Lattafa Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud: The “By The Fireplace Clone” That Isn’t
Search this fragrance and you’ll find shop after shop selling it with the same three words bolted to the title: By The Fireplace clone. It’s on TikTok. It’s in product names. It is, by now, simply what people say about it.
We went and compared the note pyramids. Here’s what nobody mentions: Maison Margiela’s By The Fireplace contains no oud whatsoever.
None. Its smoke comes from guaiac wood and clove oil. Its sweetness comes from roasted chestnuts — an accord Margiela’s own perfumer built specifically to be that fragrance. There is no oud in it, and there is no chestnut in this.
So what is Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud? It’s something darker and, we’d argue, more interesting: burnt sugar and vanilla poured over smoky, resinous agarwood. Toffee in a cathedral. And it lasts roughly twice as long as the fragrance it’s accused of copying.
How It Wears
Top — Woody Notes, Agarwood (Oud). It opens dark. Immediately smoky, dense, full-bodied — several wearers describe a distinct church-incense quality from the very first spray, like burning resin in a cold stone room. But this isn’t a screechy, medicinal, barnyard oud. It’s smoother than that: warm, charred, almost toasted.
Heart — Sugar, Vanilla. Then the sweetness arrives, and it’s what makes the whole thing work. Not a bakery sweetness — a burnt one. Caramelised sugar, molasses, a dark boozy vanilla creeping through the smoke. One wearer called it a princely allspice toffee wrapped in charred wood. That’s exactly it. The contrast between the smoke and the melted sugar is the entire point of this fragrance.
Base — Oud, Sandalwood, Herbal Notes. The oud returns — note that Lattafa list it twice, top and base, and they mean it — now joined by creamy sandalwood and a green, herbal, faintly medicinal undertone. It settles into a deep, cosy, resinous warmth that clings to skin and clothing for hours.
The By The Fireplace Question — Honestly Answered
| Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud | MM By The Fireplace | |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Woody notes, oud | Cloves, pink pepper, orange blossom |
| Heart | Sugar, vanilla | Chestnut, guaiac wood, juniper |
| Base | Oud, sandalwood, herbal | Vanilla, Peru balsam, cashmeran |
| Strength | Eau de Parfum | Eau de Toilette |
They share vanilla, and a general cosy woody smokiness. That’s genuinely the whole overlap.
What they really have in common is a feeling — that warm, smoky, sweet, curl-up-in-winter sensation. And Ameer absolutely delivers it. One wearer put it perfectly: if you love being by a fireplace, you’re almost guaranteed to love this.
What they don’t have in common is anything you can smell side by side. By The Fireplace is roasted chestnuts and crackling wood. Ameer is incense and dark oud. If you buy this expecting Margiela’s campfire, you will get a cathedral instead — and some people are delighted by that, and some are not.
And here’s the part the “clone” sellers never mention. By The Fireplace is an Eau de Toilette — wearers typically report five to eight hours. Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud is an Eau de Parfum, and wearers routinely report eight to twelve hours or more, with real projection in the first few. On that measure, the Lattafa doesn’t imitate the Margiela. It beats it.
⚠ This Is Not a Blind Buy
We’d rather lose the sale than have you hate the bottle, so:
The smoke and incense in Ameer are prominent, and they polarise. Most people love it — but a real minority find it harsh or downright medicinal. One wearer said it smelled to him like he’d thrown disinfectant over himself. Another warned that beginners shouldn’t blind-buy it. They’re both right that this isn’t a crowd-pleasing safe bet.
If you already enjoy oud, incense, bakhoor or church resins, you will very likely love this. If your fragrance collection is all fresh citrus and clean musks, sample it before you commit — this is a long way from that world.
Performance: One of the Strongest We Stock
Excellent. Wearers routinely report eight to twelve hours on skin, and it holds on clothing far longer. Projection is strong for the first two or three hours, then settles into a warm, close aura.
Two or three sprays. It is easy to over-apply and it will become overwhelming in warm weather or heavy-handed. One buyer who wears it to the office is emphatic: two or three is plenty, because it projects beautifully but it projects.
The Layering Trick (This Is the Bit Nobody Tells You)
Here’s something genuinely useful that no other shop mentions. Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud is an outstanding layering base.
One wearer describes it as a tool for darkening other fragrances — spray it underneath a sweet or spicy scent and it drags the whole thing into smokier, deeper, more expensive-smelling territory. Another layers it one-to-one with a straight amber and says it fills the one gap in its own profile.
If you own a gourmand that’s a bit too sugary, or a spicy fragrance that feels thin, try one spray of Ameer underneath it. It’s a remarkably cheap way to make an entire collection smell better.
Is It for Men or Women?
People argue about this more than almost any Lattafa we stock, which is itself interesting.
Some wearers find it distinctly masculine — smoky, woody, a scent for grown men. Others find it faintly feminine and powdery. Others insist it’s completely unisex and that women love it. Lattafa themselves list it for both.
Our view: it’s unisex, and the disagreement is a compliment. Fragrances that read differently on different people are usually the interesting ones. Wear it if it appeals to you.
When to Wear It
Autumn and winter. Evenings. This is a cold-weather fragrance and it isn’t subtle about it — the smoke, resin and burnt sugar come alive in cold air and can become heavy and cloying in real heat. Perfect for a dark December evening. Not for a July afternoon.
One Honest Niggle
The atomiser isn’t Lattafa’s finest work. More than one wearer reports it tends to spit before it sprays, and feels a little flimsy. It doesn’t affect the juice at all — but press it firmly and confidently rather than tentatively, and you’ll avoid a dribble.
Why Buy From Royal Scents
Every bottle is genuine Lattafa, sourced properly and stored in the UK. And you’ve just read a product page that told you the dupe claim everyone else is selling doesn’t hold up, that this isn’t a safe blind buy, and that the sprayer is a bit rubbish. We’d rather you trust us than buy once and never come back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud a By The Fireplace dupe?
Not really. The two share vanilla and a broadly cosy, smoky, woody character, but the constructions are entirely different. Maison Margiela’s By The Fireplace contains no oud at all — its smoke comes from guaiac wood and clove, and its signature is a roasted chestnut accord. Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud is built on oud, listed in both its top and base notes, with burnt sugar and vanilla. Same mood, different fragrance.
What are the notes in Lattafa Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud?
Top notes are woody notes and agarwood (oud). The heart is sugar and vanilla. The base is agarwood (oud), sandalwood and herbal notes. Be aware that several UK retailers publish incorrect notes for this fragrance, listing labdanum or leather — neither of which is in it.
Is Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud long lasting?
Yes — it is one of the strongest performers in the Lattafa range. Wearers routinely report eight to twelve hours or more on skin, with strong projection in the first two to three hours, and considerably longer on clothing. It is an Eau de Parfum, whereas By The Fireplace is an Eau de Toilette, which is a large part of why it outlasts it.
Does Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud smell medicinal?
It can, on some skin. The herbal notes in the base combined with the smoky oud produce a resinous, incense-like character that a minority of wearers find sharp or medicinal. Most find it warm and cosy. It is not a safe blind buy if you are new to oud fragrances.
Is Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud for men or women?
It is classified as unisex and opinion genuinely divides. Some wearers find it distinctly masculine, others find it powdery and feminine, and many wear it happily regardless. Try it and decide for yourself.
Can you layer Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud?
Yes, and it excels at it. Wearers describe it as an excellent tool for darkening sweeter or spicier fragrances — a single spray underneath another scent adds smoke, resin and depth.
What season is Ameer Al Oudh Intense Oud best for?
Autumn and winter, and evening wear. Its smoke, resin and burnt sugar come alive in cold weather and can feel heavy in heat.
Written and wear-tested by Shaheen Shah Abrar, Founder of Royal Scents. Tested through a Norwich winter, on one wrist against By The Fireplace on the other. They are not the same fragrance. This one was still there the next morning.
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