Lattafa Mayar Cherry Intense: Cherry Jam, Dark Chocolate, No Apologies
Somebody in Dubai took a jar of cherry jam, a bar of good cocoa and a bottle of vanilla, and decided restraint was for other people. Mayar Cherry Intense is the result — a fruity gourmand that is sweet, dark, slightly filthy and absolutely not trying to be tasteful about it.
One wearer described it as a box of Mon Chéri tipped into a blender with two big spoons of berry jam. That is exactly right, and if that sentence made you hungry rather than nervous, this bottle is for you.
How It Wears
Top — Strawberry, Bergamot. The opening is the most divisive part of the whole fragrance, so let’s be upfront: it is bright, sugary and a little synthetic. Some people get mouthwatering fresh strawberry. Others get a cherry fizzy drink, or something faintly medicinal. It lasts minutes, not hours — and what comes next is what you actually bought it for.
Heart — Cherry Jam, Cacao. This is the fragrance. Thick, dark, jammy cherry — not fresh fruit, but the cooked, sticky, spoon-out-of-the-jar kind — with cocoa curling underneath it. Not a hot-chocolate cocoa. A bitter, dusty, dark-chocolate cocoa that stops the cherry from tipping into cough syrup. It is genuinely delicious, and it is where every good review of this bottle comes from.
Base — Vanilla, Amber, Patchouli. The landing is warm and grown-up. Creamy vanilla, a golden amber glow, and earthy patchouli underneath giving the whole thing weight and a slightly dirty edge. This is the part that makes it wearable on a man as easily as a woman, and it’s the part that hangs around long after the fruit has gone.
An Honest Word About the Chocolate
Reviews split on the cacao, and you should know which camp you might land in. Some wearers get smooth, creamy milk chocolate arriving within minutes and staying. Others barely register it and experience this as a straight cherry-strawberry gourmand.
Skin chemistry decides. If you are buying this specifically as a chocolate fragrance, know that the cocoa is a supporting act, not the lead — powerful in the first act, then making room for the cherry. If you are buying it as a cherry fragrance with a dark, cocoa-dusted edge, you will get exactly that, every time.
Is It a Tom Ford Lost Cherry Dupe? No — and Here’s Why That Matters
This is the question everyone asks about every cherry fragrance, so we’ll answer it properly rather than nod along to sell a bottle.
Mayar Cherry Intense is not a Lost Cherry dupe. Lost Cherry is built on cherry, bitter almond and tonka — that marzipan, cherry-liqueur, almost-boozy character is its entire identity. There is no almond in Mayar Cherry Intense. There is no tonka. Instead there is cacao and strawberry.
If you have come here looking for the almond-cherry of Lost Cherry, this bottle will disappoint you, and we would rather tell you now than process your return in a fortnight. But if what you actually want is a rich, jammy, chocolate-dusted cherry gourmand — a different pleasure, arguably a more edible one — then you are in precisely the right place.
The Fragrance People Actually Compare It To
The closest mainstream reference point is YSL Black Opium Over Red, and the comparison is fair up to a point. Both are built on a cherry-vanilla-patchouli spine and both belong to the same cherry-gourmand wave.
The honest difference: Black Opium Over Red is a coffee fragrance with cherry poured over it, plus jasmine and orange blossom in the heart. Mayar Cherry Intense has no coffee at all, and no white florals. Where YSL goes bitter-roasted and floral, Lattafa goes cocoa and jam.
So: same neighbourhood, different house. If you love Black Opium Over Red and want something in that world without the coffee, this will land beautifully. If the coffee note is the reason you love it, this isn’t a swap — and we won’t pretend it is.
If Your First Spray Is Underwhelming, Wait
A pattern worth knowing about, because it comes up again and again from people who ended up loving this bottle: first impressions of Mayar Cherry Intense are often poor, and they change.
One reviewer called it flat and uninteresting on a paper strip, wore it three times on skin, and was hooked. Fresh Lattafa juice frequently needs to macerate — a few weeks resting in a cool, dark cupboard smooths out that sharp, sugary opening and lets the cherry and cocoa settle into each other. Spray it a few times, put it away, and come back in a fortnight. Here’s exactly what maceration does and why it works →
Performance
This is the strongest performer of the three Mayars, and reviewers are near-unanimous about it. Expect serious longevity — many wearers report it lasting the full day and well into the evening, with real projection in the first few hours. It is a cold-weather scent: autumn, winter, evenings, dates. In August heat it can turn cloying.
Go easy on the sprays. Two or three. This one does not need help.
Which Mayar Are You Looking For?
| Fragrance | Bottle | Smells Like | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayar Cherry Intense (this one) | Red | Cherry jam, cacao, vanilla — dark and gourmand | Autumn / winter |
| Mayar (original) | Pink | Lychee, raspberry, white rose — sweet and fruity | Spring / summer |
| Mayar Natural Intense | Turquoise | Fig, coconut water, aquatic florals — fresh and light | Spring / summer |
Three completely different fragrances sharing one name. Check the bottle colour before you order — the red one is the cherry.
Why Buy From Royal Scents
Every bottle is genuine Lattafa, sourced through legitimate channels and stored properly in the UK — not left to cook in a warehouse or passed through three middlemen. Tracked UK delivery, and a real returns policy if it isn’t right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the notes in Lattafa Mayar Cherry Intense?
Top notes are strawberry and bergamot. The heart is cherry jam and cacao. The base is vanilla, amber and patchouli. Be aware that at least one UK retailer publishes an incorrect pyramid for this fragrance listing jasmine, rose and cedarwood — none of which are in it.
Is Mayar Cherry Intense a Tom Ford Lost Cherry dupe?
No. Lost Cherry is built on cherry, bitter almond and tonka, and that almond-marzipan character is central to it. Mayar Cherry Intense contains no almond and no tonka — it pairs its cherry with cacao instead. Both are cherry fragrances, but they are not substitutes for one another.
Is Mayar Cherry Intense like Black Opium Over Red?
They share a cherry, vanilla and patchouli backbone and belong to the same cherry-gourmand trend. The key difference is that Black Opium Over Red is built around coffee and white florals, neither of which appear in Mayar Cherry Intense. Lattafa’s version goes for cocoa and jam instead.
Is Mayar Cherry Intense unisex?
Yes. It is classified for both women and men, and the cacao and patchouli in the composition give it enough darkness and earthiness to sit comfortably on anyone.
Is Mayar Cherry Intense long lasting?
Yes — it is the strongest performer of the three Mayar fragrances. Most wearers report it lasting through a full day with noticeable projection for the first several hours.
Why did my first spray smell artificial or medicinal?
The opening is the most divisive part of this fragrance, and it passes within minutes. A fresh bottle may also need to macerate — resting it for two to three weeks in a cool, dark place noticeably smooths the opening and improves the blend.
What season is Mayar Cherry Intense best for?
Autumn and winter, and evenings. It is a warm, sweet gourmand and can feel heavy in hot weather.
Written and wear-tested by Shaheen Shah Abrar, fragrance buyer at Royal Scents. Tested across a Bristol autumn, on skin and fabric, fresh from the box and again after three weeks of maceration.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.