5 Leather Fragrances That Smell Like Fall

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Leather fragrances exude a warm, spicy aroma that takes me back to my childhood, when I’d sit inside my mother’s walk-in closet, which was filled to the ceiling with luxurious handbags. The intoxicating rich scent of leather stuck to me, even when I tried to cover up where I’d been hiding for hours on end.

According to Brands With Purpose fragrance agent Bart Schmidt, modern perfumery originated from the leather/tannery industry, masking the horrendous scent of real animal hide. “Fortunately, we’ve come a long way!” he says. “Wonderful perfumes like Creed’s Royal English Leather [commissioned by King George III in 1781] to modern English evolutionary and revolutionary creations like Beaufort’s Coeur de Noir. But I’m skipping a couple of centuries.”

Leather-type fragrances with a blend of warm balsamic, creamy, and musk notes are very “skin-friendly” and possess great long-lasting power, says Schmidt. He continues: “Looking at the traditional fragrance pyramid (top, heart, and bottom), these notes tend to fall more in the bottom. Don’t you just love it when you still smell it on your shirt or pillow the following day?” Actually, I do.

Schmidt points out that modern formulations of leather fragrances such as Valentino Uomo and Oud Assoluto incorporate lighter floral and sweeter cocoa notes that make them appropriate for any season, less intense, and gender-neutral. Though that’s the beauty of building your own fragrance wardrobe. “Just wear what’s good to you,” says Schmidt.

Here are five leather fragrances I plan to keep in heavy rotation during the cold-weather months.

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