Masa

My experience with Lattafa Masa has been rather peculiar. I initially purchased it upon release and later sold it at the same price due to its disappointingly weak longevity and minimal projection. However, I was quite fond of the scent itself, so I kept an eye out for a good deal on auction sites. Eventually, I managed to buy it again at nearly half price. The most interesting part? This new batch turned out to be significantly better in every aspect. I even tested the previous batch before packing it, and it remained consistently weak, so it wasn't a matter of aging. A fragrance of rare allure, presenting an unusual blend that feels both familiar and ethereal. Masa has one of the most intriguing openings among all the fragrances I've tested. Throughout the day, I find myself reapplying it just to experience that initial blast a bit longer. The opening is the only time you get this extremely sharp, metallic, almost otherworldly note — reminiscent of an abstract mineral that might exist on Saturn or different alien landscape, with added wet pebbles. There's an abstract quality here that could well be the saffron's doing, although it's hard to say. The effect is truly brilliant. Quickly following this, an unexpectedly realistic ripe mango note emerges. It's not overly sweet but adds a lovely juicy complexity to the fragrance. Later, it fades into a suede-like scent I recognize from Lattafa's Ishq al Shuyukh Gold, bringing a soft, smooth texture. There's also a slight herbal touch, adding a hint of mystery. I understand why people mention magazine paper vibes — the power of suggestion is strong when you think about it — a dry, papery crispness. There are some earthy hints as well — perhaps cumin? I'm unsure, but this adds a chicken gyros layer — subtle yet undeniably unique. As I mentioned initially, longevity isn't Masa's strongest suit. However, with this latest batch, what was once almost non-existent has become above average. The projection is also decent, even aggressive at first. And though the fragrance may sound strange and surreal in description, it's surprisingly versatile. Likely to appeal to those around you, it’s fairly neutral in essence, suitable for all seasons and weather. One could even say it's perfectly unisex. Masa is certainly the most beautiful bottle I own — a true work of art. In fact, when buying it the second time, I didn't even hope for a stronger formulation — I was drawn to the bottle itself at a lower price to place it at the front of my perfume display. It resembles a mana potion from an Arabian-themed game or could even serve as a formidable self-defense weapon in the case of an apocalypse. Masa would easily make my top five if it had stronger performance metrics. Still, it's definitely a must-buy at a promotional price for any collector. Thanks to the mineral notes, I categorize its weirdness alongside the strangely compelling Lattafa Wajood, another exceptional composition with that wet stone effect. Masa is one of those fragrances that smells like a place you can't quite remember — a place you can only imagine or dream about. Opening note: 10 Sillage/Projection: 6+ Drydown: 9- Longevity: 7+ Blend/Composition: 9+ Versatility: 8+ Uniqueness: 9+ Value for money: 8+ Bottle design/Aesthetics: 10 Overall experience: 9- Blind-buy rating: 7-

Let me start by saying that Lattafa has improved a lot over the years. The quality of their new pride series(Masa and Vintage radio in particular) are unreal, and the oil concentration is crazy. If you see this fragrance going for $100, It's still VERY much okay to get it. Masa means diamond in Arabic. And it is a befitting name for a fragrance that revolves around that Ganymede territory. I have sampled Ganymede once, and damn... Just damn! To describe the smell is actually difficult, just like Masa. But Masa is a twist. It is to Ganymede as Khamrah is to Angels share. Mango, saffron and suede are amped up here, with the mango playing an important role here. You might miss it if you don't pay attention. It's beautifully blended. The opening has fruits, mixed with suede. Sometimes I catch the citrus, other times I smell the mango(especially when smelling from the atomizer). It's a very seductive opening that leads to a salty, saffronic and spicy curry-like base. That dry down will somehow remind you of the saffron from BR540. Very familiar, yet way different and dry saffron. Tbh, something in the fragrance smells otherworldly. Why I say that is cos of how this at times depicts the smell of wet white rocks and icy metallic environment. Each time you smell this, you're reminded of something abstract, but can't wrap your head on what it actually is. Maybe I'll just leave it at the name. It was named Diamond for a reason, yeah? Maybe Diamond should've smelt this way! The accords I get from Lattafa Masa includes: ꜱʜʀᴇᴅᴅᴇᴅ/ᴍᴀɢᴀᴢɪɴᴇ ᴘᴀᴘᴇʀ ᴠɪʙᴇꜱ, ᴡᴇᴛ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ʀᴏᴄᴋ/ᴘᴇʙʙʟᴇꜱ, ɪᴄᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅ ᴍᴇᴛᴀʟ, ꜱᴀꜰꜰʀᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴜᴇᴅᴇ, ꜰʀᴜɪᴛꜱ, ᴀ ꜱʜᴏᴇ ʙᴏᴜᴛɪQᴜᴇ, ᴇᴛᴄ. Longevity is EXTRATERRESTRIAL. 15hrs+ on my skin with 2 sprays. The sprayer spritz in short bursts, which I suppose was done on purpose. Projection is great too. It's very easy to go nose-blind to this one, but trust me, it's still present. It is totally unisex, but leans more masculine. It's also perfect for all weather. Final rating: 9.8/10! I just can't wait for the coming Lattafa releases. I just hope they keep putting out this type of amazing quality for less. I also wish they could focus a little more on daring fragrance from the likes of Zoologist, BeauFort London and Imaginary authors. 👀 Also, Fragrantica should add more of Lattafa's Pride series, and also their new Niche emarati releases. Cos I just recently got Lattafa Niche Emarati Mughal Fort, and the quality on that stuff is unreal!!! Edit: I think this fragrance DNA might even be better than Ganymedes'. This is an actual MASTERPIECE from Lattafa and evidently one of their top tiers. But hollop, I HEARD their new Niche Emarati Khanjar is even a more quality niche take on Masa. (Shhh, don't tell anybody.) 👀 Lol... I expect this fragrance to get shoved down our throats by TikTok in the near future.

Where do I start with this masterpiece? For starters this is a long lasting metallic fragrance that smells fantastic on the opening, dry down, and settle. The opening is a beautiful mango burst that isn’t necessarily super sweet but fresh and delicious like a mango smoothie made to order. The metallic touch isn’t really the main focus until like 20 minutes in where it starts to hold the reins all the way down to the settling point. The metallic smell isn’t like coins or blood at all, it’s hard to explain but it’s super fresh and invigorating. I do also get some florals that seem to keep the metallic smell more of a main but not overwhelming smell keeping it balanced between pounding and caressing the nose. I haven’t really testing the trail with anyone but I can tell you that even 2 hours in with a single spray on my under wrist I’d still get little reminders that “hey I’m still here!” And it’s never unpleasant. I definitely wouldn’t call this a safe blind buy but considering I got it for $43 the quality is just crazy. Lasted for as long as 16 hours on my skin if I don’t do too much during the day. If I wear it out and move a lot I think I’d still get up to 10 hours but around 6 hours in it really becomes a skin scent that you have to get pretty close to smell. I would wear this in tandem with something much sweeter laying under it like my JPG elixir or 1 million lucky personally as I very much enjoy the combination it has with gourmand. I would wear this to the park, store/shopping, a date, errands, sporting events or to do a sport, social gathering, or concert. I would not wear this to school, work, gym, or anything with people you don’t know and want to establish a relationship with as this scent profile can possibly be offensive to someone or since it’s easy to overspray. I would stick to a max of 6 sprays if you are daring. 1 on back or front of neck, 2 on both inner elbows, 2 on wrists, and last on your shit front. 4 sprays just don’t spray on elbows, and spray on the parts I previously stated. If you love mango you will love this opening and if you like fresh scents you might enjoy the dry down just as much. This is an easy 8/10 for me. 9/10 in some situations.

Other reviews have covered the fragrance notes (mango skin, suede, mineral notes, and touches of floral aspects, especially orange blossom), but I have to say, this fragrance has no business smelling this premium at its price range. I recently reviewed Lattafa's Wajood, an interpretation of Kenzo Pour Homme EDT Intense, which also uses Quentin Bisch's favorite note, Akigalawood. However, unlike in Wajood where Akigala is overused, the Akigalawood in Masa's base supports the suede beautifully, which in turn uplifts the mango skin in the opening. As it dries down, the fragrance blends so well that you're not exactly sure which aspect you're smelling. It transitions to a more leathery/mineralic base from the mango opening, but it's so well blended that it just smells like Masa. There's no hint of body odor here. The mango skin and saffron, combined with the suede, create a dense 'second skin' effect that's cleaned up by the mineral notes. Despite trying to avoid discussing the notes, I had to because this fragrance is just that good. It doesn't become a faithful Ganymede interpretation until after ~4 hours, so if you're looking for a dupe, this isn't it. For me, Masa beats Ganymede. Just as BR540 Extrait uses a bitter almond/cherry accord to create a more gourmand, dense twist on BR540, Masa does the same using a mango skin accord on Ganymede. Ganymede Extrait is polarizing because Bisch ramped up the Akigalawood and added Immortelle. Masa, however, should have been Ganymede Extrait. Its added notes have that BR540 Extrait effect. If you like the original Ganymede, this is a 10/10 and signature scent worthy.

Fruitier Mango note & a noticeable Cumin Note (especially in the opening) than Ganymede (which i own), closer than Bois Imperial (which actually has amazing performance for a cheap niche) and blows Emir Celestial out of the water. So essentially slightly Spicier & Fruitier Ganymede. Presentation is amazing with a gold, heavy bottle and cap clicks into place and double box. As far as longevity, projection and sillage......It projects way harder in the beginning than Ganymede, however, it starts to taper off much quicker than the OG. Ganymede sticks around way longer, with that being said, is it worth the 5x the price point? i would say no....this is probably the best alternative out there. In the air, most average people probably couldn't tell the difference. Up close and over time, i can definitely tell the difference, mostly cause of the cumin. This is definitely the best alternative at the moment, especially for $40ish. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MIND CUMIN. Grab this as an alternative, before the hype gets out of control (Khamrah, Suits/Tux, Club de Nuit Untold, Paris Corner Rifaaqat) and they jack up the prices.