Qaa'ed Al Shabaab

Imagine stepping into a dimly lit, leather-draped room with an ambiance of rugged sophistication. The air is thick, almost tactile, perfumed with the essence of untamed masculinity. Welcome to the world of Qaa'ed al Shabaab, a fragrance that defies convention to deliver a sensory experience akin to a nocturnal adventure. The fragrance greets you with a botanical duet of osmanthus and ylang-ylang, offering a subtly floral aura. There's a fleeting note of banana milkshake, providing a tantalizing sweetness that amplifies the ensuing richness. Swiftly, the scent transforms, blatantly feral and animalic from the first sniff, inviting deeper exploration. Leather and cedar form the core, emanating a leathery aroma that's neither harsh nor overly sweet. It's a manly fragrance that steers clear of shaving soap simplicity. Instead, picture a Harley biker leather jacket fused with the scent of gasoline. As it dries down, it reveals a complex tapestry of aromas: part gasoline, part rubbery, and always intriguing. This complexity, coupled with extreme longevity and sillage, elevates the fragrance to beastly levels. It's a scent that walks with you, leaving an unforgettable impression in its wake. This perfume stands as one of my go-to options for layering. The pinnacle blend I've discovered is a 30-40% base comprising Qaa'ed al Shabaab paired with 60-70% of Lattafa Velvet Oud. This fragrance blend conjures my all-time favorite aroma, Midnight in Paris by Van Cleef & Arpels, a scent I've been seeking throughout my odyssey into Middle Eastern fragrances. Also I found layering with Lattafa Sha'ari is an excellent strategy; the synergistic blend elevates both fragrances. For colder weather, this fragrance is a standout. Its warm, balsamic amber base is accented by a slight medicinal oud edge that only adds to its allure. The depth of its development is a love letter to those who crave unpredictability. Let's talk about value. Priced at €19, the value-for-money ratio is unmatched. In a market frequently inflated with exorbitant prices, this scent serves as a revitalizing alternative. View it as an overlooked masterpiece in a sphere dominated by brand notoriety and ego inflation. In conclusion, Lattafa Qaa'ed al Shabaab is a spellbinding, mysterious, enigmatic journey. With its compelling blend of sweet gasoline and buttery leather, it stands out as an intoxicating force to be reckoned with. Its undertones elevate it into distinctive category of its own, distinguishing it as one of the most potent and captivating scents emanating from the Middle East. This fragrance is not just a subtle backdrop; it's a bold proclamation, beckoning those who dare to diverge from the ordinary to take a fearless plunge into its aromatic labyrinth. Well-suited for the audacious soul, it challenges you to escape the mundane and delve into an abyss of unparalleled olfactory depth. Maison Alhambra The Serpent bears a resemblance yet distinguishes itself with a more pronounced rubbery note, adding a unique twist to the familiar aromatic profile. Opening note: 8 Sillage/Projection: 9 Dry down: 9 Longevity: 8+ Blend/Composition: 9+ Versatility: 6 Uniqueness: 9+ Value for money: 10 Bottle design/Aesthetics: 5+ Overall experience: 8+ Blind-buy rating: 1+

I’ve had my eye on this for a few months now, as well as the original Qaa’ed, but this seemed like it would fill more of a void in my current collection. I got this heavily discounted on the TikTok shop (I know..) due to some first-time-buyer coupons, so it was around $11 shipped. Because of this, I kept my expectations low, but I was hoping for the best. Especially because of the differing opinions in the reviews here, as well as my relative inexperience with leather fragrances. I wanted something that would challenge me, but as someone had described it as a “horse barn with someone chewing dip next to you” I had my concerns. Worst case I was out $11 right? I ended up making the right decision on this. I was shocked when I sprayed it for the first time. It was SO photorealistic, even more so than the Tom Ford leathers I’d sampled at stores before. It was also warmer, denser, dustier, and I preferred it like that. The florals creep in the background if you look for them, but obviously the leather accord is front and center. It isn’t synthetic leather either like a cheap wallet off of Amazon, it’s like a genuine leather jacket you find at the local thrift store that hasn’t been touched in a few years. Ever-so-slightly animalic, but less barnyard and more tannery. Add a touch of oud, and the slight gasoline smell some talk about, and it all comes together to form a beautiful contrast between the three main notes. As with many fragrances, words don’t due it justice, but if you enjoy this style of perfumery, I can’t see someone disliking it. Performance is above average, lasting me a solid 8-9 hours, but as some have said the projection really mellows out after about 2 hours. The dry down is just as good as the opening though, and the softness gives it an intriguing feeling. It isn’t a skin scent until hour 6/7, so those 4ish hours are more intimate, but I can see this getting much stronger as time goes on. Overall, as some have said, I don’t know how Lattafa does it. This seriously rivals niche offerings, in quality and uniqueness (even if it is a clone). And while I don’t think this is for everyone, I think it’s more appealing than some make it out to be (my partner loves it, and he never enjoys any of the fragrances I get as much as this). I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking to expand their tastes, and to those who already enjoy oud/leather/middle eastern style perfumes.

* Logical flanker that replaces gourmand sweet cinnamon notes of the original with fresh florals * Heady blend of leather, oud, woody, fruit, matchstick incense, smoke and floral aromas * Florals give a nice uplifting fresh note to the strong leather and oud aromas * Dry and rich fragrance * Rubber note in the drydown is toned down from the original * Very strong performer * Niche quality for discounter price * Excellent QPR value * Beautiful bottle presentation * Leather and oud are still polarizing to some noses * Not unisex * Not good for younger users * A slight touch of petrol on the drydown Lattafa's Qaa'ed Al Shabab is the first flanker to Qaa'ed. Whereas the original is a potent hybrid leather/oud/gourmand fragrance with a distinctive cinnamon note, Qaa'ed Al Shahab swaps out the sweet cinnamon for fresh florals. This is a heady blend of leather, oud, woody, fruit, matchstick incense, smoke and floral aromas. This is very dry and rich, yet the florals in particular give this a nice uplifting fresh note that lightens the otherwise very strong leather and oud aromas. The leather and oud combination is likely to be polarizing to some noses. It comes off slightly as petrol on the drydown, similar to Dior Farenheit. Still, this is an insanely good QPR value, offering niche quality at a discounter price with an incredibly strong performance to boot. This is not unisex and not good for younger users, it's really geared towards a certain type of older male user confident enough to wear it. Those who can wear it will be rewarded for it. Highly recommended if you can pull it off.

This was a bit of a journey for me. Bought this a few years ago, but the powerful, dry leather was too much for me unless I was riding a motorcycle. I kept 10 ml but re-sold the rest. I used the decant in my modest fragrance-making attempts, and it always did amazing things. So I ran out. I just re-bought a bottle and am so happy to have it. This is THE reference leather. Forget your Tom Fords with their raspberry juice, this one is for "real men." It is blunt, straightforward, no-nonsense. It is 95% leather with very light touches of wood and kerosene. Unlike so many other leather scents, this does not have the extra virgin olive oil accord, which I appreciate. Oh, and the presentation is amazing. Leather cylinder, and a bottle that you could use as a weapon because it is so heavy! Because it is so blunt, it isn't a safe blind buy, but because it only costs $19, you won't be able to get a decant of this. Here is my advice. If you have ever tried another fragrance and said "the leather is too strong in this", don't even consider this. But if you have been looking in vain for the perfect leather, and haven't found it yet, you have to try this. You may not find many opportunities to use it by itself, but it will be the first thing you reach for to provide depth, richness or character to another fragrance that is too sweet, fruity, aquatic or vanillic. Final Thought: This is to leather what Encre Noir is to vetiver.

+1 to logo2019 and others who say this is 90% a pure leather scent. There is a bit of incense, a bit of cedar; even a bit of floral note to lighten the first hour of wear. But this is primal, dry, earthy, slightly smoky leather to the core. I'm very glad I own it but it is limited in its usefulness. Hunting, motorcycle riding, camping would be perfect for this. Office, date night, clubbing - not so much. Lady puller? No. It is the kind of smell that rugged guys would like, but those kind of guys would never compliment another guy on his fragrance. But it is amazing for what it is. Beyond outdoorsy applications, I plan to use this for layering. It is THE reference scent for leather. Is that gourmand a bit too sweet? Is that blue fragrance a bit too boring? Do the freshie lack in duration? One shot of this will add dryness, depth, masculinity and performance to any of those. And don't we all have a bunch of scents that are "pleasant" but just sitting at the back of the shelf because they are missing something? They are probably missing this. I also think this would be a perfect match for an Oud scent. I'm going to try this with Bogart's One Man Show Oud Edition - I think it will work beautifully.