Choose Lattafa Asad (£17.99) if you want a peppery tobacco-and-coffee amber with a sweet vanilla base: darker, drier and a little more grown-up. Choose Afnan 9PM if you want a sweet apple, cinnamon and lavender vanilla built for nights out, and you love that style of loud, candied sweetness.
They are not two takes on the same designer. Asad is the one compared to Dior Sauvage Elixir; Fragrantica reviewers compare 9PM to Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male. They share only three listed notes. For most people who want one versatile cold-weather bottle, Asad is the easier buy; if Ultra Male is the scent you are chasing, 9PM is the better match.
Royal Scents does not sell Afnan 9PM, so there is no price or buy button here. We compare it from its Fragrantica note listing and reviewer comments. If you like its cinnamon-vanilla style, the two in-stock Lattafas further down are the closest relatives we carry.
Lattafa Asad and Afnan 9PM are the two names that come up most when someone asks for a strong, sweet, budget men’s fragrance from a Middle Eastern house. Each appears on the other’s “people who like this also like” list on Fragrantica, which tells you the same people are buying both. That does not mean they smell alike, and choosing on hype alone is the quickest way to end up with the wrong one.
This guide compares the original 2020 Afnan 9PM Eau de Parfum, not its newer flankers such as 9PM Elixir or 9 PM Night Out. If you want to know what Asad itself is modelled on, that question has its own guide: what is Lattafa Asad a clone of? Here we stay on the head-to-head.
Asad vs 9PM at a Glance
| Lattafa Asad | Afnan 9PM | |
|---|---|---|
| Top notes | Black pepper, tobacco, pineapple | Apple, cinnamon, wild lavender, bergamot |
| Heart notes | Patchouli, coffee, iris | Orange blossom, lily-of-the-valley |
| Base notes | Vanilla, amber, dry wood, benzoin, labdanum | Vanilla, tonka bean, amber, patchouli |
| Top accords | Amber, fresh spicy, woody, warm spicy, vanilla | Vanilla, amber, warm spicy, fruity, cinnamon |
| Most compared to | Dior Sauvage Elixir | JPG Ultra Male (by reviewers) |
| Launched | 2021 | 2020 |
| Listed for | Men | Men |
| Fragrantica rating | 4.02/5 from 14,573 votes | 4.33/5 from 18,729 votes |
| At Royal Scents | £17.99 · 100ml EDP · in stock | Not sold by Royal Scents |
Notes, accords, launch years and ratings from Fragrantica’s Asad page and Fragrantica’s 9PM page, checked October 2026. Asad’s pyramid matches Lattafa’s US distributor listing exactly. Ratings move as votes come in.
How Different Do Asad and 9PM Smell?
More different than their reputations suggest. On Fragrantica’s note lists they share just three notes, vanilla, amber and patchouli, and all three sit in the base. Everything you smell in the first hour is different.
The accords tell the same story. Vanilla is 9PM’s strongest accord by a distance, with amber, warm spice, fruit, cinnamon and lavender behind it. Asad leads with amber and fresh spice, and tobacco, woody and powdery accords sit in its top ten. One Fragrantica reviewer of Asad sums up the relationship neatly, grouping Asad with 9PM and Le Male Le Parfum but calling it less sweet than 9PM.
For a fuller stage-by-stage breakdown of Asad, see our Lattafa Asad review.
Is Afnan 9PM a Dupe of Ultra Male?
Afnan does not say so, and Fragrantica’s own description of 9PM does not call it a clone of anything. The Ultra Male comparison comes from wearers, and it is the comparison 9PM’s reviewers make most. Opinion on how close it is varies: one reviewer calls it “basically a 1 to 1 of ultra male, but for much cheaper”, while another finds it noticeably less close and says it misses what they love about the original.
The note lists explain both views. On Fragrantica, Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male (2015, by Francis Kurkdjian) lists pear, lavender, mint, bergamot and lemon on top, cinnamon, clary sage and caraway in the heart, and black vanilla husk, amber, patchouli and cedar in the base. 9PM shares the lavender, bergamot, cinnamon, vanilla, amber and patchouli, but swaps pear for apple and leaves out the mint and herbs. So it is the same family of sweet, fruity, lavender-vanilla scents, not a copy. Asad is not in that family at all.
Which Is Sweeter, Asad or 9PM?
9PM, by most accounts. Its pyramid is built from apple, cinnamon, tonka and vanilla, and reviewer language reflects that: one calls it “a perfect example of the word cloying”, another finds it too sweet and bubblegum-like for their taste. Plenty of others love exactly that.
Asad is sweet too, mainly in the dry-down, but black pepper, tobacco and coffee keep it drier and darker. One Fragrantica reviewer still finds it sweeter and more synthetic than Sauvage Elixir, so it is not a dry fragrance, just a less sugary one than 9PM.
Which Lasts Longer, Asad or 9PM?
Neither brand publishes official figures, and Fragrantica’s longevity and sillage vote breakdowns were not readable when we checked. These are paraphrased from written reviews, with the spread shown.
Wide spread. One Fragrantica reviewer reports more than ten hours with strong projection that “can be a bit much” in small rooms. Another calls the projection “sad” and the longevity “meh”. Many reviews land around six to eight hours, and some say a fresh bottle improves after a few weeks’ rest.
Also mixed, but leaning strong. One Fragrantica reviewer reports ten to twelve hours or more on skin and longer on clothes. Another finds the projection “moderate rather than overwhelmingly monstrous”. The sweetness makes it feel louder than its projection to some noses.
The honest answer is that this is too close to call from reviews. Both have wearers reporting all-day wear and wearers reporting a few hours. Skin, climate, spray count and batch all play a part, so do not choose between them on longevity alone.
Asad or 9PM for the Office, Winter and Nights Out?
| Occasion | Asad | 9PM |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Possible with restraint. One reviewer lists it as good for the office; one spray is the safer start. | One reviewer is blunt: “Office safe? NO, unless your office has bottle service.” |
| Autumn and winter | Its best season. Cold air carries the pepper and resins. | Its best season too. One reviewer says it smells better in cooler weather. |
| Summer | Heavy in heat. Asad Zanzibar is the lighter Asad for hot days. | One reviewer in a humid climate says it is restricted to winter. |
| Nights out and dates | Works well, with a darker, smokier mood. | What it is named for and built around: sweet, loud and playful. |
| Age feel | Tobacco and coffee give it a darker, more grown-up feel. | Often called youthful; one reviewer cannot picture anyone over 25 wearing it. |
Which Is Better Value?
Both are budget Eau de Parfums, and 9PM’s reviewers are as enthusiastic about value as Asad’s: one says it “smells more expensive than it is”. On Fragrantica, 9PM also holds the higher community rating, 4.33 against Asad’s 4.02, from a broadly similar number of votes. That is a fair point in its favour, and worth weighing if the Ultra Male style appeals to you.
Where Asad wins is range. It covers more situations, from a single office spray to a winter evening, and it sits in a family you can grow into. Our Asad collection compared guide shows how the original, Elixir, Bourbon and Zanzibar differ, so you can add a sweeter or lighter Asad later.
Like the 9PM Style? The Closest Lattafas We Stock
If the cinnamon, apple and vanilla side of 9PM is what draws you, two in-stock Lattafas sit closer to it than Asad does. Both appear on 9PM’s “people who like this also like” list on Fragrantica.
Cinnamon and nutmeg over dates, praline, vanilla, tonka and amberwood. Shares 9PM’s cinnamon, vanilla and tonka, but leans jammy rather than fruity. Unisex.
Apple, bergamot and ginger, then lavender and sage over tonka and cedar. Shares 9PM’s apple, lavender, bergamot and tonka, but is far fresher and less sweet, a daytime pick.
Neither is a 9PM substitute, and we would not call either one a match. They simply share its most recognisable notes. Our Khamrah review explains how Khamrah wears, and our best Lattafa perfumes for men guide shows where Asad, Khamrah and Fakhar each fit in a wardrobe.
Asad vs 9PM: Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Asad if you want spice, tobacco and coffee rather than candy, you want one bottle that can stretch from a single office spray to a winter evening, you prefer a darker, more grown-up feel, or the Sauvage Elixir mood is what you are after.
Choose 9PM if you love Ultra Male or sweet apple-cinnamon-vanilla scents, you mainly want a loud fragrance for nights out, you enjoy lavender, or you put weight on 9PM’s higher Fragrantica rating.
Skip Asad if you dislike black pepper or smoky tobacco, or you want something fresh for warm days.
Skip 9PM if you find sweet fragrances cloying, or you need something you can wear at work.
Our overall verdict: for a first budget cold-weather bottle that covers the most ground, Asad wins. For someone who already knows they love the sweet Ultra Male style, 9PM is the more fitting choice, and we would rather say so than sell you the wrong bottle.
Every order comes with free tracked UK delivery, with no minimum spend. Orders are dispatched within 24 hours, and you have 30 days to return.
Frequently asked questions
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Do Lattafa Asad and Afnan 9PM smell the same?
What is Afnan 9PM compared to?
Is Asad or 9PM sweeter?
Which lasts longer, Asad or 9PM?
Can I wear Asad or 9PM to work?
Does Royal Scents sell Afnan 9PM?
Is Lattafa Asad a Sauvage Elixir dupe?
Written by Shaheen Shah Abrar, Founder of Royal Scents. Notes, accords, launch years and ratings were checked against Fragrantica in October 2026, with Asad’s pyramid also checked against Lattafa’s US distributor listing. Afnan 9PM is not sold by Royal Scents and is compared from public information only. Wearer impressions are paraphrased from public reviews and reflect individual experience, not lab testing.
- Lattafa Asad on Fragrantica: notes, accords, 2021 launch, 4.02/5 rating, “also like” list and wearer reviews
- Lattafa USA: Asad: official note listing
- Afnan 9PM on Fragrantica: notes, accords, 2020 launch, 4.33/5 rating, “also like” list and wearer reviews
- Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male on Fragrantica: the notes used in the Ultra Male comparison
Royal Scents is not affiliated with Afnan, Dior or Jean Paul Gaultier. Brand names are mentioned for comparison only.