Ishq RedFruity Amber Extrait de Parfum

Ishq Red by Anfas is a fruity, amber, and powdery niche perfume extract, unisex, created by Asim Al Qassim and master perfumer Christian Carbonnel. In Arabic, ishq means devotion — a love deeper than ordinary affection.

A house where every fragrance begins with an Arabic word

Anfas (أنفاس) means “breaths” in Arabic, and the house’s theme is Arab hospitality — that way of welcoming guests that, according to its founder, can be felt in the air in the Emirates. It was founded in the United Arab Emirates by Asim Al Qassim, an architect and the first certified Emirati perfumer. His method is stated plainly: it begins with an Arabic word, traces back to the emotion it carries, and then translates that emotion into a fragrance formula — fragrances that are not inspired by Arab culture, but made from it. His architect’s eye is evident in the bottle: the rim is adorned with palm leaves depicting the sun, a flower opens in the center of the cap like a gift presented on a tray, and each bottle features an Arabic engraving. Here, he co-created the fragrance with Christian Carbonnel, the Spanish master perfumer behind Erba Pura for Xerjoff.

An opening of saffron and jasmine

Saffron opens alone or nearly so: leathery, slightly metallic, and dry, it is the world’s most expensive spice and the signature of Gulf perfumery. Jasmine softens it with a sun-drenched whiteness. The opening is dense and immediately mature.

A heart of raspberry and amber

Raspberry arrives in full-bodied, tart, and candied form, carried by warm amber. This is the accord that made the fragrance famous: a red fruit that never smells like candy because the saffron grounds it from beneath.

A base of talc and oakmoss

Talc leaves a powdery softness reminiscent of clean skin, while oakmoss adds a damp, slightly bitter freshness. The trail remains enveloping and intimate rather than showy, but it lasts a very long time.

The house’s signature touch

A chypre disguised as a fruity fragrance. The base of Ishq Red rests on oakmoss, the historic foundation of chypre fragrances, which is now strictly regulated by European law and has become rare. Here, it is paired with a note of talc — usually found in the top notes for an immediate sense of cleanliness, but almost never in the base. This combination explains the fragrance’s distinctive character: for twenty minutes, it seems like a gourmand fruity scent, then it closes into powder and moss on the skin. It is also the only fragrance from the house offered in the Fosol collection, Anfas’s high-end line.

For whom and for what occasions?

Fruity, amber, and powdery, this perfume extract is for those who love red fruits grounded by a spice and skin-close trails. It shines from autumn through spring and is equally suited to evening wear and for both women and men.

With Ishq Red Anfas, Asim Al Qassim and Christian Carbonnel have captured the Arabic word for absolute love in a bottle.