Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold

Imagine stepping into an artisan's workshop late at night after closing — the air thick with the scent of fresh leather, hints of rubber, and a faint metallic tang. There's a gritty beauty to it, a mix of raw materials and quiet precision. It captures that very essence. Ishq al Shuyukh Gold opens with an intense, sharp medicinal saffron and suede note that verges on a petrol-like quality. Soon, tonka bean emerges, evolving into a subtly gourmand, vanilla-tinged drydown with a touch of velvet. While relatively linear and steady in progression, this elegant simplicity is definitely not a drawback. The scent profile is beautifully accented with a smoky, rubbery note reminiscent of fresh tires — an aroma I adore in perfumes. There's a kind of industrial vibe, as if stepping into a factory, further enhanced by the leathery tones. This fusion creates a slightly animalic experience while remaining incredibly smooth. A metallic hint threads through, adding complexity. This blend strikes a balanced contrast between luxury and grit. After aging for about a year, Ishq has developed even more depth, while the rubbery, industrial elements have retained their character — a feature I greatly appreciate. I've found myself consistently impressed by how it maintains its intrigue and appeal over extended wear. While its industrial-meets-luxury character might not suit everyone's taste, those who think highly of unique, well-crafted fragrances will find something truly special here. It has astounding longevity and substantial projection, ideal for colder weather due to its dense, thick composition. Nevertheless, I love it enough to wear it year-round. Entirely unisex appeal, too. The bottle itself is a hefty matte black block featuring an ornamental motif of a traditional Arabic dagger, the khanjar. This iconic symbol of their culture and heritage is particularly celebrated in regions like Oman and Yemen. It's rare to find a fragrance where the bottle complements the scent so harmoniously, yet here, the two seem inseparable. Ishq bears an uncanny resemblance to Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight in Paris — among all the perfumes I tried, only this one delivers such similarly nuanced impressions. It also vaguely recalls Bvlgari Black, which I owned years ago, as if blending the two scents. Although lacking tea and floral notes, I've recently purchased such herbal oil from Al-Rehab to experiment with layering. Previously, I owned Paris Corner's Rifaaqat but ultimately sold it, as Ishq simply surpasses it. Ishq al Shuyukh Gold epitomizes the pinnacle of Middle Eastern craftsmanship in affordable perfumery. It offers a luxurious, sexy, handcrafted feel, standing out among mass-produced scents from the same factory. An extraordinary experience, it feels opulent and is a must-have for any collector given its value. If Ishq was renamed, 'Emir's Cat Twilight in Oman No 5 Black' could capture its mystique perfectly. Opening note: 10- Sillage/Projection: 8+ Drydown: 9+ Longevity: 10 Blend/Composition: 10+ Versatility: 7+ Uniqueness: 10- Value for money: 10 Bottle design/Aesthetics: 9 Overall experience: 10- Blind-buy rating: 5+

I wish I could explain this without mentioning Prada Luna Rossa Black, Midnight In Paris, Bvlgari Black or Tom of Finland (due to the closeness of a rubbery note they all focus on). So this review hinges upon the reader being at least familiar with one of those. First things first, 10/10, all day, every frickin day! I have owned, sampled, and smelled easily over 500 fragrances (niche, designer, clones, homemade hillbilly shit, you name it), and this is a super easy top 5 for quality/smell/price ratio. At the time of this writing, this fragrance goes for low to mid $20s US. There is almost nothing that can eff with the value proposition here. That all being said, this most closely to me resembles the discontinued (and my beloved) Bvlgari Black. Yes, there is a "car tire" vibe in it. And let me say, before I ever tried Bvlgari Black so many years ago, that sounded off-putting... Until I smelled it, thought "yup, it reminds me of a freshly shined tire" and realized I was 100% here for it! It is MUCH more nuanced than that, and to only compare it to the car tire would be to do it a disservice. There is vanilla here, and though I generally dislike vanilla-centric frags, the vanilla here supports and holds everything together to prevent any one note from running away and potentially ruining the fragrance. It must be mentioned that though leather is a note in here, those seeking dirty or raw leather may be disappointed. When I do catch the leather, it is a supple, well-conditioned leather that is not trying to be the star of the show but rather add a bit of body and occasionally help tone down any notes reaching out for spiciness. For those experienced with Luna Rossa Black, Bvlgari Black, Midnight In Paris, or even Tom of Finland by ELDO, this part may hopefully steer you in the right direction: Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold is most closely (and very) similar to Bvlgari Black in my opinion. Performance is very good, similar to BB. MIP is great, but I find it a little more powdery than I prefer, and though it's great and has one of the best bottles in perfumery, I prefer IASG for not only the scent but performance as well. Compared to Luna Rossa Black, again this is less powdery and "clean" with much better performance. Finally, in comparison with Tom of Finland, IASG and BB both, to my nose, have a more "rubber tire" vibe where ToF has a bit more pleather/latex/dominatrix feel, which I still love and in the lineup of all the aforementioned fragrances, I put behind IASG and BB and above MiP and LRB. Keep in mind I'm a male in my mid 40-s who likes masculine stuff and though they're all unisex to my nose, LRB and MiP are the ever so slightly more feminine-leaning of the group. With Bvlgari Black being long discontinued and this having harnessed the esthetic and met or exceeded its performance, this is 5 backup bottles-worthy. It has no effing business being this good for this cheap. Last note which may be a negative for some, it is pretty linear. I find this great, as that addictive scent never changes and I know what I'm getting from minute 2 to hour 8.

First. A couple of people made mention of Van Cleef & Arpels "Midnight in Paris" in comparison to this fragrance. No ! Not a single note, nuance, or accord in this fragrance is even remotely similar. However, it does share a familiar Saffron note with YSL's "Babycat". That also gives a slight reminder of Bvlgari's "Black". This fragrance is not a Babycat clone, but could be a good substitute for it. For the right person. Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold opens just like the note pyramid suggests. With the note of Saffron as the driving force behind this fragrance. The Saffron opens Rubbery, like the scent of brand new tires. Underneath the Saffron is a note of Caramel. Its neither loud or soft, nor overwhelmingly sweet. And along with this Caramel note, are soft Ambry undertones. The Suede in combination with the Tonka adds this semi-rough powdery texture that plays well with the Vanilla. Making it smell more like an unsweetened Vanilla Powder. All of this along with an under current of Leathery Saffron smells like Nubuck Suede. Performance is Bananas. This fragrance is beast mode right out of the bottle. Two sprays on the back of my hand lasted well over 8 hours & filled the room upon its application. ...with two more sprays on my shirt I ran a few errands & literally filled grocery store isles as I walked down them. So maceration for performance is not needed. Maceration will not take away the Saffrons "Rubbery" nuance. As someone below suggested. However, for some people, their Olfactory System will get used to the Saffron over time. So they may not smell that "Rubbery" nuance at the same intensity as they once did when first smelling this fragrance. But its still there. The Saffron here is a balance between Rubber & Leather, with it showcasing subtle Spice nuances as it lingers in the air. I rather enjoy the brand new "Rubber Tire" accord in this fragrance. It makes it smell dark, like a seedy Tire Shop somewhere in the Middle East. I feel like Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold wears best on cold Fall & Winter nights. Perfect for formal occasions, going out to Holiday parties, lounging in a Cigar Bar, or just sitting around the fireplace at home with guests having drinks. Because of its Caramel, Vanilla, & Amber notes I want to call Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold a Cuddle fragrance. But the young lady you're snuggling up next to would have to love the scent of Saffron to truly enjoy the moment. .....in all Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold is a love for me, & for its scent & the blending of its notes, is worth a lot more money than what it actually costs.

* Intriguing and unusual blend of leather and gourmand fragrance DNAs * The love child of Tom Ford Tuscan Leather and JPG Scandal Pour Homme * Blend of sweet, amber, caramel, vanilla, spice, musk and leather aromas * Dark masculine powerhouse * Good for fans of Dior Farenheit Parfum * Strong performer * Great presentation * Good QPR value * Fair price * Very much a love it or leave it proposition * Can come off like rubber and gasoline to a nose that doesn't pick up the sweet notes a la Dior Farenheit * Leans heavily masculine despite being marketed as unisex * Not good for younger users * Not good for those who prefer sweet and fresh fragrances Lattafa's Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold is a really unusual and intriguing fragrance. That can be either good or bad depending on your tastes and the noses of those around you. It's a hybrid blend of leather and gourmand fragrance types. Sweet, amber, caramel, vanilla, spice, musk and leather aromas are combined into an absolute love it or leave it proposition. Imagine layering Tom Ford Tuscan Leather and Jean Paul Gaultier's Scandal Pour Homme. Not exactly a layering combination that would immediately come to most people's minds. Yet this works, coming off very dark and masculine. This is quite a strong performer, so strong in fact that the leather note starts to overtake the others in the drydown. When it does and you and the noses around you start missing the sweet amber and caramel notes, this may come off smelling like an old car, all rubber and gasoline. That is in fact the strong leather note and Tuscan Leather (and its clones) gives off the very same notes. Very similar to Dior's Farenheit in that respect. Not coincidentally, that one is also a love it or leave it type of fragrance that had to be eventually softened with a heavy dose of vanilla in the Parfum edition. Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold adds amber and caramel to the vanilla to accomplish the same results. If you like one, you'll enjoy the other. This leans very heavily masculine despite being marketed as unisex and is not a good choice for women. It's also not good for younger users and those who prefer sweet and fresh fragrances a la Invictus or 1 Million. Performance is quite strong, as mentioned, the presentation is top notch and the price is very fair for what it offers making this a good QPR value. Highly recommended but you absolutely must enjoy leather fragrances before you even think about picking this one up.

This was so special and eye-opening for me from the first sniff. I did get something powdery sweet vanillic which reminded me a bit of bitter almonds but it was mostly suede accord. So I feel in love with this scent profile. Sweet powdery vanilla with soft suede. Went to store to smell the Rosendo Mateu no 5 several times and compared them side by side and couldn't justify price difference. Ishq Al Shuyuch gold projected just a bit less than the original. Eventually I ordered the original and it is a bit smoother but still extremely close. There is this whole vibe which I also get in BDK Vanillie leather, Guerlain Cuir Beluga, Nishane Hundred silent ways X and I do recommend exploring this if you like those and vice versa. I don't get comparison to Riffacat, they feel quite different to my nose. Riffacat has more smokey wood vanillic cookie feel, not powdery suede as this one does. Maybe Baby cat is different. My bottle is more than a year old and still feels like this is me in a bottle: dark, sensual, moody but beautiful. It is totally unisex (perhaps bring powdery would make it appeal more to women but strong suede accord pull it straight unisex). This is definitely not everyone's taste and that make is so special. Suede accord seems a bit rougher than in the original but they are really close. This is big big love of mine!

I bought it in summer and that's when I used it for the first time. It was literally nauseating and headache inducing. But it wasn't the perfume's fault, it just wasn't the right season to wear it. I put it away for a few months and got back to it in winter. And that's when it shines the most. The opening saffron and caramel hit first, then you get the leather and suede throughout which give it that bold character. I can see how some people say it smells industrial and rubbery (I don't mind it at all), but that calms down after the first 20 minutes or so. Then you also get vanilla in the base that ties everything nicely. All in all, it's bold and intoxicating scent, I can't stop sniffing my wrist when wearing it. Someone said it's a stripper in a bottle. Agreed! It's not a crowd pleaser though, some people might dislike it, so maybe get a sample first if you've never tried a leather perfume before. Completely unisex. I wear it a lot (I'm a female) and I got compliments from both men and women. The longevity and sillage are excellent. I've finished one bottle (rare for me as I simply got too many perfumes) and already got another one on the way. Great value for money. One of the greatest from Lattafa.

I purchased this as a dupe to babycat, never have smelling it but hearing soo much about it. Through research I heard this was very close. First Impression: My first spray on a tester strip as soon as I received the fragrance... I get a very heavy base leather/ rubbery smell that is topped with slight vanilla.. It didn’t have much more depth. After letting this dry down WOW! This has developed into such a RICH Vanilla leather fragrance with SO MUCH depth. The leather note has gone from generic to very expensive and lush. This screams confident, inviting, edible, & SEXY! It makes me almost want to lick my skin. My best explanation for this: Close your eyes & picture the most luxurious barbershop you can imagine... The kind where the barber doesn’t just cut your hair but instead he does a work of art. He wears a collared white long sleeve button down, fitted trousers, dress shoes, his hair is slicked down and he wears a leather apron to hold his grooming tools. This barbershop is located on Wall Street & only the ELITE come here... This is what it smells like. As far as longevity and Sillage I will provide an update once I have a full day wearing it.

I had the little 20 ml Lataffa bottle and liked it so much I bought the big one. Had it for 4 months and it smells the same so I don't think this one needs maturation. It's leather and vanilla and not much else. The other notes are dwarfed by those. A little vanilla. If you have ever been in a coat room that has a lot of leather and suede jackets - that is what you will smell like. And that's not a bad thing. Lately I've been spraying this on my mid section and pants and spraying something sweet on shoulders and neck. This scent leans masculine IMO. Still love this but it's not an everyday reach. I only break it out about once a month. Update: This has been my signature scent at work. Not only do I love the scent, but here's why it's my favorite at work: It's not super loud, I don't think anyone can say that this scent bothers them and it lasts eight plus hours. I worked a 9 hour shift the last few days and I can still smell it when I get off work. And 6 hours in, it smells the same as 1 hour in. Where almost every other cologne I own fades away slowly, this one projects for nearly 8 hours.

DAY 1- ARRIVAL DAY FIRST TEST ON SKIN Minute 1: “this is a mess and does not smell at all like baby cats. I want my money back.” Minute 30: bringing in groceries. I sprayed it on my forearm once could smell it while I was walking. “She strong. She kinda sweet too.” 1 hour: “I’m going to love this, but it definitely needs time to grow up. **proceeds to spray again** In all seriousness I can understand all reviews below. Is it rubbery? Yes. Do you get used to it? Yurp, and that’s when you begin to pick up the sweet notes. The only thing I can think of when I smell this is if you were wearing suede shoes and stepped in cake. It really tickles each side of the spectrum by playing with sweet and bold notes. As someone who is not at all into super sweet fragrances, I find this to be an excellent compromise. Please don't spray this on your hand and sniff it like that. It truly doesn’t seem like a fragrance for intimacy until it dries down. Spray on your arm, sit on the couch, and wait for it to hit you. In the air, it’s intriguing. If you want something different, do it. I’ll keep you updated.

I love that someone described this as Industrial Gourmand, though I’d say it’s not gourmand.* The vanilla comes across as balsamic, full, and woody. The suede note is gorgeous; it's an expensive leather jacket Aunt Becky from Full House would wear to co-anchor the news (did she host the news?). There are loads of gourmand notes listed: tonka, vanilla, caramel. They're just smoothing out the edges and keeping this out of old leather biker territory. The effect is spicy, saffrony, peppery, ambery suede with (an almost lightly woody) robustly balsamic vanilla backdrop. No foodie sweetness or dessert vibes. It’s stunning. Its sexxeh. *winks at the bottle* *licks the bottle* *puts the bottle in my pocket and runs away* Notes: -You’d like this if you’re into YSL Babycat or BDK Leather Vanille. You might like this if you like Gris Charnel. -My partner (who favours Monsieur by Guillaume & Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford) wears this too. -I would say this is 100% unisex. *I think maybe it IS industrial Gourmand. Perhaps I'm an industrial gourmand! *winks at some of my perfumes*....

What an addictive scent! It has been my winter obsession lately. It smells like an old leather wallet which was pulled out of a salted caramel vanilla cake. It's the leather note that is perfecting the smell (that's why I love animalic and leather notes in perfumes). The leather note is hidden inside the salted caramel in such a beautiful way, and the final mix of leather and vanilla creates a deep dark vanilla essence that is extremely well done. Now you can't miss the metallic note in the first 30 minutes, which is coming from the saffron, and it gives a blade like smell that has just been sharpened, but to me it's not bad at all, and it creates this slight salty effect at the dry down. Performance is an absolute beast, lasts a day on skin and a week on clothes, and gets better with time. I can't say it's a heavy projector, but you will certainly smell the whiffs of it. it's fall/winter/spring only, and it can be worn in all settings and even formal events. I only wish they would add a touch of a smoke note to it, but nevertheless, well done Lattafa!

The Ishq Al Shuyukh Gold by Lattafa brings notes of leather with a slightly rubbery vibe and velvety suede tones mixed with high-quality sweet gourmand notes like caramel, vanilla, and tonka bean, all balanced by the use of spicy notes such as saffron. It follows an aromatic path already explored by perfumes like Midnight in Paris, Bvlgari Black, and Prada Luna Rossa Black, but it presents itself much more balanced, with sweeter notes of higher quality and more prominent, and with much greater potency. Aroma with maximum pleasantness, especially for those who already enjoy the leather note. It will likely garner many compliments, designed to stand out in any environment. Especially lethal for intimate encounters, a true secret weapon of seduction. It's said to be inspired by niche perfumes like Rosendo Mateu No 5 and YSL Baby Cat. Since I'm not familiar with them, I can't speak to their similarity. But who cares about similarity when the scent is excellent and the performance is monstrous?

Having worn this perfume every day for the past week, I can say that it takes a minute to fall in love. At first I was distracted by the metallic notes and what I perceived as the caramel sweetness. I did get leather too, but something just wasn’t coming together. But now, experiencing IASG for many days in a row, I can say the formulation is really beautiful. Along with the leather and the metallic hint of saffron, I’m picking up a slight coconut quality that marries perfectly with the other notes. Maceration is still young so I expect more development but I love what it is now, too. IASG is not beast mode on my skin, although this might change with time. I can smell it on myself all day but it doesn’t seem to project a great deal - my husband could smell it only close up. This was a blind buy and I consider it a great success. My advice? Give the perfume and your nose a chance to appreciate this hidden gem.

#2nd review I was close to just thinking nah im just going to give this away after first buying and just not getting along with it, I still plan to let it sit before im brave enough to wear it fully but I keep picking it up to see how its going and giving it a little wrist spray every now and again. once it drys on I shake the wrist and I begin to appreciate that I think this is a beautiful scent, it seems very complex as I don't quite know what's going on but im growing to like this more and more! I get past the rubber smell initially as it doesn't seem as bad and it doesn't seem to last that long anymore so overall im definitely going to keep it, imagine if I even bought it again that would be crazy but I could see me actually doing that! For now im going to give it a crazy 7.5/10 and a solid one for that, I'll come back later to tell further findings 😊

Comforting, round, yet vivid and full-bodied fragrance. It starts with a non-sweet, leathery caramel with a shadow of some creamy hazelnut. Then I start recognizing a shadow of a rubber, almost industrial note somewhere in the background. Overall, it's not a typical "another leather fragrance". Something addictive in this fragrance. What a gem. I would not recommend it for the blind buy as the fragrance is quite intense and vivid. If in this gorgeous accord, there are notes that happen to irritate you, they will be difficult to ignore. ps. I have no idea, why for the same fragrances one customers need the maceration while others get the immediate pleasant effect. Maybe it depends upon the temperature and other conditions in which the perfume is stored before it gets to you. In this case, the perfume gave a pleasant impression immediately after unboxing.

this smells amazing AFTER you let it macerate. upon first spritz on my skin, it definitely smells like straight gasoline. after about 5 minutes, it softens to mainly leather with a vanilla caramel background. i bought this for myboyfriend (for me to borrow lol) and it pulls more vanilla on him, so it’s definitely a true unisex scent. projects like a beast and lasts really long for both of us. i love unisex fragrance but i’m having a gourmand moment, so i tried layering it with the nemat vanilla musk oil and lattafa eclair and it’s WONDERFUL. amazing for nighttime / cool weather. this fragrance on its own is definitely late fall/winter/evening only. i don’t know where to buy lattafa in my area, so this was a blind buy. the rave reviews and babycat legends (haven’t smelled it myself) got me curious enough to try, and i’m glad i did!

At first I didn't know what to do with this. Didn't know where to use this, when to use it, how to use it, etc. The rubber tire vibe was prominent in the beginning .. I was almost ready to get rid of it ...and then I went to the bank and the teller (a very pretty woman) complimented me and asked me what it was.. I went about My day but the tire accord didn't let up plus it was hot out. Anywho, I never really picked it up until now It's been sitting for over a month and a half now. The tire accord seems to have settled down and now I get a smooth saffron vanilla vibe. It lasts so long - sillage is huge and the trail is very noticeable. I also use this to layer with the fragrances that are way too sweet. It adds depth, warmth, and character to my frufru laddi da fragrances. And for that alone I am going to be repurchasing.

THIS FRAGRANCE CHANGED MY LIFE. i cannot hype this up enough. probably the best fragrance buy of my life, never mind that it was a blind one. so so underrated, and i hope nobody i know ever finds out about this, i want to keep it all for myself. this is a MASTERPIECE, especially considering the price it sells for. this is liquid gold. my new signature. its creamy, its seductive, its strong, it feels like silk. this smells like *** with a billionaire at a black-tie event. this smells like a noir movie. this smells like a femme fatale wearing a fur coat in a brand-new car with leather seats. it starts LOUD, it roars and bites, but the dry-down is a mesmerizing soft vanilla, which makes me want to lick my skin. thank you lattafa, this gorgeous little number will be one of my defining personality traits for years to come.

Now this is gonna sound weird, but the reason I love this fragrance is because it really reminds me of a scent one of the casinos/hotels/shops in Vegas was pumping through their AC. I know its odd, but its got a very nostalgic or familiar smell to me. The "dryness" is just incredible and unique. I definitely pick up on the vanilla/caramel on a heavy leather base. I definitely can see why this wouldn't be mass appealing, but I personally just cant get enough. The opening is by far the best part for me, which I see a lot of people saying they hate it. A dry, plastic leather with a subtle sweetness. A lot of the leather fragrances I have tried almost always have tobacco or boozy notes, this doesn't, and I really like it for that.

Just got the bottle today. Wow, what a gorgeous sexy scent! I was worried about reviews mentioning rubber and smell of tires, and some reviews says it need maceration before it gets good. Well, IT IS GOOD! Sweet, sweet caramel, amber and vanilla, saffron, the smell of soft, new leather - everything blended in such a gorgeous way!! My husband, who doesn't compliment many perfumes, smelled this one and said it was so sexy and good. He even showed his friend who also thought it was sexy - like a girl in hot leather pants. So this has instantly climbed up the list of date perfumes. I just hope that the fragrance doesn't change over time because it is perfect as is. This scent is a character for sure.