Attar Al Layal White

Al Fakhr — Attar Al Layal White is a fragrance that refuses to whisper. Launched in 1975, it's a unisex composition that leans heavily into spiced aromatics and animalic depth, presenting itself as equal parts Middle Eastern traditional perfumery and Western classical structure. The opening salvo of cardamom and coriander creates an almost culinary warmth, whilst zarbot (a rare citrus-floral note) adds an unusual brightness that prevents the composition from becoming simply linear and dark.

What makes this scent compelling is the tension between its floral heart—where carnation and jasmine occupy the same space as ginger and pepper—and its deliberately animalic base. Rather than letting florals dominate, the fragrance uses them as a counterpoint to leather and ambergris, creating an almost contradictory personality: simultaneously refined and primal. The tonka bean sweetness arrives late enough that it doesn't soften the leather's insistence; instead, they coexist in a kind of elegant friction.