The story of Afnan
Afnan comes out of Emirati perfumery, where people wear fragrance generously and expect it to last all day. The house says little about its founding or its perfumers. We stick to what is documented. Its catalogue runs on two tracks. One covers traditional compositions built on oud, musk and amber. The other targets an international audience, with English names and structures close to the big hits of department-store perfumery. 9pm belongs to the second group. Its lavender and sweet vanilla duo means it is often compared to Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male. Enthusiast videos carried it across Europe and the Americas. Other Afnan lines such as Supremacy followed the same route. Our view: 9pm is still the best way into the brand.
An olfactory signature
Seen through 9pm, the Afnan style is warm and sweet. The opening pairs red apple with cinnamon, plus a lavender that keeps its herbal edge and bergamot for lift. It smells like apple pie still warm from the oven. The orange blossom and lily of the valley heart barely lightens things. The base does the heavy lifting with vanilla, tonka, amber and patchouli. That patchouli keeps it on the masculine side and stops it from becoming pure dessert.
Which Afnan perfume to choose?
In our database Afnan is represented by 9pm, a masculine vanilla oriental in eau de parfum. It suits lovers of spicy gourmands on autumn and winter nights. Two sprays on the neck are plenty. More than that and the vanilla turns cloying in a heated room. To place it, smell it next to Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male, which is less spicy. Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man sits at the opposite end as a dry, smoky wood.