The compelling mystic of Arab fragrances
One of the most interesting trends in the fragrance world today is the unprecedented global growth in Arab fragrances, including in North and South America.
In a recent article, WWD featured Spate data demonstrating the global boom in Middle Eastern perfumery. Spate reported that in 2025 Arabian perfume interest was up roughly 63 percent year-over-year across platforms while oud perfume has grown 20.5 percent.
Arabic perfumes are characterized by their intense high-concentration oil-based formulas, long-lasting notes such as oud, amber, musk and sandalwood, and unique scent profiles, which differ from traditional Western fragrances. Many – but not all – are also more accessibly priced than more traditional Western style fragrances.
Miami-based specialty fragrance house International Luxe Brands (ILB) is focusing strongly on the category and currently represents several Arab fragrance brands. The boutique distributor reports significant inroads in North and South America and last year made a strong entry into travel retail in the Americas.
ILB Managing Director Joel Lakatos spoke with Travel Markets Insider to explain why Arab-inspired scents have become one of beauty’s most powerful growth engines, and how his company is leveraging that interest.
ILB entered the market in 2024 as the regional distributors for the Atyab Al Marshoud range of fragrances.
Boasting Middle East origins but using their own production facilities in France for several years, Atyab Al Marshoud is a strong player in the premium fragrance market.
Lakatos tells TMI that ILB has been able to educate the market on the brand message and philosophy and established solid relationships with premium retailers, specialty stores, and high-end e-commerce platforms.
“In our next stage of expansion, we targeted duty free store operators throughout the Americas, especially those that are looking to expand their fragrance assortment and looking to satisfy the needs of a carefully targeted consumer,” Lakatos tells TMI.
“We continued the same educational policy as we expanded into border and airport stores and rolled out in travel retail,” he said.
Lakatos reports that in its first year the fragrance range was listed with Cellshop Duty Free in Paraguay and Brazil, with Jerusalem Duty Free in Paso Canoas in Panama and with Ultra Beauty Department Store in Panama City, and has since opened in several countries, including the Caribbean, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela and Chile, as well as overseas.
“We have now been operating for more than a year and a half. In year one we established operations and laid the groundwork to make sure that all the different aspects of the business, especially the backside, were operating properly. In year two, we started expanding our portfolio,” said Lakatos.
House of Dreams
In January of this year ILB launched its first in-house brand, House of Dreams. The first collection – Sweet Dreams of Dubai – consists of six fragrances each encased in a charming ice cream cone-shaped bottle in a different color and flavor – Choco Dream, Vanilla Addict, Candy Kiss, Pistachio Fever, Mandarin Exotic and Cherry in Love. According to the company, each fragrance represents a dream world, carefully crafted through flavor-inspired notes, warm gourmand textures, and playful fantasy elements. The book-like outer packaging opens up to a beautifully illustrated “world” representing a dream.
“We officially launched in the U.S. at Cosmoprof Miami, which followed a global pre-launch at Beauty World in Dubai. The response has been very positive. So far, we have opened the Caribbean where we are working with Reba America. Domestically, we’ve opened Colombia and Panama through Beluxe. We opened Venezuela with Fragrance Boutique, and we launched in Chile in June with the Dayanani Group. Some of these openings are in travel retail as well, where we are currently available on the border.”
Lakatos, who has been in the luxury side of the business for his entire career at companies including L’Oréal, Shiseido, Dyson and Estée Lauder – says that these fragrances are so appealing due to more accessible pricing, agility in production, creation and marketing, and social media to attract a new customer.
“After being in luxury for quite some time, I’m seeing that there’s another segment of beauty. These Arabic brands are very agile and can bring a new product to market in six months or less. They move quickly from concept and marketing to launch.”
ILB has in large part been selling House of Dreams direct to consumers.
“Mainly we are using TikTok, which is the biggest and fastest growing player in beauty in the U.S. You can order on TikTok, and Arab fragrances are all the trend on TikTok,” says Lakatos.
“The biggest beauty retailer in the U.S. is Ulta, and it’s growing in the low double digits. TikTok is right below Ulta in value, but it’s growing about 200 % year over year.”
ILB created House of Dreams to be multisensorial and appeal to younger generations because they use more social media and are better communicators, explains Lakatos.
Ironically, while the brand was created for younger users, most of the ILB consumers are between 25 and 45 years old.
“But the younger consumers become our evangelists and propagate the message much faster. So we created a product you could not only smell, but fully experience. Every time you open one of our House of Dreams fragrances, you’re entering our universe, and it’s in line with the DNA of a brand.
“Basically, House of Dreams is that moment when you fall asleep, and you enter a beautiful mansion with multiple doors, and every door is the entrance to a new dream,” he says.
An emotional connection
“Our first collection, Sweet Dreams of Dubai, plays on the nostalgia of when you were a kid opening a caramel or unwrapping an ice cream and it brings you joy. We wanted to create that connection with the consumer, and consumers are giving us very high feedback.
“People respond emotionally when they see and open the product. House of Dreams has a distinctive appeal that resonates with consumers wherever it is presented.”
House of Dreams is launching globally and recently exhibited at Cosmoprof Bologna. International Luxe Brands focuses on the Americas business although it is overseeing the overall global strategy from Miami.
Lakatos notes that the brand has recently expanded its global footprint further, launching in Lebanon, Dubai, Lithuania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and most recently Paraguay/Uruguay with expansion plans to Brazil.
