Asad

Asad announces itself from the first spray — black pepper, a flash of pineapple, tobacco — and somehow it all makes sense together. There's something almost cola-like in the opening that sounds strange until you smell it, and then you get it immediately. The heart settles into coffee and patchouli, smooth and a little dark, before the whole thing lands in a warm, commanding base of amber, vanilla, benzoin and dry woods that stays close to the skin and lasts most of the day. Projection is strongest in the first couple of hours then pulls inward without disappearing. Best in the evening, best in cool weather, and like a lot of Lattafa fragrances it rewards a little patience — give it ten minutes after spraying before you judge it. Two sprays maximum.