What is it about the scent of leather? As soon as you walk into a lounge with leather sofas, you can smell it in the air; that warm, indulgent aroma that’s relaxing and enticing. Climb into a vintage car with leather seats and you’ll notice exactly the same.
Put simply, it’s a scent that people are seriously addicted to. It’s little wonder then that leather perfume is such a popular choice of fragrance.
If you’re keen to find out more about the history of leather scent, and why it’s so popular today, read on.
Leather fragrance oil – a run through history
We often think of leather as a modern smell, but actually, it’s one of the oldest perfume notes in history.
Rewind to the 16th century. Perfumed gloves were all the rage, mainly because personal hygiene was so poor back then, and people had to mask the smell somehow. These gloves, crafted for the rich and wealthy, were naturally made from the finest leather. And that’s where the world’s love affair with leather fragrance began.
These leather gloves were scented with all sorts of oils, not to mention ambergris and musk – two scents that are often paired with leather notes to this day.
But when was the first leather perfume officially launched? It was actually King George III who inadvertently started the world’s fervour for leather scent. He loved the fragrance so much, that he asked Creed (who were making his gloves at the time) to create a signature leather scent for him. Naturally, the great perfume makers agreed, and the iconic fragrance, Royal English Leather, was born.
What does leather perfume smell like?
Originally, there were two forms of leather notes – the ‘Russian’ and the ‘Spanish’. Russian leather was celebrated for its rich, authoritative scent, and Spanish leather was much loved for its softer, warmer aroma.
These days, leather is far more complex. For starters, although a fragrance may be described as having ‘leather notes’, that doesn’t mean it actually has any leather in it. In fact, many ‘leather’ perfumes are actually vegan-friendly!
Perfume-makers use all sorts of other ingredients to capture that iconic scent; such as juniper, myrtle, cistus labdanum and styrax. Sometimes, they also ‘sweeten it up’ slightly with the addition of tonka bean or vanilla.
Leather perfume oil remains popular, even after all this time. It’s such a rich, indulgent scent that it’s not hard to see why.
Which leather fragrance is right for you?
There are a few leather-based scents out there, but not many perfumes actively promote themselves as featuring this ingredient – so they can be hard to track down. Here’s some information about two of ours.
- Tuscan Leather. Our version of Tuscan Leather is one of the few scents that openly shouts about its predominant aroma! If you’re looking for the epitome of leather-scented fragrance for men, this is undoubtedly the one to choose. It not only features strong leather notes, but also a gentle hint of raspberry and jasmine. These two ingredients serve to elevate the scent, preventing it from becoming too heavy. As such, it’s a great option for day-to-night wear.
- F*cking Fabulous. Our homage to this decadent fragrance needs no introduction. F*cking Fabulous uses leather in a slightly more subtle way, to provide a hint of ‘gentleman’s club’ glamour. Its other notes; cashmeran, almond bitter oil and tonka bean, give it a richness and weight that’s intoxicating to smell. If you’re looking for a great male fragrance to wear on an evening out, this has to be a contender.
Not sure if perfumes with leather notes are right for you? There’s only one way to find out… get testing! Copycat Fragrances offer sample sizes of all our scents. The 5ml bottles contain plenty of applications for you to trail in a range of different situations. Road test our versions of Tuscan Leather and Fabulous, and see if they work for you. Then, if you love them, come back and buy the full-sized bottle!
Disclaimer: all products mentioned above, along with their labelling, are a guide and should not be confused with the actual fragrance brand. Any name trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective designers or makers. Please note, these perfumes and candles are not to be confused with the originals, and we have no affiliation with any companies mentioned. Our interpretations of the fragrances and candles were created through chemical analysis and personal development, and their description is solely to give the customer an idea of the nature of the scent. It is not designed to mislead or confuse the customer in any way, and does not infringe on the manufacturer's or designer's name or trademark.
Stephen Maddock
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Live my baccarat rouge really impressed .
GRAHAM
Just received my first bottles of GI and VIW – they are both just as good as the originals and longevity is good too, if all the other fragrances are as good i will be buying more, great value.