Love Island Member Huda Mustafa's Perfume Is Going Viral on TikTok
Between all the drama of Love Island USA, it's kind of impressive for someone's style, or scent, to disrupt the discourse and get people talking about anything other than couplings, texts, and being a girl's girl. Even though one particular contestant, Huda Mustafa, has found herself in the middle of a few predicaments, she's still managed to go viral on TikTok for her perfume.
Avid Love Island fans on TikTok noticed that Huda has received a few compliments on her fragrance from other cast mates in the villa. Perhaps to prove her status as a girl's girl or because of her own Middle Eastern heritage, Huda does not gatekeep. She shared that her perfume was Lattafa's Angham.
And suddenly, it all clicked: Lattafa is an Arabian perfume brand. Per the brand, it was “born from a desire to create world-class fragrances that reflect the richness of Arabian heritage.” In the Middle East, perfume holds special significance and is crafted accordingly. They're known to be long-lasting and potent, so it makes sense that the fragrance would get attention even in the Fiji heat and villa drama.
This isn't the first time an Arabian perfume has gone viral on TikTok. Fragrance expert and Arabian-perfume enthusiast Funmi Monet previously received attention for her focus on Arabian perfumes, particularly her fun unboxing-style videos in which she reviews a suitcase worth of options from the Middle East region. Other influencers are also unpacking their favorites, recommending various brands with complex profiles, as scents from the Middle East and North Africa region make their way into global fragrance trends.
But these fragrances and the centuries-old practices that originated in the region can be challenging to grasp. And there is a much wider price range for them than many luxury perfumes from mainstream brands. We’re here to unpack what makes Arabian perfumes so special, how to tell if they’re authentic, where to find them, and if they’re worth it. (Spoiler: Yes, they are.)
What exactly is an Arabian perfume? Mesopotamia, or modern-day Iraq, is commonly thought to be the birthplace of wearable fragrance. In the centuries since then, fragrances have circulated through the greater Middle East and North Africa region. Materials from the region that are often used in perfumes have also been traded for centuries, which means pinpointing exactly what defines an Arabian perfume can be challenging.
Generally, Arab perfumes are made using techniques and ingredients that are distinct to the region, though they don’t necessarily have to be based there. Numerous new-generation perfumers in the region and the diaspora are adding modern twists to traditional practices. Brands such as Nemat, whïnd, Kayali, Odict, Anfas, and Jazmin Saraï by Dana el Masri are all advancing Arabian perfumes for the next generation.
Knowing each ingredient in an Arabian fragrance is paramount when choosing the perfect bottle. Oud, musk, amber, frankincense, and sandalwood are often thrown into flavor profiles without much explanation. Oud, one of the most popular ingredients in Arab perfume, is also known as agarwood. The oud fragrance oil — which can run thousands of dollars per pound for the highest quality — is extracted from agarwood, the resinous heartwood of a fungus-infected aquilaria tree. The heartwood is distilled, which concentrates its dark, woody characteristics, and provides the oil with its distinctiveness.
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