Sunday, February 10, 2013

Perfume Reviews - The Leather Note Mystery


As I have mentioned before on this blog, I have noticed several times now that leather scents often smell like saffron to me. This post will look into this mystery and compare the leather scents that I have tried so far. Dungeon and The Haunted Mansion are both from my recent Enchanticals haul and they have been very instrumental in making me understand the leather note. Aragon by Darling Clandestine and Canus Lupus Arctos by Salmonberry Origins have both been reviewed before by me (here and here). I will revisit them now that I have a better grasp on leather. Hedonic by Haus of Gloi (in my recent package from Su, the awesome enabler) has been included because it is a saffron scent that ironically enough smells like leather on me. ;)

The one scent that really solved this mystery  for me was Dungeon because that scent is all about the leather. It smells like the real thing but in a way that allows me to sense the different notes that make up the real smell of leather. Sniffing Dungeon and sniffing some real leather made me realize that, as a scent, it is made up of three parts. One part cold and sharp herbal, one part saffron-like sweetness and one part dark animalic.

The Haunted Mansion has the same leather note as Dungeon, but accompanied by chocolate, patchouli and sweet tobacco among others. So the sweetness is amplified here and the saffrony note is more apparent. But this one is still definitely a leather scent, unlike the following perfumes in this post.

Now that I have smelled Dungeon, Aragon makes a lot more sense to me. Aragon is the one out of all these five that smells most of saffron to me, even though there is not saffron but leather in the description. Still, there is a trace of that sharp herbal whip but Aragon is missing that animalic note that would make it be percieved as leather by my nose.

Canus Lupus Arctos is also missing that dark animalic note. The herbal note here is more ozonic and the saffron sweetness is subtle. So my nose percieves a bit of saffron, some ozone, but not a leather note.

Hedonic is an interesting one. Description says that this should be black fig, saffron, honey, oud and musk, but I smell only a leathery saffron. I guess the musk acts as the animalic note, the oud might act as the herbal and both of these together with the saffron makes my nose think that this is leather.

So, there is my solution to the saffron-leather mystery! Do you agree or am I, or my nose, just crazy? Do you enjoy leather scents? Any favorites? Or how about saffron scents and favorites?

(Btw... I have a new laptop and you all can´t understand how strange and revolutionary this is! I have never before in my life owned a new computer. The only computer I have owned was the laptop I have had these past few months that was one my little brother bought cheap and second hand in 2008... It was really worn and finally gave up last Thursday... But now I have a new one, and it is fabulous!! All the things I can do that I have never been able to before! <3 p="">

10 comments:

  1. Yay for a new laptop! Mine has been laying on the floor because my cat or hamsters decided to chew through the charger and I don't want to shell out $ for a new one when I have an iPhone and iPad. It's quite an inconvienence sometimes, but whatever.

    I absolutely love leather in perfumes! It's no secret that I love Library by SS. I think the CB In The Library perfume has a leather note in it too, but I don't remember for certain. Vlad by Black Baccara is also a leather tobacco perfume I tried and enjoyed. I know there are more, but my brain doesn't feel like working right now!

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    1. Well, I´m a little behind on technology and don´t have an iPhone or an iPad... Plus I´m studying and supposed to write a paper this spring, so I needed a laptop! Before I have used the compuiters at my school, but they rather suck and of course I can´t download programs or upload images or whatever there... Bottom line, I am SO glad that I finally have a laptop that I can trust!!

      I love leather too, but it is rather sad when the leather just smells like saffron (even though I do love saffron). What are the leather notes in these perfumes like? Real leather, herbal leather, saffron-like leather?

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    2. It's insanely hard to be in school without a laptop. I hated to use the computers at my school, mainly because there were always people on them so I had to wait, and I'd rather be at home doing my papers. I'd be so pissed when I had to wait for people at school to finish playing their computer games when I had to finish school work. Don't get me wrong, I love gaming, but there's a time and place for it!

      I definitely kind of "happened upon" my apple products. My iPhone was 1 cent in exchange for getting a phone plan because I have the oldest version available, and the iPad was a Christmas gift for my boyfriend and I like to steal it from him sometimes :D

      I am almost certain that SS Library is a "real" leathery smell. My boyfriend compares it to a leather jacket his grandpa used to wear, which is one of the reasons he likes it so much. It's so cool when a scent can make you nostalgic! Anyway, I'd have to try In The Library again because it's been so long. It's hard to tell with Vlad because the leather mixes with the tobacco note so seamlessly. Sorry I'm not very helpful! :(

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    3. There are a lot of public computers at my school so getting access to one is easy, I never really had to queue... On evenings and weekends I was usually almost alone there!

      I have an iPod (ancient by now) that I came into posession of in a rather unusual way. I exchanged a menstrual cup that I was never going to use for it!

      I really have to try SS Library as soon as possible but first I´m investing in some full sizes from Alkemia!

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    4. That's good that your school has an abundance of public computers (even though you don't need them anymore, hehe!)

      That's really kind of funny how you exchanged a menstural cup for an IPod. I think you got a better deal ;D

      Yes, SS Library needs to be smelled. It's almost too good to be true! I haven't heard of Alkemia but I'll look them up!

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    5. I definitely got the better deal!

      I ordered three full sizes and a handfull of samples from Alkemia today!! ;) I love Alkemia, it´s definitely one of my favorite brands!

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  2. I don't find leather smells like saffron but maybe it's just my nose. I agree thst there are different kinds of leather a "worn" and mild leather which smells like an expensive jacket, a metalic leather and a medicinal leather which usually overpowers all the other notes on my skin...
    I love leather in perfumes! From the ones you mentioned I have only tried Hedonic which is one of my least favorite perfumes. I just can't stand it. I think it's the saffron or the musk... Who knows?

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    1. I like warm "real" leathers the best I think, but I´ll have to sample some more leather scents! Hedonic isn´t a favorite of mine either. I should enjoy it but it is the kind of scent that never really takes off, it probably doesn´t like my skin...

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  3. wow vad många parfymer. Jag tycker det är så svårt att köpa parfymer över internet. Jag köpte en laddning parfymkakor från Scodioli (etsy) och de var heelt underbara, passade bäst till mannen så han fick dem. Så köpte jag provoljor från Black Baccara (också etsy) dammiga tunga gammaldags dofter som jag inte alls gillade. Just under den tiden så hade vi besökare från fabriken i spanien och de luktade starkt av sån där tung dammig parfym, blä. Har du några tips på bra butiker man kan handla ifrån om man vill undvika den typen av doft?

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    1. Jag har prövat Black Baccara och deras oljor är definitivt inte något för alla... Jag gillade de jag provade, men inte tillräckligt för att köpa i full storlek. Scodioli har jag inte provat ännu, men deras koncept tilltalar mig verkligen! Jag tror att du kanske skulle gilla Darling Clandestine och Alkemia (båda på Etsy). Deras dofter är inte så tunga och gammaldags, men de är fortfarande annolunda och spännande med trevlig alternative prägel!

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