FAAN Qasida Bakhour, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent Babycat: what it is on its own

FAAN Qasida Bakhour belongs to the Qasida line. We are an independent retailer, and we do not claim the two perfumes smell alike. This page tells you what we can say for certain, which is everything about the FAAN bottle.

What “inspired by” means on this page

When a FAAN bottle is listed with a named reference, it means the reference is named on the product page and nothing more. It is not a claim of equivalence. The FAAN perfume has its own formula, its own bottle and its own ratings. Our explainer on what the phrase means in perfume goes into it, and we list every FAAN reference in one place in all FAAN bottles and the references they name.

Qasida Bakhour on its own: the pyramid

• Top: saffron, clove, blackcurrant
• Heart: rose, violet, incense, tonka
• Base: sandalwood, cistus, leather, vanilla

The accords are spicy, amber, leather and woody, and the tagline is smoke, saffron and leather. Clove and saffron give a warm, dry spice at the start, and blackcurrant adds a short dark-fruit gloss. The heart is a smoky rose with violet, which is powdery and a little cool, and tonka softens it. The base is where leather and cistus, a resin, sit on sandalwood and vanilla. It is a dark, warm, evening scent. The Bakhour review walks through it note by note.

What you can check about the original

We do not describe Yves Saint Laurent Babycat here. We have no wish to guess at its formula or its character, and anything we wrote would be second-hand. The reliable source is the original's own product page and the maker's own notes list. Read that, then hold it against the FAAN list above.

Useful questions to ask of any original:

• What concentration is it, and how many millilitres?
• Which notes does the page list at the top, heart and base?
• What does it cost per ml?

Where they may meet and where they will differ

Two perfumes can share a mood and still differ in every other way. Materials differ, balance differs, and the same note names do not guarantee the same smell. So we suggest you read the notes of the original and compare them to the FAAN pyramid for overlap, then decide whether that overlap is what you were after. Do not expect an exact match. What you can expect from Bakhour is a spicy, smoky, leathery character with a rose and violet heart, which is what the notes and accords describe.

Concentration, longevity and price in practice

Bakhour is an Eau de Parfum in 200 ml, which is usually about 15 to 20 percent fragrance oil as a general industry range. At 54.99 euros that is 27.5 cents per ml. We rate projection 4 out of 5 and longevity 4 out of 5, so two or three sprays carry through an evening. It is listed for autumn and winter, evenings and special occasions. Compare the same three numbers on the original's page: concentration, size and price per ml. We cover the sums in price per ml across the FAAN range.

Who should choose which

Choose Bakhour if you like saffron, incense and leather, you want a big bottle, and you wear scent mostly in cool weather. Look elsewhere in the range if you want something quiet: Qasida Al-Badr is dry and calm, and Amjad Coral is fresh. If you want a lighter hand on smoke, our Qasida collection guide lists all nine. Whether the original suits you is a question only its own page and your own nose can answer.

FAQ

Does Qasida Bakhour smell like Yves Saint Laurent Babycat?

We make no claim that it does. We describe the FAAN bottle from its notes and ratings, and we suggest you read the original on its own page.

Is Qasida Bakhour a perfume in its own right?

Yes. It is an original FAAN perfume with its own formula, which names a reference on the product page.

What if Qasida Bakhour shows as sold out?

Ask to be notified on the product page and we will tell you when it is back.

Related reading

• FAAN Qasida Bakhour review: notes, strength and when to wear it
• What does the phrase mean in perfume? An honest explanation
• All FAAN bottles and the references they name