Hot Leather (2009)
by Mark Buxton

Notes: citrus, bergamot, coriander, mandarin, orris, jasmine, patchouli, cedarwood and vanilla (from luckyscent.com)

When I smelled this on paper last week, it seemed that Hot Leather was mostly about "leather" and not very much about "hot". The leather notes seemed artificial, like tanning compounds rather than the rich, smoky effect that birch tar lends or the animalic edge that castorium can give. As such, Hot Leather seems much more clean than classic leather compositions such as Chanel Cuir de Russie. Fast forward to today--I am trying Hot Leather on skin, and it is quite different when it melds with my chemistry. HL still has the clean and chemical leather note I smelled before. However, in wearing it, HL seems much more complex, with soft mixed florals, vanilla powder and a rooty iris. In fact, Hot Leather STILL is not "hot", is really not all that "leathery", but it definitely is pretty. The combination of iris and leather is tried and true, and the proportions in HL are quite nice. Now the reality...Hot Leather is sort of like a more feminine Dior Homme and is without the "lipstick" note. Or, if you prefer, it is a bit like a blend between Dior Homme and Prada Infusion d'Iris, replete with an artificial woody base (probably Iso E Super). Hot Leather is more powdery than Dior Homme and less soapy than Infusion d'Iris. I suppose for any who thought Dior Homme or Infusion d'Iris didn't quite satisfy, Buxton's Hot Leather may be the one that hits the sweet spot. For me, it makes me appreciate Dior Homme even more than I did before.

John Varvatos minus actual leather plus some florals. I'd say this is a floriental and much like Buxton's other creation for Karl Lagerfeld, Kapsule Light. Very creamy and I was apprehensive trying this because me and leather don't get along. I love the cedarwood drydown with a touch or orris. Good stuff!

A gorgeous light creamy leather fragrance that is my favourite from the range, athough Black Angel is a killer as well. Really deep leather fragrances are not really me I've learnt, so this fits the bill perfectly. A sparkling spicy opening moves into a short Iris (bearable) and sweet Jasmine phase, but the wonderful patchouli, woods and leather are beginning to pervade now -- they are so nicely blended with a touch of sweetness from the vanilla (or maybe tonka bean) burrowing in. There is no actual leather note listed so double kudos to Mark Buxton for this rendition. Very pricy, but very worth it.