Attar Al Ghutra

This is a very nice oud-leather fragrance from Swiss Arabian. It opens with a good dose of oud then hints of raspberry, then the leather takes over all way through the opening and dry down. I can get bits of saffron and sandalwood, but they're all very well bended together to give that leathery and elegant fragrance. After 12+ hours, it can be quite smoky from the olibanum. The smoke mixed with the raspberry creates a shisha like experience. Those who mention a harsh opening, they probably shouldn't smell it up close and get too much oud in their noses. I think oud fragrances (or middle eastern oud blends in general) are made to be smelled in the air, not up close. For me this is a very beautiful and elegant scent, and cheaper than the likes of other brands such as Tom Ford Tuscan leather or Aqua Di Parma Ambra (considering the quantity of 100 ml). It is very potent and can be a room filler if you overspray. The sprayer/atomizer makes very small and localized spray which is intentional. This small spot is more than enough for everybody to smell you. The longevity and sillage are superb. The dry down lasts more than 8 hours on skin and for days on clothes. It's also more suitable to fall and winter, and even for formal occasions. Now I have to give credit to the amazing packaging and presentation. The beautiful Arabic calligraphy on the box is reflective and protruding. The red leaf-like markings on the box have a fabric texture to it. The box also has some poetry in Arabic, and an explanation in Arabic of what "Al Ghutra" means from a tradition point of view (is it actually what men wear on their heads in the gulf regions to protect them from the sun). Then when you open the box, you have the white bottle inside another box which has magnetic closure and a little red ribbon. I really love the attention to details, even on the bottle cap. This can be easily bought as gift for a man who is into leather fragrances, and I don't think it will disappoint.

Puts alot of my collection to shame performance wise and I own some heavy hitters that are certainly not run of the mill, I’ll put it this way, I sprayed once on a paper towel when I first got it and placed it on a table a foot away from the couch, the whole room smelled of it and two days later even though I threw the towel away the table still smells like it from a foot or two away. I would put this one into the commitment category because if you spray it and wear any jackets, sweaters, coats or the like it will be smelling like Attar Al for days if not weeks to come, I do not sense much Tuscan Leatheresque to me this stands on it’s own and is much much stronger. It’s much more Heavy and not as dirty or ashy cigarette like. No joke I can smell whiffs of it in the air feet away from the table after two days and I didn’t even spray it on the table, it’s super strong, I can’t stress that enough! If your looking for a nuclear powerhouse that is not all hype, I don’t like hype, you buy the hype and get the thing and it’s trash, then this one is definitely it but you need to like the smell of course, Attar Al is very specific, it’ does it’s job in it’s category. If I was in my 20’s I would probably not choose this but if it’s your thing then go for it. It’s not very sweet to me although it does have a brighter side if that makes any sense, also it’s very animalic but has a smooth persistent suede vibe like others have noted. It’s a definite powerhouse that is to be reckoned with, 5 sprays and holy hell you’ll be choking rooms out. I go heavy on most I own, but stuff like this there is absolutely no need. I need to give it a few proper wearings for a more in depth review but my initial impressions are about the never ending strength which is enormous, anyone nearby will definitely smell this one on the wearer. Well, it’s been a few more days and that table stills smells of the stuff from a few feet away, it’s otherworldly in persistence!! 10 out of 10

I discovered Oud for the first time 3 years ago, smelling a sample of this perfume. It blowed my head away. Put a smile on my face immediately. That was the smell I was looking for a long time. Not for young men (35+), not for sweet or easy going smells fans. Not for compliment seekers either. Not for the timid or insecure. If you care to attract people, compliments, or always being the nice guy, avoid this. That profile of man is not congruent with this perfume, and you will end looking silly and dumb. For occasions when you need to put a clear and blunt Leadership statement, without questions or permissions, ready for a fist fight. You arrive at a meeting or reunion with 4 sprays of this, calmly, secure of yourself and your intentions, well dressed, and you are saying "I'm here, I'm the boss, if anyone don't agree with that, let's go outside and let me show you why". No hesitations, no smiles looking for validation. That is what you get in a perfume with Oud on all layers, and add leather + saffron + pachouli. If you let this macerate, the rose and the raspberry will be at the very very bottom of all, accentuating the blunt masculine side of the rest of the notes. I like this so much (at this time I'm 57), being a high level director in my company, and having past my "pleasing - hunting women" phase long ago, that I have 3 bottles. WARNING: After maceration, no more that 4 sprays, or you will become the eye of a pestilent hurricane for the next 6-8 hours, and the persons around you will start a mutiny, to get rid out of you, in the most gross and cruel manner possible.

Sweetish, spicy oud right away, along with raspberry and some leather. A lot of people are saying they don't like the opening of this fragrance and only endure it for the dry-down, but I actually think the opening's great. It's a pretty linear fragrance; it gets a bit smokier as time goes on. On me, it's not overwhelmingly strong, but it lasts a very long time (a full day on skin and several days on clothing) and projects reasonably well. I only use a few sprays under my shirt, which could be why I don't find it overwhelming. I think it's appropriate for any season, but more so the colder ones due to its depth. This is, of course, an imitation of Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather. I compared it to the original along with another popular imitation, Rasasi's La Yuquwam Homme. LYH was much closer to TL, but with cigarette and cough syrup scents I disliked. This fragrance, on the other hand, I actively prefer to TL. It's more tart and slightly cleaner than TL, and has a distinct oud note absent from the original. In conclusion, I'd highly recommend this to people looking for a smoke/leather/fruit fragrance with good performance at a great price. If you're looking for a dupe of Tuscan Leather, there are closer options, but I think this fragrance wins out on its own merits.

I really enjoy this leather fragrance because although the other notes make their appearance and presence known, the leather never takes a back seat. It's a mild leather, "wallet leather" if you will, as opposed to something smokier or the kind of leather that smells like they didn't quite remove all of the animal from it. If you like that kind of leather at the heart, this is for you. I get more raspberry than what the note hierarchy indicates, prominent just underneath the leather/suede. This is fine for office wear; it's not weak, but it's not overpowering by any means. Although clearly suited for the colder months, this would work fine in the Spring and all but the warmest Summer days too. Another outstanding effort by Swiss Arabian.