In my last post, I reviewed Zara’s Sand Desert at Sunset, comparing it to Angel Share, and in that review, I’d mentioned that I’d finally gotten my hands on a bottle of Lattifa’s Khamerah. This is a much sought-after and hyped dupe Killian’s Angel’s Share. But actually, it wasn’t a dupe of Angels Share that I was after. Rather, I bought it in a quest to find a fragrance similar to the Zara fragrance that would give me more performance value.
However, I must admit that although I do enjoy this fragrance – no regrets about purchasing it – I’m a little disappointed, and there are three main reasons for this. First, Lattafa fragrances, like other fragrances from the Middle East, are neither easy to get nor as affordable as they are in other countries compared to where I live in Japan. I paid almost three times the price of the Zara fragrance to get a hold of this Latiffa bottle. They are supposed to cost about the same, I think.
Second, although this fragrance does last a lot longer than the Zara version, I wouldn’t say this has the beastliest of projections. It’s above average, but I guess I was envisioning a Montale or something. I wouldn’t say this lasts all day, either. Third, and most importantly, this fragrance isn’t so much of a dupe as it is an inspiration – meaning it has similarities to both Angel’s Share and Sand Desert at Sunset, definitely closer to Angel’s Share, but it’s different enough to make its own thing. While this means there is less redundancy on my fragrance shelf, I don’t think this is as good as the other two. Not to say it’s bad, though. This thing is delicious.
I confessed in my last video that I prefer Sand Desert at Sunset to Angel’s Share, and I stand by that. I feel that Khamerah jumps right over Angel’s Share, which I’d put in the middle for sugar content, right into true gourmand territory. This one truly smells like a dessert, whereas Sand Desert at Sunset, also delicious, is more of a fragrance with tasty notes included.
I get fresh apple sauce with cinnamon and nutmeg folded into date paste, which has been watered down a bit to allow lighter-textured ingredients to blend in well. I can imagine myself at the kitchen counter now, squeezing in the juice of a lemon, then after mixing in, stirring in some melted milk chocolate, vanilla, and hazelnut grounds. Oh my goodness, but this is so high-calorie, and probably a good thing then that it’s made to be sprayed onto one’s person rather than into it. Of course, it has some non-edible components, too, that only amp up the sensory experience, some sexy rich white florals and resins and woods. I think the star of the show in this fragrance, is definitely the dates, but that sweet sticky fruit doesn’t hog the stage; it does allow the supporting characters to shine and make the fragrance smell better than the sum of its parts.
- cinnamon, nutmeg, bergamot,
- dates, praline, tuberose, mahonia,
- vanilla, tonka bean, amber wood, myrrh, benzoin, akigalawood
It is a little sweet, though, so probably what I am going to end up doing is wearing Sand Desert at Sunset together with Khamrah. The Lattafa fragrance will make everything bigger, and the Zara fragrance will dry down the smell. I have the best of both worlds here.
By the way, guys, in my last video, I listed a few Angle’s Share clones, and I’ve since found a couple more worth exploring, which are Yasmeen Khamr Share by Yasmeen, and Sharaf Blend by Zimaya which is affiliated with Afnan. I think this latter one has the best bottle, and from what I’ve heard from other reviewers, it’s at least as good as Lattafa’s Khamrah, if not better as a clone of Angel’s Share.