African Leather (2015)
by Memo

Very nice! I see many people mentioned the cardamom, and I do get the spicy-sweet notes from that: however, this must be a very good quality bergamot and saffron because I'm getting natural sweetness there as well, and quite a bit: the sweet-floral aspect of this pairs just excellent with the leather. For the record, the leather here is dry and light: a touch synthetic but nothing that is offputting. I enjoy this scent quite a bit, as it dries down the cumin becomes more accentuated and the musk comes to the forefront, adding a prominent spice to the final hours of African Leather's projection.

Many leather fragrances make you feel like you're at a cheap bondage party: offputting, over the top, and try-hard with their ridiculous machismo. Here, I find the lightness of the other notes with the leather blend to make African Leather very nice for just about any occasion. Furthermore, this is very unisex. Anyone for any time wear.

Great value for the price, I'm very pleasantly surprised by this. I will have to give Memo more of my financial attention moving forward. :)

8/10

A nice, wearable leather mixed with a good dose of cardamom. Feels very unisex.

If you like cardamom and want to really explore it, give African Leather a try. It is really an exotic take on a cardamom scent with the soft and sweet leather mixed with spices. Date night worthy, for sure.

EdP concentration and performs as such. All workday projection and can still smell it on my skin well into the night.

Essentially the pipe tobacco topnotes of Hermes Ambre Narguille (like Tobacco Vanille's famous cedar/clove/chrysanthemum/honey mix with extra fruit and dusted with cinnamon), but with leather in the base instead of vanilla or amber.

It works remarkably well. There's a big ash note that often bothers me in pipe tobacco perfumes that fits perfectly here, acting as a bridge between the tobacco and the leather.

Honestly, after so many middle eastern cheapies copying Tobacco Vanille, I'm a little tired of this sort of scent, but the leather basenotes and deft blending go a long way to breathe new life into something that's threatening to get a bit tired.

I like all the Memo range I tried and happily own a bottle of Irish Leather.

I've been sampling this for a week and I feel it is kinda like the niche version of Xeryus Rouge (which I also liked a lot back in its days)

The only drawback of the brand is that it is too expensive, I wish they be 100 ml at least instead of 75

This comes across more as a warm-spicy vetiver fragrance that is supported by leather. The initial burst is warm and spicy with cardamom, saffron, and cumin. The presence is rich, but also with a hint of softness - and is perhaps a little synthetic. It's also somewhat sweet at this stage with a vague gourmand allusion. After about thirty minutes a leather note emerges which is warm, soft and closer to other modern leather fragrances. However, in about a couple of hours there is a smooth transition to an airy woody accord with a prominent vetiver note coming to the fore. The fragrance thereafter remains linear, with this woody accord comprising the dry down, and only near indiscernible hints of leather and distant spices comprising the supporting cast. Sillage is average in the beginning, then quite soft as it becomes a skin scent after 2-3 hours, and it lasts only about 3-4 hours on skin.

On the whole it is hard to classify this fragrance, as one feels it is not quite a leather fragrance. There is also an 'inverted shape' at play here - the fragrance thins out towards the dry down (though not exactly being a top note con job). Additionally, it does come across as a bit unique in terms of its composition - especially the transitions. However, eventually it is a bit insubstantial, and not memorable enough. In roughly similar territory for a leathery fragrance, Armani's Oud Royal is a more compelling alternative.

2.5/5