Anfas, "a sense of Arabian home"
Assim Al Qassim says he came to perfume out of passion, blending different fragrances as people do in the Gulf, until a perfumer suggested he study it. According to the Emirati press, he became the first certified perfumer in the Emirates, and only then founded Anfas. The stated idea is "a sense of Arabian home": opening the front door and welcoming the guest. That is why each fragrance begins with a story written before the formula, and the Arabic names point to an emotion or a gesture: Salam is the greeting, Ishq is love and Haneen is longing. Among the materials the founder says he prefers are vanilla and tonka bean. The perfumes are made in Italy, and among his references Al Qassim names Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Amouage, the house from Oman.
The two collections
According to the founder, the first collection is dedicated to the Arabian home, the second to the elements a place needs to become a home. On the house's website, the fragrances are divided between Essence of Arabia and Fosol.
Essence of Arabia: home and welcome
Anfas presents Essence of Arabia as the collection of belonging, heritage and generosity, the qualities that define the Arabian home. Salam describes two people who recognize each other at first sight, with a lively opening that later grows calmer. With Rahaba, the house portrays hospitality, the joy of receiving and sharing. The first smile of dawn is the theme of Sa'adah, a vibrant yet soft composition meant to let the nose sense what the eyes see. The house considers Shaghaf the most emblematic fragrance of the collection, rich and deep, born from the idea of giving, receiving and beginning again. Finally, the same collection includes Watan Gold, the only perfume in the range built around oud, which Anfas associates with the elegance of gold.
Fosol: the seasons
Fosol, Arabic for "seasons," is the collection Anfas devotes to the seasons and the cycles of life. Two fragrances are tied to spring: Dhai is the first breath of a spring dawn, when the ice melts and orange blossoms open, and Shaouq is an early-spring dawn in the desert, with sandalwood, vanilla, raspberry, iris and rose. Summer is represented by Haneen, a dawn over the sand with cedar, vetiver, green mandarin and bergamot, balanced by patchouli. For fall there is Ghala, twilight, which smells of blooming orange, musk and rose. Rounding out the collection are Jannah, a flower opening in a vast garden over a musk base, and Ishq, dedicated to attachment and adoration, with tart red fruits and vanilla.
How to choose an Anfas perfume
If you start from the notes, you will find orange blossom in Dhai and Ghala, while Haneen and Shaouq have mandarin and bergamot. For lovers of woods, there is Haneen with cedar and vetiver, Shaouq with sandalwood, Watan Gold with oud and Gaya Green with spicy woods. Musk is the base of Jannah and also appears in Ghala, alongside orange and rose. If you prefer fruit and vanilla, you can choose Gaya Green, with mango and juicy pear, or Ishq, with tart red fruits and vanilla, or Shaouq, with vanilla and raspberry. If you would rather choose by story, Essence of Arabia speaks of encounter, hospitality and happiness, while each Fosol perfume links a moment of the year to an emotion.
Wearing them together
In the Gulf, layering several perfumes on the skin is a habit, and Al Qassim has made it a principle of composition. According to the founder, the fragrances of each collection, sprayed all together, form a single perfume.
Frequently asked questions
Who created Anfas perfumes?
Anfas perfumes are the project of Assim Al Qassim, an Emirati architect by training who, according to his country's press, was the first certified perfumer in the Emirates. He studied perfumery after blending fragrances out of passion, and for each perfume he writes a story before the composition.
What does Anfas mean?
In Arabic, Anfas means "to breathe." The founder chose the name because, in his words, in the Emirates you breathe hospitality, made of humility, tolerance and welcoming guests. This is the source of the house's message, "a sense of Arabian home," which runs through the stories of Salam, Rahaba and Sa'adah.
What are the Anfas collections?
The Anfas collections are Essence of Arabia and Fosol. The first is dedicated to the Arabian home and to hospitality and includes, among others, Salam, Rahaba, Sa'adah, Shaghaf and Watan Gold. Fosol, by contrast, is dedicated to the seasons and the cycles of life, with Dhai, Shaouq, Haneen, Ghala, Jannah and Ishq.
Which Anfas perfume has oud?
The Anfas perfume built around oud is Watan Gold, which the house describes as a blend of luxurious oud and associates with the elegance of gold, within the Essence of Arabia collection. If you are looking for other woody notes in the range, you will find cedar and vetiver in Haneen and sandalwood in Shaouq.
What is the Anfas Fosol collection?
Fosol is the Anfas collection dedicated to the seasons and the cycles of life: in Arabic, the name means "seasons." In our range it includes Dhai, Shaouq, Haneen, Ghala, Jannah and Ishq. Dhai and Shaouq are tied to spring, while Haneen is a summer dawn and Ghala a fall twilight.
Which Anfas perfume has citrus notes?
The Anfas perfumes with citrus notes are Dhai, Ghala, Haneen and Shaouq. Dhai pairs melting ice with orange blossom; Ghala has blooming orange, rose and musk. In Haneen, green mandarin and bergamot are joined by cedar, vetiver and patchouli, and Shaouq also has a touch of mandarin and bergamot.
Which Anfas perfume has vanilla?
The Anfas perfumes with vanilla among their listed notes are Shaouq and Ishq. In Shaouq, vanilla sits alongside sandalwood, raspberry, iris and rose; Ishq pairs it with tart red fruits. It is also one of the materials the founder, Assim Al Qassim, says he prefers.
Which Anfas perfume has a musky base?
The Anfas perfume with a musky base is Jannah, which the house describes as a flower opening in a vast garden over a base of luxurious musk. In the same Fosol collection, musk also appears in Ghala, together with blooming orange and a velvety touch of rose.
Can you layer two Anfas perfumes?
Yes, and Anfas actually intends it. The founder explains that in the Gulf it is customary to blend perfumes on the skin, and that the fragrances of each collection, Essence of Arabia or Fosol, are designed to form a single one when worn together. So you can combine, for example, Dhai and Ghala.
