This might be the 67th review for Ombre Leather on this subreddit but here comes another one.

Notes:

First spray starts off with cardamom as the photorealistic leather starts creeping in with every passing second. I can best describe the opening as a dance of cardamom and leather.

In the middle jasmine comes in intertwined with the leather. This is the part which lasts the longest and is most memorable to you and other people.

At the very later stages of dry down I can smell amber, jasmine and even later maybe patchouli. 

The transitions are very smooth and not noticeable. But for the most part it is a Leather-Jasmine scent.

The Leather:

Now if you ask me what kind of leather it is, it depends on your past experiences with leather. Certainly newly tanned leather. Like a leather shoe store or a box of fresh leather derbies. Not like leather sneakers or small leather goods. I haven’t smelled new leather couch or car seats yet.

But the leather scent is never alone on its own, always accompanied by the sweetness of cardamom or jasmine. The cardamom-leather segment smells like when I left my leather phone case in a humid place for a few months. The jasmine-leather segment is a heavenly creation.

Judging it just by the description would put off anybody looking to smell good after spending this much money. And if you have not smelled any good leather perfumes, this will be a strange smell on the first spray, no matter what your preconceptions are. I was kind of indifferent after having high expectations from all the hype. But trust me it will grow on you as you start wearing it multiple times. It is an acquired taste like coffee and other things. It will be unlike any other scent in your collection and out in the world what you commonly smell. 

Performance and Usability:

I gave it a full wearing a week ago at a convention in Delhi. 3 sprays around the neck and 2 on the jacket shoulders. I would say it stays around actively easily past 6 hours, lingers for around 10 hours even after change of clothes, out and about at night. Today I held the ID lanyard I was wearing that day, I could still smell the scent.

I wouldn’t call it the most versatile fragrance as it is a heavier leather scent, it will match the mood with darker-colored, layered clothes like a suit, jacket, heavier sweaters etc. Or it can be your signature scent if you are perpetually wear a leather jacket like the Roy character from Ted Lasso.

Ideal User:

You should sample it if you are looking for a winter fragrance different from bubblegum, vanilla or amber DNA. But people below age 30 I would advise to be cautious. There is a reason this doesn’t appear on the listicle videos anymore as the younger boys and girls like sweeter scents now. This is an ideal winter scent for special occasions only so a smaller vial or bottle would go a long way.

Apple iPhone 13

Bellroy Card Sleeve

Tom Ford Ombre Leather

Automobile keys

Title might sound like clickbait but hear me out.

Just bought a travel size Ombre Leather from Nykaa. Was looking for a winter fragrance without the vanilla/tonka DNA. Heard about it a lot over the years as the best easily accessible leather perfume, also supposed to be very masculine and mature.

Right away as I open the box I smell something eerily familiar. In my mind I had this image of straight up authentic leather as heard in every review. But this being my first time smelling a “leather fragrance”, didn’t think I would have smelled this note before.

Then I remembered the box and the atomiser smelled like Lancome Idole that a friend wears. In my experience the atomiser and cap holds on to the heart and base notes of a fragrance. And in this case it was exactly similar to the heart/base note of Idole which is supposed to be a feminine fragrance.

Then I went to Fragrantica to find they both share Jasmine.

Now, the overall perfumes are obviously very different in their openings and overall moods—Idole opens with rose and pear, while Ombre Leather hits you with cardamom and leather. But once you get past those top notes, the heart and base drydown share that exact same prominent jasmine-floral backbone. As it turns out, both were created by perfumer Sonia Constant (solo credit for Ombre Leather, one of four perfumers for Idole). Both perfumes were also released just a year apart. So I would say it is very plausible their Jasmine note should smell similar.

I remembered the BBC documentary about child labour associated with Jasmine in Egypt, checked out that section of video again, where it said both the manufacturers of these perfumes, Loreal and Estee Lauder, were guilty of sourcing this.

The marketing of Ombre Leather says it has Jasmine Sambac, and the Fragrantica page for Idole says India Jasmine Grandiflorum. Both not of Egyptian kind. So might be different—maybe all Jasmine smells the same to my untrained nose. Have they changed the copywriting for these brands to beat the child labour allegations?

Regardless, the Jasmine note in both of them is unmistakable and very prominent in the drydown, even when Idole is marketed as a rose fragrance and Ombre Leather, as the name suggests, a leather fragrance.

Still, it is wild to think that both the best selling bottle for women and second best selling bottle for men on Nykaa share the same prominent note of Jasmine as the backbone of the fragrance. Goes to show gender guidelines on fragrances are very vague. You can wear whatever that speaks to you if have the confidence to defy the marketing suggestions. Well at least Tom Ford marks all their fragrances as unisex.

Thanks for indulging my late-night fragrance rabbit hole!

After years of buying and culling multiple perfume bottles, learning from my mistakes and finding what best suits me, I have settled on a 2 fragrance system.

1. Fresh fragrance: Useful for 10 months in this part of the world, smelling fresh is never out of style or place.
2. Winter fragrance: For the other 2 months, when fresh fragrances are imperceptible, can get away with a yearly decant of a heavier perfume.

 

Right now I have YSL Y edt - it is a light, sweet, freshly bathed smell. Becomes personal scent after 1.5 to 2 hours. And Afnan 9PM, amazing quality for a ME brand, needs no introduction.

My personal learnings over the years:

1. You can buy the perfume but not the personality 💀.
2. Evening perfumes and even some blue fragrances can be too heavy for most of the year.
3. Only judge a perfume in its intended environment.
4. Only purchase the next bottle after consuming the last drop of previous one.

But these rules don't apply to everyone. Most of you must have a lot more in their collection and some of you might be about to buy their first bottle. But if you could you constraint yourself to just two, which ones would you choose? Might help me with my future purchase 😄.

It’s been almost a month since the news of KSI leaving the Sidemen. Just wanted to post my thoughts to see what the rest of fans think about this. Certainly big shoes to fill, but the show must go on. See it as an opportunity. New ideas to explore, new people to work with. Might start with greater involvement of certain people the Sidemen already love. I want to make the case for Danny Aarons. Okay, this might sound outrageous to some sections of fans, but hear me out first before you reply with your rebuttals.

Firstly, on paper, he is like for like replacement for KSI. He is a professional boxer with a great record, is cocky and can have his stupid moments sometimes, just like KSI. He also brings some diversity to the group. For example, Harry is most loved by fans because of how funny, wholesome and good looking he is. Danny is the polar opposite in these aspects. His chemistry with the boys too is natural, not forced. He complements the boys' jokes and bits perfectly.

He has been the best performing guest in Sidemen, MoreSidemen, Side+ and charity matches, drawing millions of his avid viewers.  He is one of the biggest reasons why Among Us has been a hit. He regularly outsmarts Simon and outshines Lazarbeam’s charisma. He demands attention, never commands it.

He already has been featured in 60%-70% of all Sidemen content across channels in the past few months, indicating the boys are easing him in to be a permanent cast in the group. He has the approval of all the six boys. I would even say that it is inevitable now. It's only a matter of when, not if.

Some of you might think that he is grifter who wants to leech off of Sidemen to save his dying career. Some might say he has a jarring personality which the kids have outgrown. But I would say that he has come a long way from that. The general consensus is that he is very bearable now. And that should warrant a chance to have a seat at the Sidemen table. Can’t wait for him to host his first sidemen video.