Musamam by Lattafa Perfumes

Everyone has their own scent. I grabbed this blindly from the bottle. I read it smells intense, great, I like heavy ones, I thought, better than the white one, just in case it’s too ‘freshy’, but I absolutely hate this. It smells like smoke. I figured, since I’m not using it, I’ll put it in the bathroom as a room freshener, but this scent overpowers everything. On the first day, my 10-year-old daughter came asking what got burned in the bathroom 🤪. I’m saying all of this with that in mind.

Ladies and gentlemen, this has nothing to do with trendy Arab scents. It’s potent, seductive, masculine yet unisex. The dry down reminds me of Trussardi Uomo and that 90s style that broke everything. The opening is beautiful, the dry down is even better, and it’s addictive. I compared it to its sibling White Intense, which is a white floral chasing hyped aromas from the past like Givenchy Amarige. Verdict: if you’re looking for something off the beaten path, masculine, and classy, it’s yours. I’ve been wearing it all morning and already added it to my permanent collection. Hope to try the Black, sure to love it.

The WORST perfume I’ve ever heard. A friend had a decant, I tested it on skin, and I regretted it in 3.7 seconds. The first thing I thought was a dirty mechanic’s shop. To be precise, it smells like greased bolt, dirty metal, motor oil. I found it very unpleasant and don’t understand who enjoys it, but as they say in my country: ‘tastes vary’. DO NOT buy blind, rather, DO NOT buy it lol.

Lately, I have a love-hate relationship with Arab scents; they’re not very wearable on my skin, turning synthetic and a bit ‘bitter’. Let’s look at this Lataffa Musamam: the packaging is interesting, the bottle eye-catching, the plastic cap but heavy and good quality. The scent, which they said was challenging and unpleasant, didn’t seem that way to me. It opens citrusy with tangerine over incense, drying down to become more amber with a slight dirty oud touch, keeping the incense. I consider it good and wearable for the price and the bottle. Arab prices have dropped a lot in Mexico, so if you see it cheap and like incense and woody scents, don’t pass it up. Longevity and sillage are short, but the scent is interesting and has nothing to do with the current sweet scents that ALL seem like the same SH!t.

I want it for collection; it’s a challenging and dirty scent, so far no one likes it, especially girls; we’d have to test its evolution and the image one wants to project. With a lot of attitude, a leather jacket, and a casual look, it could be interesting.

Lattafa usually has gems, but this isn’t one of them. Gucci Guilty? Please, if this smells like Raid!!!

Not recommended to buy blind. Smells like a mechanic’s shop and, over time, like a colorful box. It has overwhelming wood, but the interesting part is that it’s not long-lasting. I didn’t like it at all.

I received a sample and had high expectations given all the hype, but I was unfortunately let down. To me, it smells like automotive lubricant—Castrol, Repsol, Agip, whatever you prefer. There’s nothing pleasant about it; it just smells like synthetic car oil, nothing more. I don’t recommend buying it blindly, or rather, I recommend it in no way at all, though we all know that’s a matter of taste. Scents and all that.

It projects strongly at first, then softens, which is perfect for my use. The scent breaks away from the commercial and easy stuff, which is cool because it gives you personality. Good longevity; people can smell it, mostly because it actually smells good, unlike most commercial perfumes today. It’s lamentable that one has to point out that a perfume smells good, which is what they should do. The design is spectacular; whether you like it or not is a matter of taste, but it delivers way more than the average. The price, like most Arab fragrances, is incredibly good. Buy it, and if you don’t like it, you’ll have spent what a couple of beers cost at the bar.

More than leather, it’s an intense woody scent with labdanum, soft incense, and florals. I don’t find much similarity to that ‘leathery’ vibe compared to Gucci Guilty Absolute. It seems to follow Bulgari Koobra’s footsteps but leans more into wood without oud (there’s a fantastic version of that scent at Fragrance World). Just notice the snake on the bottle, which pays homage to Bulgari’s. It launches intense but immediately softens and settles on the skin. In my case, that strong opening might give the impression of a powerful bomb, but unfortunately, it’s not quite that intense. Best for medium daytime climates, as it lacks the punch for nighttime. Performance is just average with short projection. The one at Fragrance World performs better in both scent and longevity, being more luminous. Musamam is a great option to explore the path of the discontinued Bulgari (though I think they relaunched it) or if it’s hard to find, let alone the price. Give it a try, cheers.

What a realistic ‘shoemaker’ and ‘purse’ leather scent! That’s its greatest virtue and flaw. Some people don’t like such obvious aromas, but here it smells exactly like a pair of shoes or a leather wallet. It doesn’t play games: it’s bold and intrusive, so apply it carefully. The bottle almost forces you to buy it. Ideal for suits and ties, supreme elegance.

Lattafa knocks it out of the park with this fine, elegant leather perfume, a daily wear version. While the leather notes in others are only for night or cold weather, this smells like suede. If you like leather, this is for you. Worth it for the price. The trail is moderate but noticeable for the first three hours; it lasts seven to eight hours on skin and over 24 on clothes.

They list notes it doesn’t actually have, otherwise they wouldn’t gain the prestige of a major brand, even though we all know they’re clones and that’s just how it is—a brand focused on copying perfumes. I understand people get good longevity because they use quality fixatives, but if you know a bit about perfumery, the quality is incomparable, no matter how much it projects. I own about five Lattafa scents; they’re not bad for the price, but honestly, they’re just gathering dust. With my niche and designer collection, I don’t have time to wear these fragrances. If they ever release something innovative without copying any perfume, with a truly unique scent, I know they could do it perfectly with the ingredients available in those countries, then I’d rate it as it should be.

Although I won’t claim it, leather is the star note. It’s a light, easy-to-wear leather with a suede-like sweetness. Smells refined and expensive, but the reality is it’s very affordable. The packaging looks great.