Enigma of Taif

I am a certified rose hater. I don't blind anything that has got a note of rose in it. But I took a risk with Enigma of Taif because I absolutely love everything I got from the Cities Collection and all I heard were good things about it. This was a gamble that paid off. Yes, it's very rose leaning, but it's not your typical grandma rose. This one is youthful, sparkling and addictive. It's almost intoxicating and definitely makes a statement. I get some violet and pleasant saffron too, not much plum. There's also spicy pepper, elemi and cardamom in the opening which all work beautifully with the rose. Somehow Enigma of Taif screams spring to me, but she'll absolutely work in Autumn and Winter as well. Maybe it's got bit too much going on for hot summer day, but in the evening? Absolutely! Overall, it smells amazing and I can't get enough of it! Leaning feminine, but I imagine it'd be great for a male too. Performance is great, beautiful presentation too. Another stunning fragrance from the Cities Collection. Very tempting to get them all!

I agree with Nycswervo, there is something oudy in here. But that's not at all the first thing that I get from this one. The taif rose is distinctively recognizable, and takes center stage. It is accompanied by a swirl of notes of cardamom, saffron, and the various incense notes. Unlike in many rose-incense fragrances, here the incense doesn't choke the rose, it gently wafts around her. And yes, a woody note is present throughout. This is very beautiful, subtle fragrance with many facets. It comes with a little note warning about the high concentration of oils, and it definitely is very oily on the skin. In my book that's a good thing and a sign of quality, natural ingredients. I only just received mine today, so I'll update this review in a few days when I'll have had more time to test it out.

This is just amazing, I like this type of well blended not mass appealing fragrances. For sure, initial sprays are somewhat off, too much happening at once. Leave it to maturate for a couple of weeks, then the magic happens and all the ingredients merge. This is not your typical rose fragrance, i haven't smell anything like it, this is definitely masculine profile. Performance is very good, i get up to 10hrs on skin, strong projection in the first 4hrs, on clothes i can smell it even the next day. If you are looking for a unique fragrance, that has character and depth, get this. But, i do recommend sample first. This could be worn in many instances if you enjoy it, but in the heat can get cloying and also for the office don't go more than 5 sprays. 10/10.

Enigma of Taif is unique but also familiar at the same time. It has a lot of nuances that oriental fragrances typically have but at the same time it is it's own thing. As I sprayed it I immediately thought I have something like this in my collection and some fragrances like Montale's Infinity or Arabians Tonka and Ignite Oud came to my mind but it's only facets of those that are present here, it's not redundant. It's definitely not for everyone but at the same time trained and even untrained noses will appreciate this one. It doesn't seem to be too loud but the quality is there, the longevity is there and the complexity is there. This is a solid 9/10 for me.

Coming back to add a second review two months after purchasing. I have never been a believer in "maceration". But I do have to admit that in this case, the change is undeniable. After a few wears, I had left it aside, just because I have so many other perfumes I wanted to wear this winter, and only ended up using it again today. I am blown away by how much the longevity has increased. I used to get 6-8 hours out of this when I first bought it, which was already solid. Today, I sprayed at 10am, and tonight at 10pm I'm still getting whiffs of this beautiful perfume. Changing my "like" vote to a "love"! Absolutely fantastic fragrance!

As someone who doesn't typically like fragrances with rose in it this is completely different I love this perfume, the rose is very prominent but done to perfection. Like the previous reviews I get a oud note in here too buts it's not overpowering its quite pleasant drys down into a smooth woody slightly oudy rose scent. Can't comment about longevity or performance only received it a few hours ago from posting this review. By the note in the box warning about high concentration of oils I have no doubt it's a good performer with strong projection.

Shockingly great and classy fragrance for the price (I paid 39 Euros!). With excellent performance. Spicy, slightly fresh and luxurious rose in perfect harmony with saffron, violet and an ambery woody base, hints of smoke and leather give it a more serious character. Smells like a 250 dollar niche fragrance in the air. And people WILL smell it on you, I even got a compliment 7 hours after application. Perfectly unisex, anywhere, anytime (except on a hot summer day I would imagine) 10/10

Dude, this is the beast, spicy rose scent, i wish it should be the jammy rose but this profile is also nice. I sprayed it on my wife and i wore something else, i was able to smell only this from my wife and i was not able to smell the perfume i was wearing. Definitely a unisex, and those who are saying rose are not for men, i will say those are boys showing off their jpgs .... This is a truly sophisticated and men can wear this for sure.

A tad spicy in the opening in a middle eastern way, after 15-20 mins it starts enveloping into that ambery rosey scent with the molasses that keeps it from being too dark. It’s insanely long lasting and to my nose projects very well. For this price it’s punching way above its weight. Overall it’s a banger and in my eyes can be worn by both genders. Amazing stuff, better than a lot of niche fragrances I’ve had and smelt.

It’s not a light rose scent, it’s quite heavy and spicy, but in a good way. I personally don’t smell oud here like others say. The opening might be harsh for some, but I really enjoy it. It becomes really nice and a bit sweet once it settles down. The quality is very good. The scent is nuclear. I wouldn’t spray more than 2–4 times, depending on whether I’m indoors or outdoors. No maceration was needed for mine.

Really enjoying this, it is definitely Taif rose heavy, not sweet or sickly rose. Dries down very quickly to get the base notes so after about 20mins I'm left with rose, amber, vetiver and labdanum, thankfully I'm not getting the molasses at all. I can also smell musk even though there isn't any apparently. I like it, quite a lot actually.

I just got this yesterday and I love it! Its smoky, ambery sweet plumy and you get that fresh hit of taif rose. For the price this is a must have in my opinion. If you love dark, sexy, sweet but not too sweet fragrances, get this. I may be the only one but I got that side effect smokiness and sweetnes idk it smells very familiar.

This is SUCH a different rose scent I’m in love!! I can’t think of anything this reminds me of it’s definitely not atomic rose or oud satin mood anything like that it’s a spicy rose with slightly fruity and woody notes it’s very sensual and dark it’s STRONG too this filled my room with 2 sprays 🌹🌹

perfect special occasion scent for me. opening can definitely come off harsh in that middle eastern-y way, but after 30 minutes it dries down to a beautiful rose, slightly sweet, tad bit spicy and woody scent. it's playful but not immature. semi-blind buy safe; i'd say its worth giving a shot

This isn’t a simple floral; it’s a story of contrasts - tender yet powerful, radiant yet shadowed. A fragrance for those who wear elegance like a secret.. It is stunning, complex, and super sophisticated. One of the most unique and prettiest rose fragrances i’ve smelt.

Its an excellent fragrance, I thought it would remind me of Taif Rose or its attar, but this does not. It's warm and spicy in the beginning and taif rose in the drydown and projects really well. It actually gives you a journey but this is amber-heavy to me

Gorgeous scent. One of the best releases from 2025. Spicy opening that dries down to a taif rose and amber combo. Fantastic release from a great collection. 8+ hours of longevity from 2 wears as a test.

This is a gorgeous 10/10 top quality fragrance. I blind bought this based on hype and this is one of the times that I’m glad I did. Better than perfumes costing 4 times the price.

To my nose, this smells exactly like Dynasty from Lattafa. I really enjoy it, but don't need it since I have the other. It's woody, and leans masculine. Not a safe blond buy.

This is spectacular! Spicy, ambery rose with an aromatic quality and for this price point? Insane. If you’re a rose lover, just get it and if you aren’t, get it too haha!

Rosey, Woody, Saffron, Tea is what I'm getting from it. Blended really well, strong sillage and lasts a long time. One of my best blind buys. 4/5

Great perfume but needs macerating for at least 2 months or more in my experience Projection: 10/10 Longevity: 10/10 Scent: 9/10

This came today. Am very impressed. Opening feels like Baccarat Rouge 540, very deep opening. Pick up the rose.

I just love it when my.wife.is wearing.more.than.most.of her niche perfumed including portrait of lady.

very unique and interesting rose fragrance and I think that you can wear it all year round

Beautiful and high quality for the price. A 9/10

Uh-oh ! Another blind I didn't end up liking😅 I'm gonna give it to my mom. She'll definitely love it. Boys just trust me and stay away ! On the other hand the right men can pull it off beautifully. Update: I sent it to my mom. She loved it but I have a shirt I sprayed it on and damn I keep going back to the shirt just because it smells great 😅 I did end up liking it and I'm saving that shirt for spring. I wouldn't say I love it and I'm not buying another bottle but it is definitely eternal on clothes so that's one reason I like it and it changes to a more mature woody spicy rose that may suit the right men

The opening of this fragrance isn’t anything special to me personally, smells like many Middle Eastern fragrances. It opens up with predominantly taif rose but also something sweet (I assume from the plum) which I’m not a fan of. However the dry down smells like luxury you still get the beautiful taif rose but it’s slightly tamed by the labdanum which is what some people are mistaking for oud. I personally recommend to sample before purchasing as even for someone who loves rose fragrances the opening was too much for me.

The best way I can describe this is "magnetic". It's a very addictive fragrance with spicy, ambery, earthy qualities throughout. It's like a less sweet, less resinous, drier, earthier version of Rayhaan Terra with more of a green, rose note. You can get away with wearing this all year round, day or night, but I would probably avoid it during extremely high heat. I'd love to own this fragrance, but unfortunately my wife doesn't like it at all so will have to savour my 5ml sample!

Value per dollar is very high with this fragrance. It just smells rich and luxurious. The rose here is bright and playful rather than dark and sexy. The opening plum note is too sweet for my taste. Definitely not unisex. Sweet opening and bright rose inevitably leans fem. This is beast mode, 24hr and survives the shower type sht. You will get noticed for better or worse.

Smell like how id imagine a Middle Eastern prince to smell. Smells nice, not my style. Not blind but safe.

It reminds me of a cinnamon chai like tea with some rose, though there isn’t any cinnamon it’s probably the saffron and olibanum giving this impression. The spices and incense are pronounced and kind of rough, I expected the whole thing to be smoother and more ambery. The rose is there but it kind of competes with the spices rather than being blended. The cardamom in this I think or the variety of rose give off a slight minty air which I didn’t like. Overall it’s nice enough but didn’t wow me. I write this having only had it a day so perhaps it will develop.

This is a great perfume, but it may not be for everyone. I love its scent; it’s very high-quality and has a unique rose fragrance. It’s also masculine and feminine, making it a good choice for those who want to smell unique and different, yet professional. Do I like it? Yes Would I wear it? Probably Does it last? 6+ Did it blow me away? No Safe blind? No Worth the price? Proabably no Is it unique? Yes Overall rating: 6.5/10

Don’t late pyramid off notes makes you fool it, this fragrance is OUD- DARK HEAVY ROSE. If you ike oud satin mood ,ombre nomade maybe like this. Performance is amazing, everything you expect from a fragrance. I'll give the perfume a second chance if it changes my mind. But today i give 6/10 for the smell. Performance 10/10.

Detect very little rose in this. It’s just an incense heavy, amber spice bomb to me. Very linear, thick and cloying amber fragrance - smells like there’s beeswax in here but assume that’s the elemi I’m detecting. Nothing unique, smells like a generic amber fragrance tailored for middle eastern audiences. Does smell expensive and lasts ages - but just not what I expected. The rose is incredibly faint. There’s something about this fragrance that just seems unfinished to me. Edit - layer this with Givenchys Linterdit Rouge and thank me later. Adds a wonderful boost of sweet florals which gives this fragrance much needed texture and lift with a touch of brightness.

This perfume is so praised that I expected at least half of what I heard. I bought it and regretted it. I thought it was a fake even though it was a verified seller, I bought two more samples to make sure it wasn't a lie, but it's not a lie, this smells like everything except what they say it is. Don't buy blindly.

I blind bought it and on my skin it smells like a car tire and heated breaks after down hill the alps. I have a lot of rose perfumes, all blind buys and this is the first one I dislike.

Horrid. Next to it, badee al oud amethyst feels like artisanal niche. Hope you understand.

I have been after this one for a while. First time I smelled this was back in December/January. It was mesmerising. My students got me this as a gift last week. I took it with me on holiday and I enjoyed it a lot. It is a luxurious scent that leans masculine to me because it feels dark. It is definitely for special occasions. The scent starts off with a jammy rose that’s dense and rich and dark. It doesn’t feel synthetic and isn’t sweet or screechy. There’s a little spice from cardamom but this isn’t overbearing at all. This fragrance dries down with the rose still being there but softer. I truly enjoy this scent for how rich and special it is. It lasts an extremely long time. The price (approx £50 I’ve seen it for) is unbelievably worth it for such a good fragrance. This isnt a safe blind buy but that’s not what this one was made for. It is something more unique and not a daily driver but a statement piece. Go try this and appreciate it.

My favorite buy so far in 2026. A masculine, dense but airy, beautiful, syrupy but fresh rose fragrance. Smelling this is an experience in and of itself -- it's so beautiful, warm and ambery but still fresh and delicate. The beautiful and gentle taif rose is surrounded by all the right notes with the correct amount of strength in them and that's what makes it so special. I have several bottles of 'Rehlat' by Lattafa (not listed on Fragrantica unfortunately), another beautiful rose and amber fragrance, but it has been discontinued and I've been looking for a replacement. Now, i've found it. I can't recommend it enough.

I agree to the reviewer below.Just got it today.It smells like typical middle eastern fragrance and it’s nothing special.I was hoping for a nice rose.I think I bought it because of the name and thinking it will be a nice taif rose fragrance.Very disappointed and you could find this kind of fragrance for cheaper price..Anyway ,I am going to leave it away after spraying couple of time to see if it changes over time.Nice box and bottle.Well presented.

Sweet, a little spicy rose, dries to more on the sweeter side while staying unisex. Beautiful scent. Rose stays prominent and its not an overbearing one. I used a decant to place my opinions and sprayed 2 on inner elbow where I could still smell it 10 hours later. Projection is not a room filler but tbh this type of profile I dont think you'd want it to be anyhow, its there to be discovered. I just hope when I purchase it lasts similarly.

Just got in today , opens up like initio after affect with plum and drys down to oud satin mood with more rose , it drys down rlly fast I got the oud satin moon type of smell after 30 min , overall if you love oud and rose you would like this I just hate Swiss Arabian doesn’t mention how woody it is , at the top instead it says “ warm spicy” this is 60% oud 30% rose 10% everything els but it’s still a good scent

Just an honest brief review for anyone looking for it Do not listen to these people below saying it’s Oud satin or ombré nomad, either they’ve not smiled both these fragrance or their nose is completely bursted. This fragrance is incredible, it’s 100 percent a niche fragrance and the rose is immaculate. It’s very matured, complex and inviting. Fell in love from the first spray

So far, this is the best fragrance from Swiss Arabian. Even though I’m usually not a fan of rose-based fragrances, this one feels unique, smooth, and much more wearable for my taste.

Initio aide effect on my recent comment I’m thinking of the dupe to it

Purchased recently and loving it, perfect oriental vibe...10/10

Side *** omg 3rd time is a charm