Leather – 10 Under The Radar Leather Scents

Earlier this year, I compiled a list of my favourite boozy scents. It was a fun exercise to sit down and think about which boozy fragrances I consider my top choices. So, I’ve decided to do it again, but this time with leather, an accord that can take us in all manner of different fragrant directions, from the floral to the gourmand. My list comes with a twist. I won’t be including any obvious ones that I consider reference leathers. The likes of Knize Ten, Hermes Cuir d’Ange, Chanel Cuir de Russie, and Tom Ford Tuscan Leather won’t appear on this list. Instead, I’ll be looking at some lesser-known leather scents that are worthy of your attention.

Etat Libre d’Orange – Tom of Finland – A fizzing, sparkling rendition of leather. Clean, easy to wear, and evocative of shaving foam and freshly showered skin. A touch of sweetness from the vanilla. Birch, pine, and cypress add a green, smoky element. The leather/vanilla combo is slightly rubbery, reminiscent of Bulgari Black. Despite the rather provocative advertising and story behind Tom of Finland, the scent never veers into the avant-garde like many of the brand’s other fragrances.  

Naomi Goodsir – Cuir Velours –  Cuir Velours is an enjoyable, wearable mix of new handbag leather, medicinal rum, sweet tobacco, and caramel-like immortelle. Although it isn’t listed, I detect a waxy lipstick iris that reminds me of the Dior Homme line. Deep and rich, it’s perfect for evenings out. Excellent work from Julien Rasquinet. 

L’Artisan Parfumeur – Mon Numero 10 – There were several contenders from the French niche house that could’ve featured. Dzing is a bizarre animalic mix of leather and sweet circus notes of Cotton Candy. Bertrand Duchaufour’s ode to Istanbul, Traversee du Bosphore is a Turkish delight, composed of fruity notes and powdery leather. Ultimately, I’ve gone with another Bertrand Duchaufour composition in Mon Numero 10.

It’s a sweet, smoky leather perfect for the cooler weather. The main notes to my nose are incense, cinnamon, leather, cardamom, and benzoin. The perfume feels like a mix of 1899 Hemingway, Avignon from Comme des Garcons and Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain with leather being to the fore. Citruses combine with the vanilla and cinnamon to bring a cola-like effervescence to the opening stages before the incense and leather take hold as the perfume moves through the phases. An interesting one from L’Artisan, that is not a mass appealing scent by any means.

Bottega Veneta – Eau de Velours – I think this is one of the best designer scents out there, leather or otherwise. Marketed to women but undoubtedly unisex. A mix of leather, plum, patchouli, and rose, retaining a rounded, elegant feel through to the dry down. Better than most things you’ll find on the department store shelf. Shades of Luten’s Feminite du Bois.

Comme des Garcons – Black – Nothing subtle about this one. A gothic mix of incense, pepper, burnt tar, licorice, and smoky leather. Not so dark that it isn’t wearable, but not for the shrinking violets. Very Comme des Garcons. 

Parfum d’Empire – Cuir Ottoman – Cuir Ottoman opens with a powdered iris intertwined with leather. The leather here feels like a fresh pair of leather shoes or a new handbag. From top to bottom, it’s a brilliant scent. The fluffy, creamy, almost gourmand dry down has the perfect amount of sweetness courtesy of vanilla, benzoin, tonka bean, and amber. It’s versatile too, and could comfortably work as an office or everyday scent. 

Atelier des Ors – Cuir Sacre – Lune Feline seems to be the popular choice from this house, but that one was too sweet for my taste. Cuir Sacre is an oh so suave mix of cedar, vetiver, and leather. A sprinkling of cardamom and veil of incense add depth and interest. Not that I’m a packaging freak, but the bottle is stunning. 

Frederic Malle – Rose & Cuir – Debatable whether you could classify anything by Frederic Malle as under the radar, but Rose & Cuir has received little fanfare. A release that baffled me on first impressions, but that I grew to love. Indeed, one need’s to leave their expectations at the door when first sampling. The rose and leather are not prominent features, at least early on. Instead, a hefty dose of geranium with it’s aromatic and rosy nuances plays the starring role. Black currant lends a tangy, minty feel to proceedings. 

The leather, represented here by the molecule IsoButyl Quinoline (first used in leather scents like Bandit), becomes more evident as it drys down, and I could see it being a little too heavy for some. For mine, it doesn’t overwhelm the composition as it merges with a green, smoky vetiver in the base, giving Rose and Cuir an earthy, ashy bitterness. 

Geo F Trumper – Spanish Leather Cologne – The British Men’s skincare and grooming brand serves up a great leather, in the soapy barbershop kind of style. It’s a bar of imperial leather soap bottled. Understated and debonair. Spray with abandon.

Hermes – Galop – Undoubtedly, the underrated leather in the Hermes fragrance collection is Nagel’s ode to the house’s equestrian heritage, Galop. Red roses, fruity quince married with a dusty leather. It reminds me a little of a cross between the brand’s own Cuir d’Ange and Myrrhe Eglantine, at a more affordable price point. Excellent work by Nagel.

I could probably come up with quite a few more. It certainly wasn’t easy keeping it to a minimum of 10.

What underrated leather’s do you love?

Note: Bottle images courtesy of Google.