Sheikh Al Shuyukh Luxe Edition

If you are also reckless like me, and you read my impressions, you should know that I am a blind buyer because I enjoy the surprise and excitement of the unknown. Sure, not completely blind, but I often rely on notes and chords and then rely on my instincts. The positive reviews here and on YouTube drew me, and when I saw the low price, I couldn’t help but order it online. Lattafa has a few scents named Sheikh Al Shuyukh, which I still need to get, and this one is Luxe, which features a rich and delicious caramel sauce. You will be surprised to find how this smells like natural caramel made of high-quality butter, toasted and melted white sugar, a pinch of cream, and a healthy amount of salt. And I want to stress white sugar since brown sugar and molasses are used for making butterscotch and toffee. Plain white sugar doesn’t have a strong smell on its own, but the real magic happens when it’s heated. Eerie enough, caramel seems not to be a purely American-made confection, as there are believe that Arabs discovered the caramel around 1000 AD; they called it “kurat al milh,“ i.e., sweet ball of salt. Therefore, what is better than an Arabian scent with a touch of caramel? Sheikh Al Shuyukh Luxe is the typical Middle Eastern style fragrance, solid and smooth, well rounded, and never pungent. The opening is intoxicating, like a boozy drink, a flavoured Armagnac with creamy amber and spicy nuances. A blast of sweet, rosy, and tangy cinnamon oozes at first. Followed by a detectable rose, balanced by the lovely, hay-like fresh saffron flower. The dark red spicy powder is not as medicinal as in other Middle Eastern fragrances. I get lots of oud sap along with rose or whatever smells like oud, as that note does not show anywhere. However, not the typical rose-oud combo. There is a twist here; the earthy oud is prominent while flowers and spices walk a few steps behind it. The first minutes are all about sweet booziness with a honeyed, waxy tinge, enjoyable and not obnoxious. Some people liken the initial aroma to a waxing salon’s smell because of the beeswax with the resin used there. The rose leads here, not too feminine, though you must like the rose to appreciate the fragrance. If the opening act is intriguing, the middle one is even better. I mentioned a pink-oud pairing with a twist, and that’s because of the caramel, a smoky and incensed caramel, toasty and not to be confused with burnt sugar. You must smell it to understand how good and beautiful dark oud feels when mixed with salted caramel. The scent begins to develop complexity in terms of smell, like the granulated sugar that melts when the heat increases and releases a nutty aroma. The smokiness and sweetness get more depth when dirty patchouli kicks in. The scent projects, and a kind of mysterious warmth wraps my body. And then comes the last act, where the scent softens to a woody and amber veil. Cedarwood adds a pencil shavings vibe to the creaminess of blond sandalwood. The vanilla gains thickness and its dustiness expands and joins the oud and the woods. A beautiful base full of powdery amber and sweetness, with a smoky oud background. The nearly chocolaty caramel turns into burnt sugar. Now it’s patchouli’s turn to lead the race; very earthy and sweetish, so you have to like patchouli too to appreciate the fragrance. What about amber and ambroxan? Well, the former is clean, no question about it. Instead, the latter shows up with salty and musky facets, not dominant and not on par with #Sauvage and all other modern releases. Sheikh Al Shuyukh Luxe has the same intensity and power as Montale’s perfumes without being a copy of them. It is a deep, dense, cold weather fragrance I will wear throughout the cutting chilly nights outdoors here in Italy. Not recommended in summer, as it might be annoying. It projects easily for a few hours and lasts many hours as a skin scent. I sprayed it on my backhand and pillow before going to sleep, and the warmth of the amber tinge lingered the day after. It seems the strongest and best performer among all the Lattafa items I’ve tested. The sweetness in there makes it a fragrance with a slightly feminine slant. Enjoy this great, dreamy jewel if you are a man with a penchant for sweet, cozy, and gourmand colognes. I base my feelings and opinion on a bottle I have owned since December 2022 (BC M81.0301291, PD 03.2022)

This is the best value proposition within the fragrance industry. What do I mean by that? This is the best fragrance you can buy for what you get in terms of smell and quality versus the price you pay. The caveat is obviously this fragrance is not for everyone. It has a very distinct Middle Eastern vibe. For those in the west only at the start of their fragrance journey this smell may overwhelm their noses. However, if you are deeper down the rabbit hole and have been exposed to Middle Eastern scents then it will be more palatable. Also you need to be into vanilla ambers. The scent is self to my nose leans slightly feminine. But it is a classic vanilla amber in the typical middle eastern style. Ambery, sweet, vanilla and a touch of oud with rose and some incense. This is where my gripe starts with the industry. And why I believe this is a true gem. It is around this time of the year I start bringing out the vanilla ambers in my collection. I have most of the heavy hitters. Amber Absolute by Tom Ford (£350 on average for 100ml). Serge Luten’s Ambre Sultan (£182 100ML). Grand Soire by MFK (£345 for 200 ML). Dior Mitzah (£345 for 250 ML). And my personal favourite of the bunch Dolce & Gabanna Velvet Amber Sun (£325 for 150 ML). Some of these are discontinued and have been reformulated and watered down etc. Now Sheikh Al Shayukh may not be as nuanced or complex as Mitzah. It may not be as resinous as Amber Absolute. But it smells as rich and luxurious as all the above. It performs better than all of them, well outlasting them in terms of longevity and better sillage. The scent profile is not cheap or synthetic. Granted out of the box it might not smell the best, but with time as the bottle ages it blooms. It stands toe to toe with all the high end and niche vanilla ambers out there. All of this can be had for £15. So how can all these other houses justify their prices for their juices? SAS doesn’t smell any cheaper or lighter than any of them. They all contain synthetics and aroma chemicals too. Sure the packaging and bottle aren’t on the same level as the others, but even then, it puts all these other brands to shame. I generally believe you get what you pay for, but when you come across something like this, it becomes hard to justify the high price tags of the other scents. How can Lattafa produce something like this at this price yet the other houses want to charge ten times more for scents that aren’t even as twice as good? For these reasons I believe this is an absolute must in every fraghead’s collection. Aside from clones/dupes this is the best fragrance out there for the money period. You can smell like a Middle Eastern millionaire for £15! A few sprays on colder nights and you’re good.

**Spellbound Fragrance Review: "Sheikh Al Shuyukh Luxe Edition"** Imagine this: You’re perched high atop a remote, snow-kissed mountain, the world below a canvas of shimmering white. Inside, the wooden chalet breathes rustic charm, its cedar planks soaked in warmth. The fire crackles seductively in the stone fireplace, illuminating a scene that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. A sumptuous fur rug sprawls across the floor, inviting you to sink into its opulent embrace. And there he is—an enigma of sensual masculinity, his olive-toned skin glowing in the firelight. He exudes a raw, smoldering sexuality that hints at both strength and tenderness, his every move steeped in confidence and allure. This moment is bottled in *Sheikh Al Shuyukh Luxe Edition*, a fragrance so evocative it blurs the boundaries between scent and sensation. It begins with a magnetic burst of *rose, cinnamon, and saffron*, a trio that immediately captivates with its rich, spicy warmth and a delicate floral sophistication. The cinnamon crackles like the fire’s glow, while saffron’s golden touch weaves an intoxicating allure through the opening notes. The heart of the fragrance deepens into an irresistible blend of *caramel and patchouli*. The caramel is creamy and decadent, wrapping you in gourmand luxury, while the earthy, slightly sweet patchouli adds depth and intrigue, grounding the sweetness with its enigmatic warmth. Together, they conjure the image of the spice-laced caramel mocha latte swirling through the air of the chalet. As the scent settles, the base unfolds in a sensual embrace of *woodsy notes, vanilla, amber, and ambroxan*. These notes evoke the rugged yet refined masculinity of the man across from you. The woodsy elements are robust and grounding, while vanilla and amber add a creamy, golden softness. Ambroxan, with its musky, slightly salty character, whispers of skin warmed by firelight, leaning in closer, teasing the promise of a kiss. *This isn’t just a fragrance—it’s an experience.* Sheikh Al Shuyukh Luxe Edition wraps you in a sensory embrace, transporting you to a world where every detail is crafted for seduction. It’s the essence of a stolen kiss, a fleeting glance, and the promise of something unforgettable. Wear it when you dare to captivate.

Okay. This one is a bit complicated to describe. First of all, it was 100% a blind buy. I never knew what I got. Didn't even tell the seller to spray it on a test strip which I kind of regret. It was still summer when I got it last Feburary (I live in the southern hemisphere) so there was no way I was gonna wear it after I read about the notes here and the first impression that followed. I did buy it because I wanted a fragrance for when it gets colder. The first spray (in my arm unfortunately) was bittersweet. A strong incense-like (or was it probably the oud?) smell hits my nostrils. It was way too powerful for my autistic senses and had to back away from it almost immediately. It lingered for a very, very long time. No matter how much I would walk around, that strong opener would continue hitting me. Hard. I only recall feeling that and nothing more. As with every Lattafa (or Arabic, or Middle-Eastern fragrances in general) fragrance, people always advise you to let them macerate. So I did. I left it in a dark and cold spot in my home for a month, and continued using my main frag which was CDNIM at the time. Fast forward to March. Another spritz in my arm and... wow. Well, first off, the incense-like/oud smell was still there, but it got softer and creamer. It was bearable now. Not only that but giving it 15 minutes approx. the drydown IMO now feels like a rich, seductive and playful combo of vanilla and roses, with touches of caramel and cinnamon. All enclosed in a bubble of powder which softens everything. In-cre-di-ble. Longevity and sillage are both loooooong. Not Sauvage Elixir-like levels tho. I can recall that fateful first spray lasting an entire day on my arm, even after two showers since all I felt there was the then-sickening opener. Yes, even after a day. The second spray after that month of maceration lasted almost the same, if not slightly more. I paid $13 for the bottle on a duty-free store. The verdict? I really... love this, even though it leans more on the feminine unisex side than just unisex. Despite that, I'll wear it anyway, but not yet. Qaed Al-Fursan is my current Fall frag atm, so I'll let this macerate even more before Winter comes. Fingers crossed for June. June '24 update: lol

Omg i first got this around an year ago (it was at summer) and i immediately sold it because of how much strong and nose destroying it was. My nose was not ready by then. Luckily i sold to a friend of mine and after a few mounts (when it was winter in the same year) i smelled it on my friend and it was so beautiful that i bought it again. This fragrance is for someone who like middle eastern smells. The rose, the oud and saffron on this lattafa are superbly smelling. I am incredibly surprised that lattafa made this. It smells like something that mancera or montale would do, but the price is more than amazing. Definitely top 3 lattafas. Well the bottle is classy and fine, but the cap looks and feels really cheap. The box is also not charming. The longevity is more than 10 hours and filing room projection for the first few minutes and at least 2 meters for 5-6 hours. Even after that it still projects pretty good. Don't spray on clothes because you will need to wash them if you want to remove the scent. Don't get me wrong, the scent is amazing, but not for all occasions. Bottle Design: 6.5 Longevity: 8.5 Projection Power: 7 Projection Time: 8 Scent: 9 (you probably not like it that much) Price: 10 Overall: 8.16 HOW DO I RATE PERFUMES: | V Bottle Design: How much do I like the bottle, the cap, the box and the sprayer Longevity: On skin 10 (16+ hours), 9 (12-16 hours), 8 (10-12 hours), 7 (8-10 hours), 6 (6-8 hours), 5 (3-6 hours) Projection Power: 10 (Fills a street), 9 (fills a room), 8 (can smell from 5 meters), 7 (3 meters), 6 (within arms reach bubble), 5 (20cm from skin) Projection Time: 10 (10+ hours), 9 (8-10 hours), 8 (6-8 hours), 7 (5-6 hours), 6 (4-5 hours), 5 (2-4 hours) Scent: How much do I like the scent Price: Self explanatory I am experienced and i always buy original fragrance. I only rate fragrances which i tested for at least a month in different environment and with different people. Also i am spraying them on my girlfriend (she hates it) to test if i go nose blind to them and to see if it feels different on someone else's skin. I always give my honest opinion. Greetings from Bulgaria.