Qimmah for Men Eau de Parfum 100ml

The materials in Lattafa Qimmah for Men Eau de Parfum 100ml are the same nine that make up the original Qimmah, ordered slightly differently, so this is a question of marketing rather than of formula and the fragrance should be judged on its own merits. It opens on almond and coffee. The almond is sweet with a bitter undertone, the coffee is dark, roasted and sharply bitter, and the two of them make a start that is unmistakably rich and a little stern. Nothing about it feels gendered either way.

The middle brings jasmine, tuberose and tonka bean. The flowers are both creamy and heady, tuberose the thicker of the two, and the tonka bean threads a soft, powdery sweetness between them, like the dust at the bottom of a flour bag. It softens the coffee without cancelling it out. Cocoa, vanilla and sandalwood finish it, listed in that order here, and the cocoa leading the base gives this version a drier, darker close than you might expect: more dark chocolate than custard, with the vanilla behind it and sandalwood smoothing the texture.

In wear it is strong and long lasting, as sweet compositions at this concentration tend to be. Expect several hours of projection and a presence on clothing into the following day. Two sprays is plenty. Whether you buy this or the original is a matter of which bottle and which price you prefer. Both suit cold weather and evenings, and both are perfectly wearable by anyone regardless of the name on the box.

The Sharjah company behind it runs seven brands, sells on its made in the Emirates credentials, and has built a substantial international business on bottles like this one since Khamrah and Yara made the name familiar.