Mooo

by Moosette

Aiiyy!  We are having That Midwest Weather Thing again.  Hummingbirds and margaritas one minute, Dorothy Gale and heavy socks the next.  (at this rate we will have sweet corn in September).  Dang (stomping back up the attic stairs to pull the hoodies back out).  I was all set to review some classic leathers in the heat but Nature has other plans – so I’m going to review niche leathers in the blustery weirdness.  Leather is a note I absolutely adore but don’t always want to wear (except vintage Diorling which I hope to die in sometime way down the line).  And for me they, like oudhs, work best in extreme heat but your mileage may vary.  I’m reading the latest issue of Shotgun News, hence the gun references.

 

So let’s start with Heeley Fine Leather.  I didn’t even know this existed – I was in Barneys, sniffing Oranges and Lemons Say the Bells of St. Clement’s which, btw, bears a shocking resemblance to 4711 – a reverse “If You Love _________”.  Musette says: save your simoleans, go to Loehmann’s and get the Real Deal for $19.99.

Sorry.  Where was I?  Oh, yeah.  Heeley  Cuir Pleine Fleur, aka Fine Leather.  Bradley spritzed this on me and I was pleasantly surprised!  I’ve had troubles with Heeley in the past, with Ophelia boring me to tears, Cardinal making me sneeze, etc…and then O&LStBoSC just insulting me….but this one, Fine Leather?  It’s really nice.  It’s a soft, flowery leather, not chilly, not oily and there’s a nice powdery aspect to this that makes it a bit more ‘femme-y” than some other leathers but has just enough of the butchy stinkeye to keep it interesting.

Gun quotient: If someone stuck a shotgun in my face and said I had to buy a Heeley this would be the one.

Notes: violet leaf, bergamot, mimosa, aubepine (acaccia), hawthorn blossom, birch, suede, vetiver, cedarwood, castoreum.

Mark Buxton Hot Leather.  I got this in a split – tres cheap, thank Floyd. Oh, Mark.  I expected way better from you.    ‘tis neither hot nor leather.  It’s a lukewarm attempt at ‘cool’, like somebody threw one of those cheap cowhides on a shiny vinyl floor and tried to make it look Bauhaus.  It’s not bad-smelling, don’t get me wrong.  It’s a very nice Generic Masculine-Pretty that has some pretensions to elegance – Tony Curtis wore something like this in 40 Pounds of Trouble, I’m sure of it.   Only his was cool.

Gun quotient:  It would have to be a Very BIG gun.

Notes: citrus, bergamot, coriander, mandarine, orris, jasmine, patchouli, cedarwood and vanilla.  March reviewed it here

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather. Maybe I’m just crabby…but Tom Ford gets on My Very Last Nerve.  I want him to stop preening, take a shower, put his clothes on and act like he’s got some sense.  Then I smell something like Tuscan Leather and I’m reminded that the world is full of  non-greasy, sensible people – and very few of them would have the huevos to create what he does.    Love him or loathe him, we need narcissistic freaks like Tom to keep things interesting.  Tuscan Leather is interesting.  A smoky-woody leather, it’s bling-free, elegantly dry and simple, with all the complex bits on the inside, like a bespoke suit or a vintage Roadster or a swan.  For women this is the perfect leather to wear with an Anne Fontaine pintuck blouse at work and a black sheath and some chunky gold jewelry come nightfall.  For men, it’s a perfect scent, period.  Thanks, Tom.  Sorry I skeeved on ya.

Gun Quotient: No ammo need apply.  I would happily wear this, though I would rather save for a new 12-gauge than for a  full bottle.

saffron, raspberry , thyme, olibanum , jasmine, leather, black suede and amber.

Liz Zorn Sonoran Leather. Yeah, y’all know me as the Liz Zorn FanGirl Absolute.  So it’s always a surprise when I put this one on – and am immediately freaked out.  There’s a whole lot going on here, upfront.  I get jams and plums, cowhides and smoke andfireandtarandsoundandfury(pant!pant!) and it’s terrifying and I always want to cry because I’m so used to loving her stuff and I love leather and……and…then I scrub it off so I don’t have to think about it anymore.

A mistake.  And one that I’m glad I was forced to rectify last night.  Wore it après-bain. I was so whupped that I could barely crawl into bed.  Forget getting up to scrub.  Too early to sleep, too tired to think….I read some more Shotgun News and a Brad Thor novel and about 40 minutes into my settledown I brought my wrist up to my nose, wondering ‘what the heck is that incredibly beautiful…?” …It  smells exactly like a Baja California night or how March always describes New Mexico.  Mesquite? No.  That’s barbeque.  Pinon!  Yes, pinon. Or juniper.  That oily-citrus tang.  Just a touch, with those little flowers that always dot the desert floor whenever it rains.  Butter-tan cowhide drying by the fire.  Rough but so rich.  Then just smooth and beautiful. This is a challenging one to wear, going in but I do think it’s worth the effort.   Give it time to drydown and smooth out – once it does it will transport you to a midnight-blue, starlit desert sky.

 

Notes from Liz:

Leather (suede) Choya Nakh, Birch Tar, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Cloves, Animal Musk Accord, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Tolu.

It also has Jasmine and Rose in lesser amounts.

Gun Quotient:  Her prices are sane.  No armed robbery necessary.  Shotgun (and Shotgun News) safely back in the cabinet.

 

What are your leathers?  Do you have a particular Leather Weather?  I know lots of folks love ’em in the winter cold – not meee!  I like ’em HOT!

ps.  I was going to rave on about the leather note in Tommi Sooni Tarantella but I’ve never been able to replicate that first experience, where the leather just glided in, midway, and gobsmacked me. I’m starting to wonder if I made that up…

 

  • DinaC says:

    I’m a day late, but I had to add to this since it’s about leather. My grandfather was a salesman who sold leather. He represented the tanneries in New England and sold to garment manufacturers. I grew up with leather samples all around, so the scent of real leather is a childhood scent memory for me. Needless to say, I love leather notes.

    So far, I love Cuir de Russie and Jolie Madame. I’ve also tried Lancome’s Cuir. I’ll have to try some of the other suggestions listed here in the comments. :-)

  • Pimpinett says:

    Vintage Bandit, and Aramis, which is a fantastic, underappreciated leather – lots of isobutyl quinoline, just like old Bandit and Cabochard.

  • mariekel says:

    TABAC BLOND!

  • Olfacta says:

    Cuir de Lancome, Miss Balmain — I love Tuscan Leather too, but don’t have any. I ordered a decant awhile back for the DH of Godet’s Cuir Russie (or it might be Russe) which is a classic dry birch-tar very vintage leather. He didn’t like it. Now I get to wear it.

  • Jared says:

    I smelled the Heeley back when I wasn’t in leather-land yet. Hated. Instant scrubbing. I’d be curious to smell it now that I am leather-obsessed. Isn’t it funny how these things change? Etat’s Rien is on its way to my doorstep as I type this and will be here by end of day: cannot wait. That’s joining my ranks of Knize Ten, which is just glorious…and of course the ever-stunning Cuir de Russie. Oh, and not to forget Patchouli 24. This post just allows me to muse again on my total leather reversal: how did it happen? why? And why do I want with all my heart and soul that bottle of Oud Cuir d’Arabie?

    • GvilleCreative says:

      Ooh. How does the Rien and Knize Ten compare with CdR?

      • Jared says:

        Hmmm. I am tempted to make a spectrum with Knize Ten at one end and CdR at the other. Taking a moment to smell them side by side, CdR is smooth, complex, sophisticated to the hilt and achingly gorgeous. Knize Ten feels sharp and a little brutal by comparison. It’s spicier, a little more burnt, all edges. Both are leather but they seem night and day to me. Rien I’m having trouble fitting in there…it’s probably a center point on the spectrum but has a bit more in common with the leather in Knize Ten than in CdR. It’s gorgeous, to be sure, and when I sprayed it on today I had that “moment”. But both Knize and Rien have an inky, sharper quality compared with the oiled smooth plushness of CdR. I need all three. :)

    • Musette says:

      It is often thus 😉 My love of chypres EXPLODED awhile back – I liked them (loved Mitsouko) but wasn’t all possessed by them or anything…then I got a scrab of vintage Coty Chypre…:o

      Given your leather lineup, I dunno…..I don’t think you need to rush out to try the Heeley.

      xo >-)

  • Beth says:

    I had this crazy idea that I wouldn’t like leather, so it was some surprise that I found I liked it when I sampled Kelly Caleche. Now I’m determined to try out as many as I can find!

    Musette, I love reading your reviews, thanks for the info, and I’ll put a few of these on my list!

    • Musette says:

      You are so welcome and it’s half the fun, isn’t it? Being ‘wrong’, I mean. I’ve been wrong so many times, about what I thought I liked/didn’t like ….:-?

      The beauty is, you can always wash it off, if you hate it. And swap it.

      xo >-)

  • Disteza says:

    I’ll throw Cartier’s Trezieme Heure on the list for that beautiful leathery lapsong souchong note, even though I don’t think it really qualifies as a member of the leather genre. That may just be because I’m wearing it now and can’t stop huffing my own wrist though.
    Cuir Ottoman and it’s spendier cousin Cuir Beluga also belong on there, along with Vero Kern’s somehow fuzzy oddity Onda. Dzing is such a standby for me that I wish I’d bought the big bottle!

    • Musette says:

      Cuir Ottoman is one of my faves. I have a CB sample around here….will have to spritz. That’s not the one that has something chocolate in it, right? Or sugar? Or something sweet…..:-? I think I might be confusing it with Iris Ganache. And the name threw me as well – I kept expecting something fishy so I don’t think I really paid attention to it.

      xo >-)

  • mals86 says:

    Leather is just not my thing, I’m afraid. Not in the least moved to try these, probably because I hatedhatedhated Cuir de Russie (too Virtual Cattle Pen for me).

    I adore Cuir de Lancome, but probably because it’s more floral, less Mom’s good leather purse. Jolie Madame is great too, but I find that my bottle of pre-modern-reformulation EdT is biting my butt too much, and I should pass it on to someone else. The vintage JM parfum is still To Die For, though.

    • Musette says:

      =)) on Virtual Cattle Pen. I can certainly understand that – I think proximity to cows changes ones perception…:-?

      Swapmania coming up in June or July (I think) – hang onto it ’til then!

      xo >-)

  • Austenfan says:

    I don’t know that many leathers. I have yet to sniff Knize Ten, Jolie Madame and lots of others great classic leathers.
    I love the softer leathers like Dzing!, Bvlgari Black and Cuir Lancôme. Other favourites include: Eau du Fier ( AG), Lonestar Memories and Baladin.
    And I agree, they bloom in the heat, like ambers do. ( and Chergui)

    • Musette says:

      Sounds like you know a LOT of leathers – just not the heavier ones! Your ‘know’ list is great!

      xo >-)

      I wonder if we will ever feel ‘heat’ again….I’m in full fleece and my digits are freeeeeezing!

      • Austenfan says:

        Well we have had one of the warmest springs on record. Oh another leather I like is the Histoires de Parfums 1740. It has immortelle with the leather and I find it quite comforting.
        Another one I would love to try is Montale’s Oud Cuir Arabie. The review in The Guide is so funny, about two warriors battling it out.
        Which would kind of work with all your guns.

        • Musette says:

          I love the Montale – just wore that! It didn’t make it into the post because I figured you guys must have lives to lead beyond reading my 32-page review.

          No guns, though I do shoot (shotgun/rifle). Mostly just gun-porn. I am not allowed to actually own guns. Prolly not a bad rule. El O (who is a hunter ) is scared enough as it is. 8-x

          Great Gravy! I must sound totally off the chain! I am actually a very civilized person, not aggressive or any of the various other psychotics that come to mind right now…..

          People on here who have met me (and know me) for realz can vouch for my sanity and basic civility. Right?

          xo >-)

          • Austenfan says:

            Okay, so you are not Calamity Jane.

            It was just that your mentioning all those guns, albeit imaginary ones + the leather made me think of the Montale!
            I for one would not have minded the extended version of this review. You have the great gift of making people laugh! Which by all rights should make you feel proud of yourself.

          • Musette says:

            Well, actually I am probably closer to GI Jane (though I suspect Calam was tougher) – and the guns aren’t imaginary – we have ’em. I just can’t get to ’em on short-fuse notice.

            Sweetie, that is SO nice of you to say! Thank you! That really means a lot to know you enjoy the posts! I will be back with more leather, later. If we ever get some hot weather I will review some rockin’ OUD!

            xo >-)

          • Ann says:

            I second Austenfan’s praise! You keep us in stitches
            and spewing our tea (or coffee). I think you owe at least 10 of us new keyboards. :)
            Sometimes I get up from the computer after one of your posts and my face actually aches from grinning and guffawing so much. So thanks, sweetie!!

          • Musette says:

            :x:”>

            xo >-)

  • Bee says:

    I would also suggest Amaranthine, it has a beautiful leathery dry-down, after the first flowery blast, I’m happily wearing it today. I have also tried M (puredistance)… loved it, but I’m not sure I really and truly approve their self-indulgent price politics, so I’m using the sample very sparingly

  • March says:

    Oooh! A leather post. Ah am not the queen o’ leather. Bandit, I suppose. I like purse-leather perfuminess, like Cuir de Lancome.

  • tammy says:

    Brad Thor is a mighty easy on the eyes, in case you didn’t know that already. Yep, I’m a fangirl.

    I can’t find a leather that works for me….I can usually smell what I assume is the leather note, but it goes kind of sour or something on me. No depth. Not sure if it’s my skin or my nose.

    I heard the the original Fendi was considered a leather, and I did absolutely love that, but I definitely wouldn’t have pegged it as leather. I’d love to sniff some now, and see if I got leather from it.

    • Musette says:

      He is cute. I like that he writes about women warriors (Athena Project), too. Equal opp and those women are FIERCE!!!

      I like the square-jawed, Howie Long-cloned Vince Flynn, too!

      That’s a :(( shame on the leather/sour thing. If you haven’t tried Cuir de Lancome, you might love it on you – not a sour note to be had – just smoooooooooooooth.

      xo >-)

      • tammy says:

        Oh, yea, Mr. Flynn could sniff my wrists any time he wanted to!

        Since you like women warrior type novels and we seem to share a similar taste, have you read Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield novels?

        I actually found him through March’s mention of Metzger’s Dog, which I loved, but I enjoyed the Janes even more.

        • Musette says:

          I sent March that book! I haven’t laughed (or frozen) that hard in my life! Long story involving me cracking open the book in the parking lot of the bookstore in February. Rut-row! Thank Floyd I was in winter wear, else I would’ve frozen to death. I read for an hour, in an un-started car, until the cold claimed my attention.

          I loved the early Janes, got over her around Book 4. Alas.

          But early on, she was FIERCE!!! Seriously fierce.

          xo >-)

          • tammy says:

            One more, and I swear I will leave you alone.

            Have you read the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley?

            Flavia is female, though not precisely a warrior. She is eleven years old, and solves murders in her little English village. She loves chemistry in general, and poisons in particular. She’s kind of a cross between Harriet the Spy and Wednesday Addams. Great good fun.

          • Musette says:

            What? NO! Never heard of these. Will check them out, they sound fun (I like fierce, smart little girls). And no leavin’ me ‘lone! 😉 When I first read Metzger’s Dog (then Island, one of THE funniest books on the planet) I beat that drum for months! Ditto an hysterical book called The Wrong Venus that had a cabbie ask me if I was feeling okay, I was snorting and wheezing so hard! Book recommendations are Nature’s way of keeping me off the streets! Bring ’em!

            xo >-)

          • tammy says:

            Okay, so let me recommend one of my favorites….it’s not at all like the ones we have been discussing, but it may well be in a similar vane to the one you just shared with me, and which is on its way to me even as we speak, thank you very much!

            Handling Sin, Michael Malone.

            It is sooo funny. Kind of an adventure story. Takes place in the South, but I don’t think you have to be Southern to appreciate it. There is one pretty serious theme towards the end, but it’s not one of these depressing books everyone seems to like nowadays.

          • Ann says:

            OMG!! You guys are killing me with the Thomas Perry Jane Whitefield books!! No doubt about it, she rocks!! I have several of them and they’re so well done, I often re-read them. When they first came out, there was some talk of a movie, with Cher mentioned to star (I think — memory’s not what it used to be) but nothing ever happened. Glad to see her getting some love on here.

  • Rappleyea says:

    Another great post! We too did the 30 degree temp. drop and I’m in a wool sweater today! Passed a church sign that read: “Whoever is praying for rain, please stop!”

    I’m not a huge leather fan, but I do love Chanel’s Cuir de Russie. I find the edt is great in warm weather, but the extrait, with its powdery Guerlainade base, I save for cool weather.

    • Musette says:

      What a great sign!

      I haven’t tried the extrait – yet. I do like the edt in warm weather, too. I love Diorling at any time! 😉

      xo >-)

  • Gail S says:

    Another fan of SL Cuir Mauresque here. It’s not a work-friendly leather but I love wearing it for myself on days off. Balmain Jolie Madame is my low-cost alternative to the Heeley Fine Leather and IS work-appropriate. I might need to check out the LZ, I am a big fan of her scents in general, but I do find that the opening of many of them is BIG! The drydowns are fantastic though
    :d

    • Musette says:

      I would use the Heeley to shine Madame’s shoes – but that’s just me ;)).

      I’m still working on Cuir Mauresque, alas. The first couple of tries were no-goes for me.

      Liz is definitely Go Big or Go Home but the process to drydown is usually so nuanced (and the drydowns are, as you say, fantastic) that it’s worth the ride!

      xo >-)

  • Ari says:

    Now, I hope desperately that Tom Ford never showers. I think of Tom as my endearingly sleazy uncle, the one that Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be complete without (along the same lines, Karl Lagerfeld is my prissy aunt). And all of Uncle Tom’s fragrances are fabulous; modern, but not brainless.

    • Musette says:

      OMG! I am SO glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read this! =))

      (Karl as a prissy aunt is SO spot-on)

      xo >-)

    • mals86 says:

      Karl is your prissy aunt! (When’s you comin’ back to blogging, Ari? You out of school yet?)

      • Ari says:

        My last final, Chem, is tomorrow! I am terrified. Can’t wait to get back to the far more important work of perfume blogging :)

    • Karen G says:

      Oh Ari, I love that you think of Tom Ford as your sleazy uncle! I’m a big apologist for Mr. Ford…I think he’s hugely talented, and charmingly disreputable. And Tuscan Leather, oooh boy…does that ever smell great on my husband!

      • Ari says:

        Karen, my one real issue with Tom Ford are those awful objectifying ads, but I rationalize it to myself by thinking that as a gay man, perhaps Mr. Ford doesn’t have much insight into women and has to rely on crude stereotypes. I wish he’d make more ads like the gorgeous one for White Patchouli, with Erykah Badu.

        • Karen G says:

          Yes, exactly. For every questionable move he makes, he will turn around and create something truly beautiful, like the White Patchouli ads, or the film *A Single Man*. At least he’s never boring!

        • Musette says:

          Ari,

          I think he has plenty of insight and just chooses to be provocative. That’s part of what gets on my VLN with him but hey, it’s call Tom Ford, not Musette, right? He can do what he will.

          xo >-)

          ps. great good luck on your finals!

  • jirish says:

    Leather is one of my most favorite notes, and like you, I like to rock in in the summer, but they are also all-year scents for me. I’ve tried the Heeley, and agree on the femme-y nature of it. I get a lot of violet in it. Very nice, but perhaps not full-bottle worthy for me. My best leathers are Cuir Mauresque, Cuir Ottoman (what I wish my skin naturally smelled of), and Lonestar Memories. When I wear Lonestar Memories in the summer, the heat really brings out the jasmine and I smell like a Hawaiian cowgirl. Oh, I also love the leather note in Sonoma Scent Studio’s Fireside Intense, which makes me feel like I’m wearing a beaten up leather jacket in front of a bonfire. I will have to get my hands on a sample of that Liz Zorn – you have piqued my interest. I like challenging scents.

    • Musette says:

      You have some hotties there!

      I first tried Cuir Ottoman in the dead of winter and it was a dud. Much later I tried it in 90F August heat…:x ^:)^

      I haven’t tried Lonestar Memories but everyone who has seems to absolutely love it!

      xo >-)

  • sara says:

    I’ve not tried any of the ones you mentioned but your writing always makes me want to experiment. My favorite leathers are Cuir de Russie and Cuir Mauresque.

  • bookhouseshell says:

    oooh leather! I’ve only tried one from your review (Tuscan Leather), which is now my reference. Diorling, Cuir de Russe & Cuir de Lancome mmmmmmmmmmm. Thanks for the review, never heard of Liz Zorn, will look for it. Looking forward to your classic leather reviews.

    Your prose makes me chuckle & brightens my day, Thanks!

    • Musette says:

      You are most welcome! Thank you!!

      Liz is indie – go over to the bar on the right, there are several reviews of her stuff.

      I wouldn’t worry about the Buxton but if you do get a chance to try the Heeley, it might be worth your while!

      xo >-)

  • Debbie R. says:

    Wait. Another perfumista knows about Shotgun News? The world is a surprising place.

    My favorite leathers are Cuir de Lancome and a couple Neil Morris fragrances: Leather Garden and Cathedral.

    • Musette says:

      You know Shotgun News, too! >:d< I love that mag. That is a Beautiful Thing Cuir is a cold-weather staple of mine. Oddly enough I don't think of it as leather, which is weird. I rarely consider leather as 'warm' (do NOT ask 8-| ) - I dunno what I categorize CdL as...:-? xo >-)

      • tammy says:

        Oh how funny; I thought of you when I read the opening paragraph of Cramer’s column……the quote about not frightening the horses.

        Little did I know you probably read it, too!

        • Musette says:

          I like him. I like that he actually thinks, rather than just spouts a party line (I don’t like ‘any’ spouting no matter the party line – it’s not that much trouble to take the time to think an issue through)

          He would probably smell really good in Tuscan Leather or Liz’s scent!

          xo >-)

      • Debbie R. says:

        Well, I don’t actually READ it. That’s DH’s job. I just like to own guns and shoot them. :d

        So did you watch Top Shot by any chance?

        I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a leather being classified as cold. I just haven’t smelled enough of them I guess–or don’t have a good enough nose. That Cuir de Lancome is surprisingly good, isn’t? I am really pleased with it. It’s an easy go-to scent in the winter.

        Debbie

        • Musette says:

          I read more than I shoot. I am a decent shot but am not allowed to have general access to guns, due to a hair trigger temper and a general disregard for not shootin’ folks whut needs shootin’ :-w I am a shotgun/rifle kinda gal – not much on handguns, preferring knives for close-in.

          I am lusting after an auto-shotgun – SO Not Happening. Dang. Of course, there is no reason on earth for a law-abiding civilian to own one of those. But they are so cool.

          What do you shoot?

          Yes, LOVE Top Shot. I love the archery best. Love that other weapons-thingy with the baldheaded guy who takes himself so seriously… the one who profiles particular weaponry…you know, That Guy ;))

          Leather = Cold for me in some instances. Chanel’s CdR is a bit chilly, imo – but that’s not a bad thing. Diorling is Not Warm. She will freeze your eyeballs off if you’re not careful. Jolie Mme casts a chill about the room every now and then…

          Mostly the old-timey ‘perfume’ ones – this is just my opinion, of course, ymmv.

          xo >-)

          • tammy says:

            I’d buy an auto-shotgun for the lack of recoil alone. I won’t, because my city-boy husband thinks it’s overkill, but I’d like to have one, too!

            We have no need for guns here in LA, where the cops can be here quickly, but when we move back to the boondocks, 45 minutes from the nearest anything, including cops, I’ll buy a GLOCK and a rifle of some sort.

            I shot two men creeping around our barn and headed toward our house when I was 13. I was home alone and even then had zero tolerance for Bad Guys.

          • Musette says:

            uh…….tammy?

            I think I am in love with you.

            Will you marry me?

            We can auto-shotgun our way through life together!

            😡

            xo >-)

            btw – El O is no city boy, born and bred in the TN valley – but auto-shotguns (in my paws) scares the hair off him! We’re ‘in town’ but if we were out I would 12-gauge it in a nanosecond.

          • tammy says:

            Proposal accepted!

            You, me, our auto-shots, with Mitsouko and The Party in Manhattan to keep us company. Epics will be written in our honor, girl, epics will be written.

            Do you ever suspect that the TRUE reason our husbands don’t want us well-armed actually has very little to do with us shooting strangers??? ;)

            El O and I are probably cousins somewhere along the line. My grandmother once told me we are related to everyone in the Tennessee Valley by blood or marriage, especially along the North Carolina side and Northern Alabama.

  • GvilleCreative says:

    Nothing beats the older versions of Chanel Cuir de Russie (though I have to admit to not trying the current version). I’m really hoping to replace my 100ml edt bottle (black cap, gold ring in the middle) which I like even more than the vintage parfum that I have a smidge of. I check ebay daily, but no dice: those bottles are HARD to find!

    • Musette says:

      Well, yeah! 😮 You have both the older edt and the vintage parfume? You should want for nothing more! 😉

      xo >-)

  • Louise says:

    Leathers generally are not great on me-but nothing beats my vintage Scandal. I do love a floral aspect to my hides, and the Heeley is just lovely for this. You have frightened me on the Liz-but I’d give it a whirl.

    • Musette says:

      You would love the Sonoran Leather, I think, given what I know about your preferences. You just have to let it settle down a minute. I think of it in the same vein as contemporary (pre-reformulation) Mitsouko, with that gasoline punch I don’t find in the vintage. Once that’s taken a breath and calmed down (and I’ve come to love it, btw) the next acts are very lovely.

      Vintage Scandal is beyond gorgeous! If you can rock that, SLeather would bow to you, no problemo!

      xo >-)

  • nozknoz says:

    Musette, thanks for reviewing some leathers – I, too, find it hard to get past Tom Ford the image (grrrr!) to his ‘fumes but it sounds like I should try Tuscan Leather after all. Also agree with you that Cuir Pleine Fleur is so far the Heeley I’d buy, though I’m tempted by Verveine, too.

    The ones I already love for warm weather are good ol’ Azuree and Dzing!. Love SL Daim Blond and plan to test it in warm weather soon.

    • Musette says:

      I don’t remember much (okay, nothing :”> ) about Verveine.

      Tom ….. I wish I weren’t so pedestrian sometimes – I used to laud the ‘out there’ – I’m becoming way less tolerant of it and I’m boring myself to tears!

      When it heats up again I will try Daim Blond!

      xo >-)

  • Catherine says:

    Right now I’m loving Mona di Orio Cuir. It’s a lot of birch (I think–I’m not great with notes), and it completely captivates me for hours. Even Chanel’s Cuir didn’t do that. I’m still going on my sample (a little last a long time!), but it’s bottle worthy. The last time I thought that about a leather was SL’s (which I seem to have missed when it came in the export bottle).

    Leather is such a glorious smell, so I would wear it all year round! Incense is great that way, too!

    • Musette says:

      Incense wears me, as leather tends to wear others. And in the wrong configuration it can bring up my lunch. Which is a damn shame because there are a whole lotta gorgeous incenses out there. I just have to smell them from afar….;)

      Md’O Cuir gets a lotta love,iirc.

      xo >-)

  • pam says:

    Yep, you’ve made me want to try the Liz Zorn. I just have Azuree and Miss Balmain and will wear either one with any weather. Need to try some other leathers, since I love those two. Great post, M. And sorry about the cold weather. It is cold again here in Alabama, but that means 60’s during the day.

    • Musette says:

      I’m hoping La Liz will come on here and tell everybody how to get it – it’s there (and she’s also doing an EDT she says) but it’s not easily findable on the site.

      Quing (waves wildly at Mistress March ^:)^ ) yarked on Azuree awhile back – I’d totally forgotten about that one! On revisit I was reminded how gorgeous it is. EL has done some exquisite perfumes, though I wish they didn’t perfume their cosmetics so heavily. b-(

      but that is for another post!

      xo >-)

      • Liz Z says:

        The Sonoran Leather EDT will be available online later this week. It isn’t as bold as the original, but that too is available on request.
        The gun powder note that hinges the leather facets is less dominant in the edt. With a less intense opening.
        Having said that both can be a challenge, particularly if heavy leather is not your thing. Love the review.

  • Marla says:

    Sadly, leather wears me, not the other way around, it’s not a wise choice for me….However, very lightly done suedes like Daim Blond, Kelly Caleche, and Traverse du Bosphore, it’s too early in the morning for me to get all that French spelling right, but you get the idea! Liz Zorn’s sounds like something I’d like to smell Viggo Mortensen in….

    • Musette says:

      I love No Ego Viggo but I hear from ‘sources’ that he’s not one to take a bath overmuch – maybe throw him in the shower with Tom first? 😕

      I think Sonoran Leather would smell terrific on him. Ed Harris. Scott Glenn. I’d love to see how it plays on a very ‘urban’ man.

      xo >-)

    • Ann says:

      Hi Musette — great post! Sounds like you may have gotten back to “civ” this weekend, eh?
      And hi, Marla, I’m right there with you on the Daim Blond and Traversee, both very lovely. I also am fond of Cuir de Lancome. Guess I like my skins sprouting a few flowers.
      This is actually progress for me, as a year or two ago, I wouldn’t have touched anything leather with a 10-foot pole. Guess I’m just maturing as a perfumista. :)

      • Musette says:

        no, next weekend! Pray for dry weather. We’ve been inundated with rain and the temps dropped 40 degrees in 3 hours which is, alas, not atypical for the Midwest in May. Or anytime, other than the dead of winter (you rarely see it bust up to 60F within a day in February – 😕 wonder why that is?

        As far as ‘maturing’ as a perfumista, just remember: the most elastic mind is the Beginner’s Mind.

        xo >-)