I have a love-hate relationship with leather fragrances. As in, I want to say I don’t love leather fragrances, but as soon as I say that, I’m reminded of how many leather fragrances I actually do like. In general, I like the scent of leather, but it is a style that can quickly overpower a fragrance composition or smell similar to dozens of other leathers. After reviewing almost 2000 fragrances, it’s easy for me to get tired or bored with certain leather styles that cross my path. Then again, some of the gems in my collection or on my wishlist, are essentially leather, so… Not my favorite note, but one that is undeniable and intertwined with high-level perfumery. So much so, that I ended up with 50 options to share with you in this list.
Defining leather fragrances is nearly impossible, given that leather as a note does not exist; it’s always fictional. Saffron, ambrette, birch, castoreum, styrax, all sorts of synthetics etc. can be used to give a leathery sensation. There are a lot of fragrance with a leather accord listed in the notes, that I’ve personally never considered as ‘a leather fragrance’, so I left them out of this list despite being among my favorites (Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede & Fragrance du Bois Sahraa for example).
In this list, you’ll find many leathers with a twist or where leather isn’t the sole focus, but I tried including several straight-forward leathers as well. That being said, I did keep it strictly to fragrances that I actually enjoy myself; it is a personal list of recommendations, not a list of objectively popular or quality leathers. They are not ranked in any specific order.
Fragrances marked with [#AD] means that I received the bottle for review by the brand at some point in time; not in any relation to (including it on) this list.
PureDistance Papilio
While this list is not ranked in any order, I figured, why not start with my current favorite leather. Papilio is one of the most easy-going, brightest options on the list. Floral, creamy with an ambroxan sweet base, but a classy leather tinge. It won the ScentAdvice award for best 2023 release and made its way to #4 in my latest top 50 of my collection. For true leather lovers, the discontinued M (no. 3) is a PureDistance must-try; essentially an up-scaled Roja Fetish, that was replaced by the still solid M V2Q.
Masque Milano Russian Tea
Along with L’Attesa, Russian Tea is the masterpiece of the Masque Milano collection in my eyes. It’s one of the best ‘cold smoky’ scents. A bitter tea with a subtle leather, smokiness and soft raspberry touch, that doesn’t smell like Tuscan Leather.
Rubini Fundamental (2015)
I think this fragrance has been revised in 2023, but I only know the 2015 version. It’s a great woody-leather with a wonderful unique smelling grape top note. The style or drydown reminds me a bit of ELDO Tom Of Finland and D.L. Roelen The Door, but the opening sets it apart.
Perris Absolue D’Osmanthe
Osmanthus is often viewed as a ‘peachy’ scent, but it can have an almost animalic, daring leathery side (I have for example the osmanthus raw ingredient Grand Cru by Les Indemodables and its scent is not for the faint of heart). Absolue D’Osmanthe is my favorite and one of the more animalic takes on leathery osmanthus, with a surprising milky/creamy touch as well.
Goldfield & Banks Purple Suede [#AD]
This would not be my usual style of leather; more aromatic, lavender-heavy. But the type of lavender used in Purple Suede has a natural softer and sweeter lean than some others and I think it makes for a pretty strong, but nice wearing end-result. I considered putting Fragrance du Bois PM on the list, which is in this direction somewhat, but louder and heavier.
Rasasi La Yuqawam
It’s not often that you’ll see me include clear ‘clone fragrances’ in my lists. I think in this case, the Tom Ford Tuscan Leather style has been done so many times, including by many bigger and ‘respectable’ brands, that its hard to look away from La Yuqawam’s value. I wore this side by side with Tuscan Leather early on in my fragrance journey and preferred the Rasasi. I don’t know how more current batches have held up, but this is one of the strongest fragrances to ever grace my collection.
Argos Brivido Della Cacia [#AD]
Speaking of Tuscan Leather copies; I think you can group Argos’ Bacio Immortale in that category as well, as a softer take. Which is why I ended up like Brivido Della Cacia a bit more (which felt like a take on the more sugary Memo Iris Leather DNA). Triumph Of Bacchus is the most popular Argos from this era, by far, and probably also my favorite, which you could see as a leather too, but I’d always classify that as a fruity, sweet, tobacco.
Thomas de Monaco Raw Gold (2020) [#AD]
Unfortunately, getting your hands on this 2020 version of Raw Gold will be a challenge anno 2025. The 2023 and 2024 version (which to my nose were very similar) are still good fragrances, but I prefer the more linear, more daring, brute force of the original limited run of Raw Gold, which I think is mostly a dry earthy honeyed patchouli, but with a leather tinge.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Masculin Pluriel
I’d argue that this is one of the more underrated fragrances in the MFK line-up. A clean, crisp, contemporary fougere/cologne with a subtle leather. I think Kurkdjian’s clinical, precise styling made for an interesting and versatile take on leather here. It reminds of a leathery companion to Zaharoff Signature Pour Homme.
Areej Le Dore Cuir de Russie
Areej Le Dore’s 6th collection was quite an eccentric group of releases. Cuir de Russie was released only as a garment perfume, due to the potentially skin-irritating vintage birch tar. And vintage it did smell, with a sharp floral opening. Not one I’d pick out often, but if you’re a leather lover, it’s an intriguing direction to try out.
Guerlain Cuir Beluga
Very smooth leather and one of the sweetest, less heavy-handed leathers on the list. The aldehydes kept me from loving this fully (I think I would enjoy it more if I revisited it today though), but I’ve always found this one of the more interesting and better L’Art & La Matiere collection releases by Guerlain.
Louis Vuitton Matiere Noire
Suede/leather and rose is probably what Louis Vuitton does best in my opinion. A lot of people would opt for Les Sables Roses and I’m personally a big fan of the Myriad extrait. However, the suede-rose Matiere Noire has been on my wishlist for a while now.
Eric Buterbaugh Oud Saffron Flower
A pretty straight-forward, but high quality ‘saffron leather’. Not my favorite from this excellent Buterbaugh line by any stretch, but still one of the better options for saffron lovers. Unfortunately, this excellent brand is no longer producing fragrances, but you can still find them pre-owned every now and then.
Dior Homme Parfum (2014)
Sadly, Dior Homme Parfum (2024) has completely lost its magic. But the 2014 formulation (which remained the same with the 100ml bottles in 2020) is one of, if not the, best designer created in my opinion. Very dry, powdery, palpable leather. It’s not dark, but it’s still a heavy wear, that I have to be in the mood for, but in the right mood, it’s unbeatable.
Robert Greco Rauque
To my nose, this has a strong hay quality. Barnyardy (without being skanky), more tobacco-hay than leather, but there’s a Dior Fahrenheit-esque gasoline leather tinge throughout. Maybe I’m influenced by the limited nature of this fragrance (in total 600 bottles were produced); I didn’t love it enough to buy it after first trying it, but it’s been on my mind several times since.
Etat Libre D’Orange Tom Of Finland
Later rebranded to Clean Suede; supposedly unchanged at launch, but I haven’t tried Clean Suede to compare. Tom of Finland is what I would call a woody-leather. Pencil-shavings are prominent, but also some metallic tinges. One of the best Etat Libre D’Orange releases to date.
Byredo Animalique
One of the more misleading names, as it’s one of the least animalic leathers I can think of in this list. Picture more of an powdery make-up bag suede with a lot of violet. No iris is listed, but I perceive it as iris-heavy. I think one of the better Byredo releases.
Akro Ink [#AD]
I ended up selling my bottle of this, but I still think of it at times. A pretty true-to-life, rubbery, tattoo-ink scent. Unusual to wear as a perfume, which is why I didn’t keep it around, but it felt highly transportive and nostalgic (as someone with tattoos). A well-done artistic fragrance with a clear theme, which is what Akro was known for (in my opinion until this release, as they have let go of their strong conceptual style since).
Nishane Nefs
In my book, the masterpiece by Nishane. A truly complex, non-linear, unique fragrance. Hard to define, but sweet, plasticy leather with a fruity tinge would definitely come to mind for me. A must try (on skin). Pricing is up there, but this fragrance is what niche perfumery is all about.
Hiram Green Hyde
This fragrance earned, nay, demanded my respect. One of the longest lasting fragrance I’ve ever owned, but also one of the more daring ones. The opening hours consist of a smoky, bacon/barbecue birch tar that I couldn’t pull off. What follows is many hours of lovely vanillic incense (to my nose). Wearable? I don’t know. Art? Absolutely.
Amouage Sunshine Woman
Many Amouage have leathery tinges, but perhaps the best one is Sunshine Woman. To my nose, a deceivingly named or perceived fragrance. It has tobacco, leather, smokiness with a fruity osmanthus; not ‘sunshine’ or Summery at all to my nose. A gem within the Amouage women’s line (my favorite in that after Epic Woman/56).
Atelier Materi Cuir Nilam [#AD]
A sort of aromatic, floral leather. Reminding me of Purple Suede, but even smoother. Atelier Materi tends to have great quality and Cuir Nilam is an absolute stand-out quality wise in my opinion. Not one of my personal favorites from this list, but objectively, one of the best ones. The brand’s Iris Ebene (f.k.a. Cuir D’Iris) is also a beloved option for many, although that one didn’t work out for me when I tested it.
Carner Sandor 70’s
I’ve tried many a Carner Barcelona and Sandor 70’s is still a stand-out for me. A near-perfect balance of tobacco/cigarette smoke, booziness and leather. Mostly tobacco perhaps and I always get a hint of coconut in this (reminiscent of Navitus Arcanum).
Marc-Antoine Barrios Encelade
I know, I know. Adding Encelade to the list instead of Ganymede (which lists a leather accord) or B683 & the more interesting and daring B683 Extrait (which is clearly leathery) is questionable. But I don’t experience Ganymede as leather and B683 would rank lower for me. Encelade is a unique, heavy fragrance, that reminds me mostly of vetiver and rhubarb, but with a leathery aspect throughout.
Mancera Saharian Wind
Another one that I’m not sure qualifies as leather, but it definitely has it in the notes. As often, I get more tobacco. The reason I wanted to include this is that I think Saharian Wind is easily one of the best Mancera’s and a slept-on release compared to many others from the brand.
Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin
Not my favorite Bianchi and there are others that have some leathery facets, like Orris Soyeux or Tyger Tyger, but when I think of Francesca and leather, I have to think of Under My Skin. Not as daring to me as often painted, I find it quite beautiful due to the textures and sweetness that are added. This one has a deserved cult-status among leather lovers.
Les Eaux Primordiales Crocus Supercritique
When I got my hands on Crocus Supercritique (at the time, exclusive as limited edition to Senteurs D’Ailleurs in Brussels), I learned for the first time that saffron came from the crocus plant. And this comes across as one of the cleanest, most crisp saffron fragrances.
OmanLuxury Angham [#AD]
Probably my favorite OmanLuxury to date, albeit not the one I’d wear most. This is a smoky scent to me (like cigarettes and ash) with fruitiness and quite some sweetness to make it more manageable. Its leather itself is not too powerful, but it’s there alongside woods and smoke for a cold weather powerhouse.
Fragrance du Bois Lovers
From the more recent (2020-2025) Fragrance du Bois releases, I think that Lovers ranks as my favorite. As someone who’s not the biggest fan of saffron, I mostly got a linear saffron from Lovers, yet I enjoyed it, especially because the hint of rose is more to my taste. It’s quite accessible (aside from its price point). As mentioned in the introduction to this list; Sahraa has been left out despite being my clear favorite; I get more woods than leather there for sure. Although I also had an older bottle style Sahraa (with the black paper label and Eau de Parfum naming, instead of the gold plaque Parfum); the composition is the same, but the aged one felt more saffron-heavy.
Maitre Parfumeur Et Gantier Cuir Fetiche
One of the most underrated fragrances in my collection and one of the more dynamic fragrances on this list. Opening with vintage-esque pissy florals, growing into a surprising amount of powdery iris that I still don’t see coming any time that I spray it on, and a mature leather throughout. I consider this a masterpiece, but you have to be able to appreciate that retro opening and texture.
Prissana Mandarava
Mandarava is another potential masterpiece for me. It’s my favorite Prin Lomros creation out of several dozens that I’ve tried, and the reason I left Majnoon and SM Café off this list. Mandarava has piercing, almost metallic deep florals and a smokiness that could or could not register as leather. A lot of depth and darkness here, but the florals work as a silver lining or ray of sunshine.
Mariejeanne Au Pied Du Rosier
High time for a fresher, brighter scent again and Au Pied Du Rosier is a recent favorite (2024) of mine. Mariejeanne has top notch quality in its use of ingredients and here you get a suede-rose combination, reminiscent of Louis Vuitton Matiere Noire or Atelier des Ors Villa Primerose. I’m currently having a mental debate on whether to buy Matiere Noire after years on my wishlist, when I have the chance and funds, or to opt for Au Pied Du Rosier instead.
Ella K Melodie D’Altai
Sonia Constant is masterful with leathers (creating for example the popular Tom Ford Ombre Leather). Melodie D’Altai is a real favorite of mine, as a gourmand leather. Proper, actual leather scent, mixed with caramelized gummy bears is how I always describe this. Ghibli is a similar, slightly lesser option from the brand for me.
Ormonde Jayne Arabesque
Granted, when I first smelled Arabesque during a launch event, I wasn’t overly impressed; it had that ‘Tuscan Leather’ vibe directly. However, this is fruitier, softer, smoother. To the point where it feels less like a take on Tuscan Leather and more like a dark fruit tea at some points. It wears really nicely as a mature, but not heavy option.
Siam1928 Mekha Aranya
An absolute gem (that has now been nominated for an Art & Olfaction award in 2025). This transitions a lot, from a leather scent, into a more floral, lighter, beautiful drydown. Almost like a journey from Eastern-style perfumery into more traditional French perfumery. It has the fruity shoe polish leather scent of raw osmanthus.
Wolf Brothers Goat
I bought samples of Goat and others from the brand, expecting more of a gimmick that would be fun to review. Goat for example has listed notes of goat’s milk, mushroom, truffle. To my surprise, I found really nice ‘niche’ quality here for a reasonable price, with Goat seemingly hinting at the Frederic Malle The Moon DNA.
Thameen Regent Leather
One of the more straight-forward leathers on this list, I think (I haven’t yet properly reviewed Regent Leather). I’m drawn to it though and the quality and the way it wears seem top notch. While not my favorite scent profile, it always stands out as one of the first Thameen fragrance that I’d consider adding to my collection.
Boadicea The Victorious Harmonious
Harmonious seems to be Boadicea’s (higher priced) answer to Dior Homme Parfum. A DNA that I love and it’s made creamier and sweeter here, making it different enough to co-exist. Not for strong leather lovers, but I was reminded of a more mass appealing option to Francesca Bianchi’s creamy-leather works.
Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie Pierre De Velay no. 6
Pierre de Velay no. 6 is my favorite of the Pierre de Velay that I’ve tried. It has links to a lot of other Roja releases; from some of the aouds, Parfum de La Nuit 1 & 3, to Diaghilev, to Danger and Fetish. All of them having leather in their composition and I think it’s one of the star-bases of the Roja lineage.
Les Indemodables Vanille Havane
While the leather is quite pronounced, I definitely view Vanille Havane as a dirty, boozy, smoky tobacco, more so than as a leather. It also gets very sweet and resinous. A gem of a perfume, but one that can be demanding and tiring for the wearer in my experience. The brand’s more dedicated leather, Cuir de Chine was less up my alley.
Memo Paris African Leather
Probably my favorite from the Memo leather collection. A spicy take on leather, that frankly, I should revisit and give a proper review. The sweet, sugary Irish Leather is also fun, but I should really give African Leather or its African Rose sibling a more thorough try again soon.
Matiere Premiere Falcon Leather Extrait
Falcon Leather EDP was already a sweet woody take on leather, and with the Extrait, I get more tobacco qualities up front. The leather comes out stronger on the back-end. Not my favorite leather style or my favorite Matiere Premiere, but I did find this the most balanced addition from their Extrait collection and I definitely prefer it over Oud Seven, which has a shoe polish leather quality to my nose.
Gallivant Accra
One of the more interesting and ‘most niche’ releases of recent years. A strong development from start to finish, with a lot of almost metallic spices, herbal tones and leather. Yet also, carrot, fruits, woods. This has a bit of everything and is impossible to describe, but it’s highly artistic and fun to wear. I don’t love the herbal, aromatic tinges, but there is a lot to love here during the wear.
Stephane Humbert Lucas Harrods H Mamba
A leather core, but overtaken by animalic ambers. H Mamba most reminds me of Roja Parfum de La Nuit 1. Definitely the type of scent that I would only wear on limited occasions, but one of the best Stephane Humber Lucas on the market.
Tom Ford Tuscan Leather
It’s been referenced multiple times before, and what more can one say about this. Soft raspberry, serious, somewhat slick leather. Top notch quality, good performance. Are there better options for the price nowadays… sure. But Tuscan Leather is a legendary perfume that has rightfully earned its status.
Les Abstraits La Douleur Exquise
Belle Ame is clearly my favorite of the first three Les Abstraits, but for leather, La Douleur Exquise is more to my taste than Des Cendres (which could also be on the list). To me, this wears almost like a rose-oud along the lines of Oud Ispahan (older batches of the Dior, as the newer ones seem to smell mostly of sugar), with a pretty noticeable leather for most of the wear. It has an easily manageable hint of animalic opening, that grows super resinous over time.
Penhaligon’s Halfeti
There is an actual Halfeti Leather fragrance, which I haven’t properly tested yet, but the Halfeti DNA in general is really solid. I think it’s a refined take on spiciness, leather, woods. Another, similar option from Penhaligon’s would be The Blazing Mister Sam.
Orlov Walk On The Wild Side [#AD]
My favorite from the ByOrlov collection. Walk On The Wild side has a sharp, pine-like green ‘new car’ leather with a lot of citrus, before growing more floral. Very much synthetic smelling and in-your-face and loud, making this more of a fun, quirky scent if you want to be noticed, but it works well for the scent.
Maison Crivelli Safran Secret
Last but certainly not least. Safran Secret (f.k.a. Ingredients 07\2012) may be my favorite ‘safron leather’ to date, with a spiciness and a sweetness. Essentially smelling like a sweet smoke in the drydown, but touching on some florals (Tom Ford Oud Wood style) along the way. At the time of writing, top of my wishlist material and one of my favorite surprises of 2025.