Reviewed: Lattafa Bade'e Al Oud Amethyst

Lattafa's Bade'e Al Oud line runs to several flankers and Amethyst is the sweet, floral one. If you have tried Khamrah and found it too much like a dessert, this is the same house pointed in a rosier direction.

The scent

It opens sweet and fruity with a clear rose sitting on top. Underneath is the house's oud-and-amber base — smoky, resinous, a little dry — which stops the sweetness from turning into candy. Over a couple of hours the fruit burns off and what is left is rose over warm woods.

It is not a subtle fragrance and does not pretend to be. But it is better balanced than most of what sits at this price.

Performance

Strong projection for the first two hours, then it settles close to the skin and stays there most of a day. Two sprays is plenty; four is a decision you are making on behalf of everyone in the room.

Cool weather suits it. In real heat the sweetness amplifies and it becomes heavy.

The bottle

Deep aubergine glass with a gold geometric diamond and Arabic calligraphy across the front, a matching cap, and a purple-and-gold box with a window. This is where the money in Middle Eastern fragrance goes and it is not an accident — the presentation is a large part of what you are buying at $59.99 for 100ml.

Who it's for

Anyone who likes sweet and rosy with some smoke underneath. If you want the spicier, more cinnamon-forward version, Khamrah is the one. If you want fresh, clean or aquatic, look at Salvo instead — this will read as far too heavy.

$59.99.

Shop the Lattafa Bade'e Al Oud Amethyst Eau de Parfum — 100ml — free US shipping over $150.