black Tie | Celine," but "Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" would not be a satisfying alternative for me if I were hoping for a scent twin to Black Tie. Ana Abiyedh Poudrée is an independent fragrance that leans in a similar direction but is miles away from Black Tie. "Black Tie | Celine" is creamier, more vanilla, sweeter, heavier, and spicier. "Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" is powderier, lighter, fluffier, more understated, and more suitable for everyday wear. For acute heat waves, it is still too sweet, but otherwise, it is quite wearable even in summer for my taste. And sometimes even with a nice fresh sea breeze... When spraying it on, it’s always a little surprise which of the two faces I perceive this time. And I enjoy both equally.

"Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" has become one of my comfort scents. And "Black Tie | Celine" has too, by the way... especially in the cooler, almost autumnal nights. What I mean is: The two are very different, but both are simply beautiful when considered on their own, and I don’t want to miss either of them anymore. But "Ana Abiyedh Poudrée | Lattafa / لطافة" is simply beautiful - especially for the price. Anyone who likes powdery scents should definitely give it a try.

Take... the best of the three wonderful fragrances Oajan, "Angels' Share | Kilian" and Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum, united in harmonious accord.

Khaltat Night Eau de Parfum is a wonderful scent, a gourmand dream come true with the juicy cherry from Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum, but without the strong alcoholic notes, instead just minimally boozy, yet delicious enough to bite into. Much to the delight of my nose, which reacts to alcoholic notes with a disgusted wrinkle. This is also my biggest criticism of "Angels' Share | Kilian", even though I otherwise really like its Christmas market vibes, the overwhelming cognac ruins it for me personally, which is why I prefer cognac-free alternatives like Sharaf Blend. But Khaltat Night Eau de Parfum fortunately comes without cognac, rum & co.! The majority of its DNA is shared with Oajan. Cinnamon, and a lot of it, paired with creamy-soft honey-sweet vanilla and the beautiful, dark spice of Oajan also resonates in the olfactory experience, albeit less intensely, which is just right for me. So this artistic, oriental bottle contains a lot of harmony and a fragrance composition with the best from three worlds! Simply kneeling. The bottle invites me to sniff every time I pass by, making it hard to resist even in the height of summer... but winter anticipation is definitely on the horizon.

I had only thought from reading that the scent has a masculine tendency. In my opinion, Khaltat Night Eau de Parfum is 100% unisex - unlike Oajan and "Angels' Share | Kilian", which, while also wearable by women, have a distinctly more masculine tendency in my opinion. I was recently lucky enough to get this fragrance for just under €60, which is really an absolute steal. This fragrance experience would have been worth well over €100 to me. Love!

Lattafa hits another absolute bullseye for gourmand fans here. Right after spraying, such a beautiful scent unfolds! Definitely edible, definitely extremely delicious, mouthwateringly tasty, and definitely very sweet. If you don't like that - stay away. I love it! I smell vanilla crescent cookies with powdered sugar, cake with cream, milk with lots of honey, chocolate pralines, and creamy caramel. But above all, sugar and vanilla. A lot, a lot of vanilla. When I spray this, I smell like a whole dessert buffet.

Do I want to smell like this?
Yes! (of course not for every occasion, but still. Yes!)

Does everyone want to smell like this? That's a matter of taste, of course. As a true sweet tooth, it just puts me in a good mood when I'm surrounded by a cloud of wonderful treats, and Eclaire hits the sweet spot (literally). So yes, the fragrance is blind-buy worthy for anyone who loves very sweet, edible scents. However, if you're looking for something "dark," smoky, or spicy, this is unfortunately not the place. But that certainly doesn't mean Eclaire lacks depth; on the contrary.

The progression is rather linear, and over time it becomes softer, fluffier, almost powdery. The individual notes become less distinct and blend into a sweet, rounded, wonderfully creamy gourmand fluff. The longevity is incredibly good, and the sillage is just right to enjoy the scent without enveloping half the environment in a thick layer of vanilla-caramel and putting those around you into an olfactory chocolate shock state (there are people who don't like that... I know, unbelievable). I'm talking about 1-2 (!) sprays here. Please dose carefully; overdoing it may pose an increased risk of diabetes.

"Eclaire / اكلاير | Lattafa / لطافة" is definitely a fragrance for the cold season. I see it especially in the fall - cozy vibes, walks outdoors, the last rays of sunshine soaking the colorful leaves in golden autumn light, cold wind blowing around my ears, and my nose delights in "Eclaire / اكلاير | Lattafa / لطافة". Or to sweeten cold winter days. I'm looking forward to that :)

The bottle is once again typical Lattafa kitsch, a bit too much for my personal taste, but it still has something. Admittedly, the bottle and the name of the fragrance represent the content exceptionally well - meltingly soft, sugary sweet, slightly powdery (pink), opulent (gold), and mouthwateringly delicious (Eclaire). Overall, a very coherent image that delivers on its promises. The sweet tooth among you will be delighted!

My fragrance journey only began two years ago, but I discovered Lattafa quite early on. Personally, I love Lattafa's opulent, oriental gourmands; "Nebras | Lattafa / لطافة" was definitely my "gateway drug." When I saw the notes of "Teriaq / ترياق | Lattafa / لطافة," I knew I had to test it. However, based on the notes, I would never have associated it with La Belle Le Parfum... Yet shortly after spraying, you can notice a clear similarity. And yet, they are two completely different, independent fragrances, by no means twins - more like cousins. Nevertheless, I dare to make a comparison.

I already own "La Belle Le Parfum | Jean Paul Gaultier," and while I like the scent, I must admit that I usually reach for other fragrances. Somehow, it lacks that certain something, and there's something bothersome, something "musty" that I only perceive after a few hours. La Belle Le Parfum is very sweet, almost too sweet, fruity and loud, but in my opinion, it lacks depth, character, something interesting... it is creamier, but after the pear in the opening has faded, it is just sweet.

"Teriaq / ترياق | Lattafa / لطافة," on the other hand, is like the more complex, 'adult' version of "La Belle Le Parfum | Jean Paul Gaultier." While La Belle in the opening smells fruity-sweet like caramel pear, Teriaq is a single caramelized apricot enveloped in a lot (yes, a lot) of pepper on leather, an oriental-spicy dream, also dense, loud, and sweet, but with much more depth and character due to the dominant 'dark' spicy notes. The initially very dominant pepper mostly fades after a few minutes (thankfully), but remains subtly perceptible in the background. Where La Belle Le Parfum soon leaves only sticky sweetness, "Teriaq / ترياق | Lattafa / لطافة" undergoes a fragrance metamorphosis over hours. At times it smells sour-fruity, at times like a delicious dessert, at times a hint of powdery rose, at times honey-sweet, but always accompanied by a dense, dark base of labdanum, pepper, and leather. The sweet beauty in the Arabic version wears a dark veil and seduces with her mysterious and confident presence all those whose attention her European cousin tries so loudly and shrill to attract.

By the way, the longevity is insane; I could clearly perceive it for at least 10 hours after one spray on my wrist, after which I went to sleep :D You definitely have to be careful with the spraying; more than one spray can be too much of a good thing - yes, too much of a good thing exists even with this "antidote." The bottle with the snake wrapping around the cap is high-quality and I personally like it - even if it's typically kitschy for Lattafa. For me, Lattafa kitsch is the "good kind" of kitsch, unlike the La Belle bottles... But that's of course a matter of taste. I'm glad to welcome this scent into my collection. Unfortunately, in summer it is unbearable and far too heavy, but it gives me anticipation for autumn :)

A small addendum: I (thankfully) don't perceive Maggi, celery, or barbecue, not even remotely... I'm surprised that so many people write about it here. It's crazy how differently fragrances are perceived. It is certainly not a crowd-pleaser, but I believe you won't offend anyone either. I only recommend a blind buy if other gourmand Lattafa's are already among your favorites, or if you're looking for a La Belle with more depth.

A little BR540 critique at the beginning:
Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum is one of those scents that my body inevitably reacts to with a wrinkled nose. Musty vibes from a splash of barbecue sauce in synthetic cough syrup, somewhere in a hospital operating room, where a cotton candy seller from the fair has gotten lost. Interesting, but by no means great. Most dupes are just poorly made and only intensify my aversion to the scent. In my opinion, there are people for whom the scent truly fits, and with whom it harmonizes perfectly with their overall image, becoming a delight. But those are very, very few, and yet half the world sprays it on, and not exactly hesitantly, which further leads to the loss of any "magic." (Regardless of my opinion, of course, everyone should spray what they like - tastes differ, and that's a good thing).

Now to the scent:
So there I was a few months ago in my favorite drugstore. A new scent from Câline? I could already guess what it was from the label, but I was still curious and sprayed it on my wrist.

Contrary to my expectations - no flight instinct.

Fascinating... it is extremely close to the original, yet the small nuances are somehow better balanced... it smells almost more high-quality to me. A scent deviation?

I keep sniffing my wrist. I still wouldn’t really wear "Belle Icône | Câline," it’s too close to the original. And yet it makes the small details feel better to me. The cotton candy seller is no longer lost in the operating room. This time he is selling his cotton candy at the fair outdoors, in front of an operating room, along with candied strawberries, whose sugar crust looks so beautifully shiny. The medical notes are a bit less intense and constricting, the woody and spicy notes are no longer so synthetic and don’t remind me of barbecue sauce, but ensure that it’s not just a pure fairground scent. It is softer and rounder, a bit sweeter, but with a nicer sweetness than the original. And yet it is unmistakably BR540, strikingly similar.

Again and again, a cloud of the scent wafts into my nose, even hours later. And somehow I like it. Even the next day, it is still perceptible on my skin. A €6 scent. Simply amazing. I went to the drugstore a few more times in the following weeks, and each time I couldn’t help but apply another spray and marvel. I decided to buy it after all; somehow it had charmed me... just to wear a spray at home every now and then, a scent for €6, why not.

Too late, it was already sold out everywhere, the hype had begun.

In the meantime, it has also found a place with me. For the money, it’s simply a blast. The bottle is pretty to look at, but correspondingly cheaply made, the spray heads can unfortunately, as is often the case in this price segment, be faulty at times with Câline. Nevertheless - I give my good rating DESPITE my aversion to the original, and although I still believe that the scent does not suit everyone, nor does this dupe, and that it can quickly reach a "too much of a good thing" point. Simply because it is an incredibly well-done clone, especially for the price. I absolutely cannot confirm the reviews that mention poor longevity and sillage - perhaps there was a faulty batch in between? I have sprayed it easily 10 times from different testers, and each time the longevity was 6-8 hours with good sillage, even close to the skin until the next day, with only 1-2 sprays. It definitely doesn’t suit me, and will at most be sprayed on my wrist at home - but then enjoyed.