Smooth, powdery sandalwood and cool creamy tuberose. A soft sprinkle of cinnamon. A hint of coffee beans. A kiss of fruit that becomes more passionate in the drydown. It feels like there could be an undercurrent of coconut as well.

Bint Hooran, by Ard al Zaafaran.

A beautiful and affordable fragrance that I accidentally may have gatekept. If you enjoy fragrances like What We Do Is Secret Messy and the Carolina Good Girl range, Bint Hooran would likely appeal if you enjoy the addition of a fruity note to that general type of profile. I am not calling this a replica, far from: reviewers can be a little hasty when labeling Middle Eastern fragrances as dupes, when many are distinct and beautiful in their own right.

I bought this perfume from Amazon for less than $30. Longevity is respectable (a bit more than half a day) and the performance is office appropriate (read: not for seekers of a beast mode scent).

I do not review many “cheapie” perfumes because I want to love the fragrance, not feature it just to casually show something affordable. This? Affordable and phenomenal, in my humble opinion.