No review today. Instead, allow me to introduce to you my project of several months, the Directory of Leather Scents. (If you haven't realized that I love leather perfumes and am a nerd, now you know) Divided alphabetically (by the brand name) into three groups, this is the list of scents that (according to the official description, perfume guides and/or my humble nose) contain leather note, some more prominently than others. It is a work in progress, new scents are going to be added as they are released or as I find out about them. The directory can also be easily called My To-Try List and My Wish List, since I'd love to eventually sample all of the leather scents ever created and to own most of them.Leather Scents Directory - A to H
Leather Scents Directory - I to Q
Leather Scents Directory - R to Z
(The links can also be found on the right sidebar of the blog)
Now, what note should I tackle next? I was thinking Anjelica or Narcissus...
Please tune in tomorrow for the review of my most recent leather scent discovery, Psychotrope by Parfumerie Generale
Now, what note should I tackle next? I was thinking Anjelica or Narcissus...
Please tune in tomorrow for the review of my most recent leather scent discovery, Psychotrope by Parfumerie Generale
If I am very good, in heaven I will get to have my choice of any of these.
ReplyDeleteNext? Do you have to ask? MUSK
Tom,
ReplyDeleteHave pity on me...:-) Musk is like in every scent on the planet :-) Even vetiver is probably a little too ubiquitous for this kind of project. Pick something rare...I am thinking tanaka wood :-D
PS. I think the other place smells like leather...heaven smells of white lilies :-P
Maybe your heaven...
ReplyDelete:-)~
How 'bout Russian olive? That beautiful illusive scent that wafts about the Rio Grande and Santa Fe?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Colombina! Your list is a wonderful resource!!! You are not *at all* a nerd. You are magnificent. I still can't get over what a great project this is. I think I'll just go babble in a corner.
ReplyDeleteAs to notes, well, I wonder if "smoke" could be considered a note. I don't suggest tobacco because one favorite and famous scent with a very smoky opening doesn't contain a drop of tobacco, Tabac Blond, but still it has the effect of it.
If you want something more obscure, how about heliotrope?
My oh,my !
ReplyDeleteThis will be a must-view.
I admire your resourcefulness, and dedication.
Maria- I love heliotrope, but it's in almost as many frags as rose...
Marinochka will go blind by then !
[No slam intended, dear lady !]
I'm afraid that my heaven will probably smell like a barnyard- which is ok, as long as I get to keep the livestock...
BTW- another reason to love Steven Colbert:
On the last page of the recent Allure, he said that the best smell is the top of a baby's head...
Good man !
In honour of your labours on behalf of all deranged perfumistas and perfumistos, I'm wearing Bel Ami. You know when you haven't worn a scent for the longest time, and have forgotten how much you love it? I'm in a state of bliss. Bel Ami is close to perfection, if not actually there.
ReplyDeleteI'm throwing all my other scents away (btw this is a lie caused by hyperbolic excess).
I love the smell of leather but haven't found my perfect leather scent yet. Of course, I don't know half of the ones on your list. What I'm looking for is new-purse leather with a little something to round it out.Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteQuestion, Anais Anais a leather scent? I would've never guessed. I don't smell leather there.
Cardomom!!!!!!!! That should be next!
ReplyDeleteM -- oh, the shame! Our archives are a total mess and I look at this feat of organization and feel shame ... congratulations!
ReplyDeleteHow about iris? I think you like iris.
Brilliant list! So many leathers, so little time...
ReplyDeleteAnd I must check out that Allure Chaya mentioned. Adore Steven.
Wow! This is wonderful! Believe it or not, I started to do this a while ago, but being lazy, gave it up. I am really grateful to you!
ReplyDeleteYours in leather,
J
I don't know that I'm so grateful for hearing about a new PG lether scent, though. Oh dear, Oh dear! *clutches credit card, which is currently reeling from new car lease*
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteRussian Olive is a great idea. a) it's rare enough not to be in every 2nd scent. and b)it's Russian :-) Does it go by any other name, by any chance?
Maria,
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of smoke...it would be a very subjective list though, much more so than leather.
Chaya,
ReplyDeleteBaby's head (neck, belly...) IS the best smell in the world. And not one scent has come even close to replicating it, nor ever would.
Leopoldo,
ReplyDeleteShameful confession- I don't remember Bel Ami. Oy. I must re(try) it ASAP.
Flor,
ReplyDeleteAnais Anais is not a leather scent per se, it has a leather note, according to the esteemed H&R Fragrance Guide...personally I don't smell it there either, but if they say so...:-)
C,
ReplyDeleteCardamom is a GREAT idea!!
March,
ReplyDeleteThank you! I thought of iris...might also be too many scents that feature it though...Let's do Directory of Skank :-)
L,
ReplyDeleteIs it the same Allure that has Chanels? If so, I must have locked in into that artcile and missed everything else. I even managed to miss Malle at first :-)
Judith,
ReplyDeleteI am hoping for suggestions and additions from you :-)
The PG scent is apparently only sold (or will be) in Russia...we are safe for now :-)
Well, I will look through, of course, but you look pretty complete there. But for further nerdiness: how about adding little symbols (number of whips?) for how much you liked and/or how "leathery" they are?
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good idea!!
ReplyDeleteAdding: The CSP Piroguier is definitely a leather scent (and not a bad one, IMO, althogh the top in the sample I sent is ruined--or simply yucky)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Will add it right now. I haven't tested it that well, but from the vial it smelled fine...hmm
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's me, but I don't see the SMNs--Nostalgia, Peau d'Espagne.
ReplyDeleteHere are some others from my list (mostly culled from Basenotes); I am running, but will find some more later:
DSH Cuio, Erotica (there are of course ALs and BPALs as well, so it's a matter of how many of these you want to include).
Pierre Cardin Centuares Cuir Casaque, Cuir Etalon, Cuir Blanc, Curir Fougere
Pierre Cardin Centuares Diamont Noit
(there's a whole series like this, with more fragrances; the men might know)
Montale Aoud Queen Roses
Mury Cuir de Russie
more later:)
Diamont Noir, that is.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Colombina! Ah, Fendi and Bandit - two of my favourites. And I love the Diptique cuir candle!
ReplyDeleteDonanicola,
ReplyDeleteL'Artisan has a fantastic leather candle too, Intreccio No 1 *swoon* :-)
Congratulations on a job well done! Being also somewhat of a nerd, as well as an intrepid gardener, I know Russian Olive well. It goes by three other common names: Willow Olive, Autumn Olive and Oleaster.
ReplyDeleteHope that helps! :)
Teri,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I wrote everything down :-)
L'AP Intreccio 1? is that the one with the Bottega Vensomething or other leather case? (hastily rearranges plans for walk home this evening to take in the L'AP store - just for a sniff you understand) teehee
ReplyDeleteThat's the one! It smells so good, I wish they made a perfume with that scent. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wore Knoze Ten today, jsut because of this post!
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased :-) Not least because I love Knize Ten!
Leather, who cares? LOL -- yes, it is your EFT. 2nd the vote for iris, next :-)
ReplyDeleteR,
ReplyDeleteLOL! Iris would be very hard work though...
Marina, what about incense? After all the uproar over Juozas Statkevicius, wouldn't it be fun?
ReplyDeleteGood job on the list. I love leather as well. It's funny but I apply a leather scent when I want to break out of my normal routine and be naughty!
I also vote for the "skank" list. I love the smell of sweat in the morning or evening...give me cumin orr give me death!
Yes--skank! Complete with skank-o-meter!! Inevitably subjective of course--but 'twould be fun!! Luxuriating in MKK at the moment. . .
ReplyDeleteKelley,
ReplyDeleteIncense! I like that. Putting it on the list...
Judith,
ReplyDeleteTop 3 Skankers? Mine:
Human Existence
Paris 1738
CB Musk
MKK would be No 4 :-)
Colombina all I can say is wow and this such a lovely list for the leather lover or those trying to get into leather fragrances.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It was really made for my nerdy enjoyment and sort of like a What Else Should I Sniff list, but if it is useful to others, I'd be so happy!
Here is a link to the Basenotes "ultimate leather" thread, which probably has some other suggestions (you know those men!):
ReplyDeletehttp://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=167934&highlight=ultimate+leather+thread
Re skank: Well, I only smelled the Mugler scents briefly and on strips, but both were certainly skankier than I would choose to wear (esp. Paris 1738; I could see Human Existence if layered with other things). As far as skanky scents I acutally like and wear, the first three that occur to me are
CB Musk (Yay!)
MKK
Rose Poivree (I know, this doesn't do it for you):(
Since we are talking skank...I must bring in one of my true loves, McQueen's Kingdom. I could bathe in it's wonderful skankiness (is that a word?).
ReplyDeleteJ,
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am not going include BPAL and such, but I see some scents in that thread I don't have on the list. Biename, for example. Is one of the Ciros a leather scent by any chance? danger, perhaps?
Kelley,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it IS a word, but it should be! :-)
Hi Marina! your list is wonderful! For the next one, I like the idea of iris, but my heart beat for incense...
ReplyDeleteJuliette,
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think I will do incense next :-)
Yes, Incense!!! OK, do you want me to send you the samples from Heeley? Cardinal and Fine Leather. Just say the word (oh, and send me your mailing address!)......
ReplyDeleteNot to outgeek you but... isn't Diorama another leather chypre I don't see on this wonderful list?
ReplyDeleteM and J (and anyone else who wants to play) -- okay, here's a game:
ReplyDeleteEXCLUDING the Muglers, which to me are sort of experimental, existential things, what are your top three skanks?
Oooops -- see J's list on there already!
ReplyDeleteWonder what Tom would pick?
CB
MKK
?
Kelley,
ReplyDeleteYou've got mail :-)
D,
ReplyDeleteGood one! Thank you!
March,
ReplyDeleteExcluding the Muglers...
CB Musk
MKK
...and I can't think of the 3rd! :-O
Excluding the Muglers:
ReplyDeleteCB Musk
MKK
Kiehls original Musk
Bingo! Kiehls! yes, that for me too. :-)
ReplyDeleteRight? Funny think is that I had to really think there for a minute. Then I had the "doink!" moment..
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for undertaking such an ambitious project. After browsing the
ReplyDeletedirectory, I am amazed to learn how many of my favoirte scents contain leather notes. I have bought specific scents because they are marketed as leather scents. But there are many I own that I would have never guessed could be categorized as leather.
You also just made my wishlist multiply x2. :)
Odorifera,
ReplyDeleteThank you, you are very kind!
I smelled someone wearing Kiehls the other day -- it's so distinktive.
ReplyDelete:-)
And I thought, ugh, why does she wear that, of all things?
And then I thought, how many times a week does someone think that about me?!?
Yeah...I wonder if "normal people" think we stink...
ReplyDeleteCiro--not that I know of (which doesn't mean they don't). Danger smells like Sables and Surrender like Narcisse Noir. There are a gazillion Cuir de Russies, though!:)
ReplyDeleteI have samples of those Ciros somewhere, I should finally test them !
ReplyDeleteThank you! This is a book I'll read cover to cover.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry the new PG will be sold in Russia only. Are they taking a cue from Le Labo?
My vote for next note goes to either iris or incense.
I don't mean to drive you crazy, but I wonder about this...Are you cross indexing scents that fall into more than one category?
Thank you for the directory. I hope it was a labor of love.
n
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteOK, one step at a time, LOL. Crossindexing! :-) I think I will do the incense next...will take a while though.
The Psychotrope was created specifically for that Russian store (because the store asked, maybe?), so it's not a bid for super-exclusivity on the part of Parfumerie Generale. I also think (but don't quote me!) that they probably can be reasoned with and persuaded to sell a sample, a mini, or, who knows, a bottle maybe, if one asks nicely. At least that is my feeling :-)
Incense is an absolutely wonderful idea--one of the best notes one can put in perfume!
ReplyDeleteMarina, how will you select--by what the maker says or by what you smell? Perfumers seem to be rather inconsistent about what they mean by "incense." And what about myrrh or frankincense by themselves? Being a cataloguer would drive me crazy because I'd be grappling with all these questions. I'm so very, very thankful you're doing it!!!!
Maria,
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought it out yet, but my first instinct is to go with roughly equaling incense with frankincense and eventually making a separate list for myrrh. As with leather, first I would study the lists of notes in various perfume guides that I have (for example, H&R Fragrance Guide- can't recommend it highly enough!), then search for more contemporary stuff online. If I feel some scents that my nose thinks have the note in them are missing, I would add them. :-)
Gres's Cabochard has a pretty pronounced leather note (even after the reformulation.)
ReplyDeleteMary,
a faithful reader
Mary,
ReplyDeleteThank you! I can't believe it was left out!
Bravo to my favorite nerd! That's all I can say. :D
ReplyDeleteIna,
ReplyDeleteBig nerdy thank you!
A directory of leather scents! You are my goddesss!
ReplyDeleteSolander,
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you very much! :-)
Your Leather Scent Directory was mentioned on Andy Tauer's blog this morning!
ReplyDeleteKelley,
ReplyDeleteAndy is very kind!
BRAVO!!!
ReplyDelete*sigh*
You could also add something from Etat Libre d`Orange like
Vraie Blonde
Je Suis Un Homme
Putain des Palaces
Eloge du Traitre
Divin` Enfant
Vierges & Toreros
and as I`ve been informed in September they will launch Triple Leather scent.
moon_fish
S,
ReplyDeleteThank you! Coming from you, a bravo is a huge deal!
So all those Etats have leather? Wow. I am starting to like that company!
Great job! but I miss CSP Bois de Filao and Etienne Aigner Suede Woman and Suede Man
ReplyDeleteThank you, D! Does Bois de Filao have leather?
ReplyDeletei am flabbergasted at the amount of perfumes that use leather as a note- such that a full list requires alphabetization. maybe i have not yet sniffed enough perfumes. my introduction to leather is dzing! (my current favorite skin scent.) im surprised at some of the scents that made the list like Chanel no. 19, jicky and vol de nuit... i'll pay more close attention next time i get to sniff them (which is tomorrow! hehehe)
ReplyDeleteList suggestions: what about tonka bean? hyacinth? violet? oh... cumin scents! :-)
There is a lot, isn't there? I probably could have even divided them into 4-5 groups alphabetically :-) Many of this, like Vol de Nuit or Anais Anais, have a leather note in the official list of notes, but I personally have never smelled leather there.
ReplyDeleteI love Dzing!
Hi, Marina... have been lurking here for a couple of months and just pulled this up today. This past week I've been trying some samples from DSH and ran across one that I liked, and which has a leathery basenote to it: The Silk Road, one of the Essense oils. It's tea, spices, subdued florals, cedar, and leather, and I think I smell something that reminds me of pipe tobacco, although I don't think that's listed in the notes. I keep waffling on whether or not it's too masculine for me (Floral Girl that I am), but since I continue to sniff my wrist and think, "that's interesting," it may NOT be too masculine.
ReplyDelete(I had no idea that leather was a note in No. 19, my new alter ego. Maybe that explains why I keep shoving my wrist up my nose in the drydown and saying, MMmmmmmmm.)
Thought I'd pass it along... as if you have enough time to sample every leather scent in the world... ;)
I'm not sure I'll ever stumble across this blog again, but I had to share my secret weapon with you guys, since you clearly understand and appreciate smells like leather and smoke and skank. ;)
ReplyDeleteMost of the time I go for something like Deci Dela by Nina Ricci, but when I want to feel luscious and sultry and debauched, I bust out this magical stuff. You're not going to believe me, but don't knock it till you've smelled it, people. It's KISS (Him)... as in, like, the band with Gene Simmons. There's a "Her" version for women which is also very interesting (dark and irisy), but it doesn't have the staying power or the swagger of the man-stuff. KISS Him is intoxicating, wanton... it smells like smoke and sweat and rum and BO. In fact, it smells so exactly like a sweaty rock star that I laughed out loud in Ulta when I sniffed it. And every dimension of the complexity lasts and lasts and lasts. It's divine. It's gender ambiguous like the guys on stage. It makes me feel like a groupie.