Glossary
The words on the bottle, explained.
Perfume has its own vocabulary and most of it is unnecessary. These are the terms we actually use on our product pages, each in a sentence or two, with a bottle you can smell it in.
A
- Accord
- A blend of several notes that reads as one smell. "Gourmand accord" or "amber accord" describe the overall impression rather than a single ingredient. The main accords on each product page tell you the mood of the bottle in a glance.
- Agarwood
- The resin-soaked heartwood of the Aquilaria tree, better known in perfumery as oud. Real agarwood is rare and expensive, which is why oud fragrances are prized in the Gulf and why quality varies so much between houses.Smell it in: Oud Roses, Bin Shaikh
- Amber
- Not the fossil. In perfume, amber is a warm, sweet, slightly powdery accord built from labdanum, benzoin and vanilla. It is the backbone of most Arabian fragrances and the reason they feel cosy on skin.Smell it in: Khamrah, Al Nashama, Oud Mood Elixir
- Ambroxan
- A clean, mineral, slightly salty molecule that mimics the smell of ambergris. It gives modern fresh fragrances their long-lasting skin scent and is the reason Kaaf and Blue by Ahmed still smell like something twelve hours in.Smell it in: Kaaf, Blue by Ahmed, Art of Nature II
B
- Bakhoor
- Wood chips soaked in fragrant oils and burned in Gulf homes. In a bottle, a bakhoor note means smoky, resinous, incense-like warmth. It is a distinctly Arabian signature.Smell it in: Bin Shaikh, Laathani
- Base notes
- The heaviest ingredients in a fragrance: woods, resins, musks, vanilla and amber. They appear an hour or so after spraying and are what is still on your shirt the next morning.
- Batch code
- A short code printed on the base of the bottle and stamped on the box that identifies the production run. Matching codes and a sensible production date on a public batch checker are the quickest way to confirm a bottle is genuine. Every bottle we sell carries one.
- Benzoin
- A sweet, vanilla-like tree resin from Southeast Asia. It softens spices and gives Arabian ambers their creamy, balsamic finish.Smell it in: Khamrah, His Confession
C
- Cashmeran
- A soft, musky, slightly woody molecule that smells like warm skin and cashmere. It rounds off fruity and floral fragrances so they never feel sharp.Smell it in: Yara Tous
- Clone
- A fragrance built to smell close to an expensive designer or niche perfume. Many Lattafa releases share DNA with well-known icons. We list the resemblance on the product page where it is genuinely close, so you know what you are buying.
- Concentration
- The percentage of perfume oil in the bottle. Eau de Toilette is light, Eau de Parfum is stronger and lasts longer, and Extrait de Parfum is the richest. Most of our catalog is Eau de Parfum, with a few Ahmed Al Maghribi bottles in Extrait.
D
- Dates
- A sticky, sweet, almost boozy note that tastes of the fruit. It is the heart of Khamrah and one of the most recognisable Arabian gourmand ingredients.Smell it in: Khamrah, Art of Arabia III
E
- Eau de Parfum
- Usually 15 to 20 percent perfume oil. The standard strength for Arabian fragrance and the reason a Lattafa EDP outlasts most designer EDTs. Abbreviated EDP on our product pages.
- Extrait de Parfum
- The richest concentration, often 25 to 40 percent oil. Denser, closer to skin at first, and very long lasting. Ahmed Al Maghribi releases several of its signature scents as Extrait.Smell it in: Kaaf, Ignite Oud
F
- Flanker
- A new version of an existing fragrance that keeps the name and bottle shape but changes the scent. Khamrah Qahwa and Khamrah Dukhan are flankers of Khamrah. Yara Tous is a flanker of Yara.Smell it in: Khamrah Qahwa, Yara Tous
- Frankincense
- Also called olibanum. A dry, resinous, church-like smoke note that adds depth and a slightly spiritual feel to oud and amber fragrances.Smell it in: Khamrah Dukhan, Oud Roses
G
H
- Heart notes
- The middle layer of a fragrance, appearing after the top notes fade and lasting a few hours. Usually florals, spices and fruits. This is what the people around you smell most of the day.
I
- Iris
- A cool, powdery, slightly earthy note made from iris root. It gives a fragrance an expensive, suede-like smoothness.Smell it in: His Confession
L
- Longevity
- How many hours a fragrance stays detectable on skin. We list the longevity we measured on each product page. Anything over eight hours is long lasting, anything over twelve is exceptional.
M
- Maceration
- The resting period after a perfume is blended, when the ingredients settle and blend. Some people find a new bottle smells richer after a few weeks open. It is normal and harmless.
N
- Niche
- Perfume from small houses that sell in limited shops and focus on artistry rather than mass appeal. Lattafa Pride and Ahmed Al Maghribi sit between designer and niche in style, at a fraction of niche prices.
O
- Oud
- The smoky, leathery, deeply woody smell of agarwood resin. The signature of Arabian perfumery. Real oud is rare, so most bottles use a blend of natural and synthetic oud. Ahmed Al Maghribi is known for oud that smells real.Smell it in: Oud Roses, Marj, Oud Mood Elixir
P
- Patchouli
- An earthy, dark, slightly chocolatey leaf. In small doses it adds depth and a grown-up edge to sweet or floral fragrances.Smell it in: Sur Mesure Noir
- Praline
- Caramelised sugar and roasted nuts. A warm, hugging gourmand note that appears in many of our bestsellers.Smell it in: Khamrah, Khamrah Qahwa, Angham
- Projection
- How far a fragrance travels from your skin. High projection means people notice you from across a room. Sillage is the trail you leave behind as you move. Heavy Arabian fragrances usually score high on both.
S
- Saffron
- A leathery, slightly medicinal, luxurious spice note that is central to Gulf perfumery. It pairs with oud and rose and adds a golden warmth.Smell it in: Marj, Summer Oud, Oud Mood Elixir
- Sillage
- Pronounced see-yazh. The scented trail a fragrance leaves in the air behind you. Enormous sillage means people know you have walked past. Our product pages rate each bottle from moderate to monumental.
T
- Taif rose
- A rose grown in the mountains near Taif in Saudi Arabia, prized for its deep, jammy, spicy character. Very different from a fresh garden rose.Smell it in: Bin Shaikh
- Tonka bean
- A seed that smells of vanilla, almond and hay. It gives gourmand fragrances their soft, powdery sweetness without becoming sugary.Smell it in: Khamrah, Khamrah Qahwa
- Top notes
- The first thing you smell after spraying, usually citrus, light spices or fruit. They last ten to twenty minutes and set the mood before the heart takes over. Never judge a fragrance on the top notes alone.
- Turkish rose
- The classic perfume rose grown in Isparta. Rich, sweet and slightly honeyed. The rose in Oud Roses is this one.Smell it in: Oud Roses
