Oudain by Lattafa Perfumes

Delicious! It opens with a sharp hit of whisky, then vanilla, woods, spices and tonka bean take the reins. The price is ridiculous; I can’t believe something so cheap smells this good. It reminds me of Sand Dance by Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777. I bought one, sniffed it and immediately searched for a backup. In fact, I’m going to grab a third because they’re being discontinued. It’s straight into my top 5 fragrances of all time. 10/10.

I received it and atomised it a week ago. At first, I thought I’d been scammed with a fake or expired perfume. As Bofifa says, it hits you like a punch to the stomach at 6 am. The first aroma is automotive grease and burnt engine oil. After two or three minutes, the second wave: rancid oranges with vanilla and woody touches. After 30 minutes, it softens, giving orange peel, incense, wood, leather, vanilla, and something bitter or tar-like. This lasts until the first or second hour. Then comes a third wave, just as strong and strange as the initial one, that animal fat, bait, or lanolin sensation (like sheep’s fat). I don’t recommend buying it without smelling it first. I didn’t like it at all, but I’ve atomised it on papers and surfaces to see how it evolves; it has improved a bit in a week. Perhaps with months it will be pleasant. It lasts a very long time; I can still smell it on paper after four days with no change. Be careful, on paper it leaves ochre and oily stains, so don’t use it on the skin for safety. I doubt the authenticity because the box looks fine but the bottle has handmade details, defects, and uneven UV resin. I’ve heard Arabs have factory defects. If anyone knows how to verify it, I’d appreciate the help. Anyway, it’s not bad, but it’s not to my liking nor to anyone I’ve shown it to. I’ll keep testing it on inert surfaces and will update. Update (19/09/25): It’s my diary, so I retract almost all the negative points. The scent is exquisite and strange; the main chords are precise, though not the olfactory notes. I’d describe it as a ‘serious vanilla’, warm with fresh hints: it smells of vanilla, leather, citrus-type orange, black pepper, woods, and smoke. It’s in my top 3 and here you can get it for $10 or $11. Cheers!

The best way to describe it is a child between Lattafa Ameer Al Oud Intense and Gucci Guilty Absolute. If you haven’t tried them, it’s a well-sweet vanilla/oud that gives a syrup sensation on a dessert with biscuits, but it also has that automotive grease chord you’ll recognise if you’ve hung out with any mechanic. That chord isn’t unpleasant; in fact, it’s the part of the Gucci Guilty Absolute fusion that many men like, though not so much women. It’s linear: what you get at the start it maintains throughout. If you like blind buying and don’t clash with those aromas, it’s a very good option for the price; you lose little or resell it. If you only like easy and generic scents, try a decant first. I haven’t measured how long it lasts on skin, but on blotting paper it lasted more than three days. It’s for night and cold climates.

What I perceive here isn’t in the declared notes: a pineapple chord, some liquor, saffron, oud, and vanilla. Totally niche and not easy to wear.

A challenging perfume with a very distinct personality. An explosion of spices and woods sweetened by vanilla and tonka bean. Excellent trail and eternal longevity. Like any good perfume, it’s not easy wear and needs its time to adapt, but if you want to smell different, exclusive and elegant, this is a perfect option. Abstain if you’re a fan of commercial, mass-market perfumes. A true Arabian delight, risky and sublime. A 10.

Perfectly, it would be number one of the worst Lattafa perfumes.

After months and expanding my niche collection, using it again, it smells different and better. It’s a good buy for the price and very peculiar; it doesn’t resemble any commercial scent. It’s risky: for people who understand perfumes and want something different. It’s not versatile or seeking compliments, but you will stand out when passing by, for better or worse. It breaks the mould and offers a unique aroma.

What age group do you recommend this for?

It possesses an oud that I simply didn’t like; I find it ‘wild’, especially that omnipresent note, very camphoraceous or medicinal (burnt menthol), which I repeat, I didn’t like at all and which presents itself as dominant. I wouldn’t buy it again and it’s a perfume you should NOT buy blind. I’ve had the old version of Gucci Guilty Absolute and I understand why some see it playing in that league, sharing that vibe or similarity, but GG is more wearable. And regarding one review that likened it to ‘rancid or old nail polish’, I share that olfactory sensation. The only good thing about Oudain is its longevity (it’s clearly a beastmode perfume), especially on clothes; you wear it and it’s barely noticeable, but after eight hours in enclosed spaces, others smell it and it’s overwhelming; nor have I heard criticisms that it smells ‘bad’ or ‘weird’. Remember it was very hyped and prices rose; as of January 2023 you can find it at bargain prices around 15-20 euros, but it’s not worth it due to its lack of versatility.

Spicy notes, nuts, leather, and a sweet vanilla touch with woods. It’s a formula the brand is expert at repeating. A warm, thick pleasure with good longevity and projection. For me, that sweetness makes it unisex.

Spices, nuts, a touch of leather and a sweet, vanilla-tinged note with woods. A fairly common formula in which the brand is an expert. A warm pleasure, with body, and with plenty of longevity and projection. For me, its sweetness makes it unisex.

A long-lasting, challenging, and very masculine fragrance. Sexually intense, for when intentions are clear. It doesn’t claim to have oud, but to me it smells animalic, like a stable. Longevity and projection are infinite. Only for collectors.

Mojonaco is like the hat of a matador… a strange mix of quality ‘churrera’ notes that have nothing to do with A.2. Opening is leather, smells of bad nail polish, something sweet and a strange dry-down that barely reaches acceptable… it does last, though. From Shades of Wood by Armaf (smells like dust and insecticide) I wouldn’t have tried something so bad, at least the bottle is pretty. I wouldn’t recommend it at all.

A good fragrance with a surprise. It’s the same as Opulent Red from the same house; I say the same because they are the same liquid in different bottles, identical. I own both and on the first spray I thought of Opulent Red, then tested it on the other arm and confirmed: same fragrance, what a pity. They are usually strong, rich, with good projection and longevity for their price. If you already have Opulent, save yourself the trouble of buying this because you already have it.