Perfume Battle Round 22: Afnan 9 PM vs Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura - The AED 131 Champion Meets Italian Restraint
Round 22 of the AlHimyan Perfume Battle puts the tournament's most stubborn champion against the most civilised challenger it has faced yet. On one side, Afnan 9 PM — the AED 131 sweet-fruity powerhouse that has now held the crown through six straight rounds. On the other, Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura — a 2020 eau de cologne built from 99 percent naturally derived ingredients, signed by former Dior perfumer Francois Demachy, and priced like the Italian heritage house it comes from.
This is loud against quiet. Gourmand against citrus. AED 1.31 per millilitre against AED 7.15 per millilitre. Let us see what the numbers actually say.
The tape
| Afnan 9 PM EDP | Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura EDC | |
|---|---|---|
| House | Afnan Perfumes (UAE) | Acqua di Parma (Italy) |
| Released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Perfumer | Not credited | Francois Demachy |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum | Eau de Cologne |
| Family | Sweet-fruity gourmand | Citrus-fresh, green |
| Parfumo score | 7.9 / 10 (2,330 ratings) | 7.4 / 10 (287 ratings) |
| Longevity (Parfumo) | 8.2 (2,245 ratings) | 6.6 (252 ratings) |
| Sillage (Parfumo) | 8.0 (2,236 ratings) | 6.3 (249 ratings) |
| Bottle (Parfumo) | 6.9 (2,218 ratings) | 7.7 (242 ratings) |
| Value for money (Parfumo) | 9.1 (2,205 ratings) | 6.6 (165 ratings) |
| AlHimyan price | AED 131 / 100 ml | AED 483 / 50 ml, AED 715 / 100 ml, AED 879 / 180 ml |
| Cost per ml | AED 1.31 | AED 9.66 / 7.15 / 4.88 |
Afnan 9 PM: the champion nobody expected
9 PM arrived in 2015 and spent years being described as the affordable answer to a much more expensive French gourmand. That framing undersold it. On Parfumo it now sits at 7.9 out of 10 from 2,330 ratings and holds rank 69 in the entire men's perfume chart — a position built by volume of real wearers, not by marketing.
The opening is apple and bergamot with a cinnamon lift, and there is a genuine lavender thread running underneath that most sweet fragrances skip. The heart softens into lily of the valley and orange blossom, which is what stops the whole thing from turning into candy. The base is where it earns its reputation: vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli and amber, layered thick enough that the drydown is still clearly present the next morning on a shirt collar.
Notes
Top: Apple, Provencal lavender, Cinnamon, Bergamot
Heart: Lily of the valley, Orange blossom
Base: Vanilla, Tonka bean, Patchouli, Amber
Main accords: sweet, fruity, creamy, gourmand.
The performance numbers are not marketing claims. Longevity 8.2 and sillage 8.0, each from more than 2,200 independent ratings, put it in genuine beast-mode territory. And the value score of 9.1 is one of the highest figures this tournament has recorded from any source.
Colonia Futura: Italian restraint, built green
Colonia Futura is the sustainability chapter of the Colonia story. Acqua di Parma built it from 99 percent naturally derived ingredients, in a bottle designed to be refilled rather than replaced, and handed it to Francois Demachy — the nose who ran Dior's perfume house for over a decade.
It opens exactly as a Colonia should: grapefruit and lemon over Calabrian bergamot, with pink pepper giving the citrus a small bite instead of letting it go flat. The heart is clary sage and lavender, a herbal, faintly barbershop turn that reads as classic rather than dated. Then it lands on vetiver — earthy, dry, slightly toasted, and the reason people who like this fragrance really like it.
Notes
Top: Grapefruit, Lemon, Calabrian bergamot, Pink pepper
Heart: Clary sage, Lavender
Base: Vetiver
Main accords: citrus, fresh, green, spicy, woody.
Parfumo places it at 7.4 out of 10 from 287 ratings. That is a respectable score. But the performance bars tell the honest story: longevity 6.6 and sillage 6.3. Reviewers consistently report five to six hours before it becomes a skin scent. That is normal for an eau de cologne, and it is not a flaw — it is the format working as designed. It is simply not a fair fight against an EDP built to last.
How the scoring worked this round
A note on method, because we do not publish numbers we cannot stand behind. Our usual formula weights Fragrantica at 35 percent, Parfumo at 25 percent, longevity 15 percent, sillage 10 percent and value 15 percent. This round Fragrantica's pages could not be read from any route we have, and we have never recorded a verified Fragrantica figure for Colonia Futura. Rather than estimate one, we removed the category and reallocated its weight to Parfumo.
Round 22 weighting: Parfumo 60 percent, longevity 15 percent, sillage 10 percent, value 15 percent. Every input below was read live from Parfumo on 30 July 2026. Nothing is estimated.
| Category | Weight | Afnan 9 PM | Colonia Futura |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parfumo score | 60 percent | 7.9 → 4.740 | 7.4 → 4.440 |
| Longevity | 15 percent | 8.2 → 1.230 | 6.6 → 0.990 |
| Sillage | 10 percent | 8.0 → 0.800 | 6.3 → 0.630 |
| Value | 15 percent | 9.1 → 1.365 | 6.6 → 0.990 |
| Final | 8.135 | 7.050 |
The verdict: Afnan 9 PM wins, streak goes to seven
Margin: 1.085. Afnan 9 PM takes all four categories. Colonia Futura's only win on the whole card is the bottle score, which is not part of the formula — and honestly, it deserves that one. The Italian glass is beautiful.
With this win, 9 PM reaches seven consecutive victories and ties the tournament record shared by Amouage Interlude Man and Parfums de Marly Layton. Both of those champions fell on their eighth defence. Round 23 will be interesting.
The value math
At AED 131 for 100 ml, 9 PM costs AED 1.31 per millilitre. Colonia Futura in the same size is AED 715, or AED 7.15 per millilitre. That makes the champion roughly 5.5 times cheaper per millilitre. Buy Futura in the 180 ml bottle and the gap narrows to about 3.7 times, which is the smart way to buy it if it is the one you want.
Parfumo's own community reached the same conclusion independently: value 9.1 against 6.6.
Which one is actually for you
The scoreboard picks a winner. Your wardrobe should not.
Choose Afnan 9 PM if you want presence — evenings out, cooler months, a fragrance people comment on. It is sweet, it is loud, and it does not apologise. It is also the single easiest recommendation in this store for anyone building a first serious collection.
Choose Colonia Futura if you work in a room with other people, live through a Gulf summer, or simply prefer to smell clean, expensive and unbothered rather than noticed. It is the better office fragrance by a wide margin, and vetiver lovers will get real pleasure from the drydown. Just accept the reapplication.
Frequently asked
Is Colonia Futura unisex?
Yes. Acqua di Parma lists it for women and men, and Parfumo classifies it the same way. The citrus-vetiver structure has no gender lean at all.
Why does Colonia Futura have so few ratings?
287 on Parfumo against 2,330 for 9 PM. Niche Italian cologne against a global budget hit. Fewer ratings does not mean worse — but it does mean the score rests on a smaller sample, and we note that rather than hide it.
Does 9 PM really last that long?
The 8.2 longevity figure comes from 2,245 separate ratings, so yes, the consensus is strong. Expect eight hours or more on skin, and considerably longer on fabric.
We also stock the flankers.
If you already know 9 PM, the line has grown: 9 PM Rebel at AED 118, 9 PM Elixir Parfum, and 9 AM at AED 99 for the daytime version. The original at AED 131 remains the one this tournament tracks.
Order
Afnan 9 PM for Men Eau de Parfum 100 ml — AED 131
Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura Eau de Cologne — from AED 483
Both ship across the UAE with cash on delivery, Tabby and Tamara available at checkout, and a 7-day return window. Authentic brands, sourced direct.
All ratings in this article were read live from Parfumo on 30 July 2026. Prices are current on alhimyan.com on the same date and may change.