Almond Suede

When I initially learned of Almond Suede, the idea of almond marzipan had me feeling skeptical—I am persnickety when it comes to gourmands. The market is saturated with all manner of snickerdoodle, marshmallow, the candied; the iced; the frosted; all rendering me nauseous. I also felt that the concept would be difficult for a perfumer to pull off, with marzipan having a subtly granular, clay-like texture to both the touch and the nose. Yet here, the opening does have the expected pierce of bitter almond oil, almost like pure amaretto, soon followed by the nutty, chewy, sweet, yet not overly sugary nature of the confection. But it seamlessly melts into a sonorous—and I mean SONOROUS—suede, like the smell when I would brush my grey Clarks Desert Trek boots back in the day. God I loved that smell. It's here, this is it! A cistus concrete—NOT a literal concrete accord as Fragrantica would have you believe, but concrete as in the solvent-extracted plant material used in perfume—imparts a spicy, resinous, almost tobacco-like overtone here. Cistus concrete and absolute is extracted from the aerial parts (the stems, leaves, and petioles) of Cistus ladaniferus, where labdanum resin is also obtained. Fascinatingly so, it seems to extend the effect of marzipan into the heart, as a saffron accord amplifies the incoming suede effect (as it's known to do). Then there is the pine tar, and it is smoky, but it's not burnt smelling as cade tar normally would, and has that alluring conifer-needle, sappy sweetness. Now this is the stroke of heaven in Almond Suede, to take this whimsically moorish idea and pilot it in a dramatic direction. It lives somewhere between human warmth and stark piety. The latter may also account for why some feel its intensity ("beast mode!") as a bit overwhelming, but I feel it works here fantastically in the arc of the development. I know this one is going to be perceived as the most esoteric of the three new Arquiste releases: challenging, unapologetic, but also beguiling in form. I look forward to what Almond Suede 'becomes' when the colder temperatures are here. I have a feeling its reaction on skin meeting the frigid air will reveal more of its story...

Almond Suede is the first Arquiste that took some time getting used to (from the ones I enjoy). I love the brand, Carlos, Rodrigo’s execution in most of the line (in this case, Calice)... call me biased, but they deliver with the concept and craftsmanship. Almond Suede is thick. Granular. Perfect for cold weather. My skin brings forth a rich neroli and orange blossom, that mixed with the honey and beeswax instantly reminds me of Seville a l’Aube. That same mystical feel. But instead of incense and lavender, warmer suede and spices join them. Suede comes of as more leathery than usual, as if it was mixed with some IBQ. Makes sense for medieval Andalucía. Pine smells like the resin from the tree. That sticky substance that you had to rub your hands with dirt to take it off. I get it big time here. Saffron, almond...maybe glimpses but never too much. Pink pepper not at all, which is fine as I’m not a fan, and I think it’s why I didn’t give it a go months ago. I can sense the Andalucía theme, but for me it translates as a medieval house at night. Cold winter night. A thick honey paste, granular and slightly bitter is served with crushed almonds. Marzipan, which smells different, is present now. Worn leather garments, with a hint of labor sweat from making orange blossom absolute (the job I envision for our protagonist) is what reigns supreme. There’s a slight medicinal coolness that fits it perfectly. Dark. Holly. Kind of like the winter night version of Seville; it really does smell like it. A power behind that feels esoteric. Not gourmand but sweet. Not a wrapper candy, but homemade sweets. A treat for adults. Excellent sillage and longevity.

Boozy leather opening, amaretto sipped on a handsome suede Eames chair. The notes are honeyed and rich, absent cloying sweetness. Vanilla is present but not prominent early on. Very natural to the nose, despite a concrete note setting the stage for a synthetic rendering. Instead the material is scenery, as if the chair is sat in a minimalist loft with panoramic windows and unfinished poured concrete floors. It also marks a characteristic of Arquiste scents, introducing an element that shouldn't work yet preforms so well it should take a bow. The almond liquor departs in favor of a dynamic, mildly poisonous, bitter almond. The tree nut's bitterness enhanced in part because it contains iodine: a scrupulous sub-note who's scent is stood atop the concrete, lending a surprising comfort and warmth (avoiding a clinical 'bandaid' aspect). The citrus trifecta of bergamot, neroli and orange blossom all stick to the shadows, merely tempering the star notes that might otherwise present too sweet or too bitter. It dries to a fluffy and opulent vanilla with nutty undertones. Well suited to a accompany a dark academia ensemble, flat lay or pinterest board. Pair with an uncomfortable but chic houndstooth blazer, a-line suede mini and opaque umber hosiery on the earliest day it is so cold you want only to stay in and re watch The Talented Mr. Ripley, because reading the Highsmith novel is too on-the-nose, which is where your nonprescription bold framed glasses must sit.

Whoa okay I think this is a good study for openings vs drydowns! It started very harsh and leathery. I don't get along with leathery scents because consistently they've made me nauseous and I don't real feel much for smelling like a leather jacket or couch or what not. But! This one iiiis leathery. When you get past the punch of leather at the start it starts to peel back very slowly but not entirely! The sweetness starts to peek gently but it never for me turns into a full on sweet candied almond dessert or candy. So you'll get I think that very careful tug-of-war between sweetness and leather. Nobody wins! But that's the point I think why I like it. Both balance each other out well without letting one aspect overtake the other. All the notes listed, you can actually pick them out. Especially the honey! Give it a shot I think and let it sit with you!

A masterpiece! Such a beautiful composition that works so incredibly well. Opens with a bright & tangy citrus followed by a rich and creamy camel colored suede. The orange blossom absolute really blooms here too, with a marshmallowy fluffiness to it. The almond is truly marzipan esque as it has a powdery creaminess, a starchy graininess, and it envelops the suede in conjunction with the orange blossom. This smells like if you spilled marzipan flavored ice cream on brand new suede shoes while you had a bouquet of fresh orange blossoms in your other hand. The dry down has a rich warm and subtle smokiness with the pine tar with remnants of the marzipan mingling with a soft vanilla and deep suede. Just so good

I get a very sensual and soft cherry almond leather with a musky base. It's execution varies however this is quite tender yet similar to Chanel's Comete. I prefer Comete myself which is a little more aldehydic. Both fragrances lean definitively feminine because of the notes and also wear feminine due to the intimate nature of their sillage. Almond suede is soft enough to be worn year round if you live in a moderate climate I would avoid in ultra high heat.

I love it, but it’s way more honeycomb and orange blossom than almond and suede. The almond and vanilla really come out in the dry-down, but the honey is the prominent note to my nose. The orange blossom has a strong presence throughout as well. As a suede/leather lover, I wish I got more of that note. If you don’t like suede, don’t be scared off by that note, it really isn’t that strong. Your note votes confuse me btw lol.

Very strong projection...one tiny spray lasts for hours. Marzipan and leather are the purported main notes here. I need to test this more but so far I'm enjoying it. Arquiste's website lists a large number of natural ingredients for this perfume, including bitter almond oil, honeycomb absolute, vanilla absolute, and pine tar. Update: yup, this is addictive and will become a FB. 🙂

almond leather and concrete, breathtaking fragrance, very unique, very artistic, it is very striking, unisex with a masculine feel. A modern leathery spice wood of very high quality, I love it and I want a small 30ml format it's a shame that only large formats exist in Europe

It's definitely a "sweet" leather but I can't necessarily identify the sweet as marzipan. More like straight up honey with maybe a drop of almond extract. I like it quite a bit but I think I might find a full bottle overwhelming because this is a very powerful fragrance.

There’s such fascinating, tangible quality to this scent as if there’s something solid i could hold in my brain when i take a whiff of it (compliment) I still have my little sample and I think it smells better now

Genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever smelled. Incredible stuff.

How are y’all saying the suede is strong lol that’s honeycomb

Surprising and unexpected: for the sheer strength of the suede accord and the way the almond side is not at all toasty-nutty, but more the sweet, almost (but not) chemical cloy of marzipan or almond essence; for its almost-green, almost-herbal tang up top, taking it more in the direction of something springy like Heeley L'Amandiere rather than in any predictably warm, mellow, autumnal direction; for its originality and borderline weirdness. Initial tang of amaretto bitterness soon fades as the suede bunches up butchly and swells to almost unmanageable dimensions, but there's a fascinating double bubble going on: smelled up close on your skin, leather is extremely dominant, but wafting all around you is an almost-blossomy, almost-medicinal shimmer from the neroli, orange blossom, honeycomb and sugar. Can absolutely see why it would polarise, and if you want a straight gourmand - this definitely is not it; many are likely to find it overbearing; but I'm kind of fascinated. Has a ruthlessly strong throw and almost exhausting longevity, so it's hard to argue with the price. Genuinely interesting, though it might be an almond surprise too tough to crack a mass market.

When I first sprayed almond suede I thought holy mackerel this smells exactly like almond infused leather. But that fades rather quickly and this fragrance becomes more of a leather infused almond that is toned down but amped up with orange blossom and honey. This is an extremely sweet fragrance at first I thought it could be unisex but now in my opinion it leans feminine because of its sweetness and the orange blossom and honey combo here. I'm not getting any of the concrete that is supposed to be listed in the notes. I get woodiness, honey, Orange blossom more of leather than suede. Kind of like you spilled an orange blossom honey on a leather jacket. I really shouldn't like this but I do. It's different but wearable. I just think they could have done a better job with the suede accord because to me this smells more like leather than suede.

This is almost a love..almost. So much here to love in this perfume. The almond, the honey..something smooth, rich and voluptuous... gorgeous...full bodied floral notes. Stunning, really. The performance is spectacular. Great projection & longevity. But, not sure if it's the concrete note or the leather, not suede actually but, saddle leather, pops up and it just doesn't work on me. An animalic presence..I just cannot pull this one off. But, I would love this on someone else...a very sexy scent for a guy to wear. It is so good... But, not on me.

The name of this one enticed me, and I loved the sound of the notes. This has a lovely sweet opening due to the honeycomb but something about the bitter almond note smells a little unsettling to me. This perfume is a wild rollercoaster ride for me. The off-putting almond element in the mid, settles into something truly likeable in the dry down. I went from being turned off by this to really enjoying it. Maybe more Honey Marzipan than Almond Suede but there’s something really addicting about it.

Its a mixed bag. I can see Ave Parfums complaints . It does have a lot of suede qualities and almond qualities overdosed. It makes it hard to feel a lot of evolution, leaving this a little one dimensional. That being said, it is a rich, luxe experience and hits the pricepoint well. I feel this could have been a little more refined, as it does whallop you with the idea . Longevity is excellent. Great for colder weather. Ill wear my sample but probably not a full bottle for me

I found it absolutely lovely and soft as suede. But it's too much on my skin. It hangs so heavy and is bad in the heat. I do like to spray just a half-spray on my bag, though, and it makes it smell wonderful for a few days. It really is what it says on the tin: almond and suede. Very well done representations in a way that feels smooth. I can't pinpoint exactly why it feels stifling on the skin. If it were 25% 'less' it might be a standout favorite of mine.

It smells exactly like the titular ingredients. It comes across almost grainy to my nose. A granular sweet suede. An addicting one. And it really has a louder presence than I imagined. I think it makes a real impression which is more than most fragrances can say these days. Almond Suede delivers on its name and truly stands out. It works for me. Try it out. 8.0/10

a heavy handed sweet suede and almond, super spot on to the description. not an easy wear in my opinion but could be just right for the perfect person or occasion

Suede and sweet almonds. Very strong scent, you only need one or two sprays to hold the fragrance all day long. Definitely unisex.

Moderately disappointed. I wished Almond Suede was richer, more velvety, a bit more gourmand. It would be great if it had the waxy facet of a honeycomb and smelled of bitter-sweet almond (like in marzipan or Amaretto), and dusty floweriness of orange blossom. What I got was the quite harsh, sour-bitter leather + soapy neroli. This mix reminded me of Chords by Thameen. Besides neroli, I could smell bergamot all along almost till the drydown where Almond Suede got a bit smoother, sweetened up by vanilla in addition to white sugar which got watered down. There is also a hint of smoke. The combo of pine (in Almond Suede it is dry as it's a pine tar) and white sugar made me think of Mistpouffer by Stora Skuggan. Almond Suede is by no means bad and doesn't smell repulsive, but it's also definitely not safe to buy blindly.

Candied pine cones! Which is not what I expected when I smelled this on my skin, but it does start with a beautiful mixture of the top notes. BUT the pine shines the most which doesn't bother me because it's still slightly sweet. Down side is I don't think I will want to wear this on hot/warm days because the colder it gets the better it smells to me. Instead of a crowded market day in the city, I get more of "woodland festivity" vibe. Edit: I feel like I was probably in the high of a new purchase, I find myself only enjoying the dry down - I can still smell all the notes but it's less aggressive to the nose.

True to its word, this combines marzipan and leather in a single accord. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should - as it dries down the accord becomes alarmingly ... medical. It’s just so institutional, antiseptic, it gives me this raw, limbic feeling of panic matched only by Goldfield & Banks’ unfortunate original formulation of White Sandalwood, and exceeded only by the infamous Secretions Magnifiques. This is how I imagine the smell of the dingy clinic in Jesus’ Son, of awakening to a black-eyed Miranda July in ominous nurse outfit giving you horse pills you almost certainly shouldn’t swallow.

I’m not mad at this but I know that I wouldn’t reach for it often. It is very marzipan sweet and I personally smell the suede or at least leather especially compared to Purple Suede by Goldfield & Banks Australia. I think the pine tar gives this a beautiful resin finish but it leans just a little too masculine for my liking. I think on the right person this would be really beautiful and mysterious. Hope that person finds this unique fragrance!

I get the leather, the sweet vanilla and the citrus but I don't get a pronounced almond note so this disappointed me. If you like the leather note from Ombre Leather but want it gourmand leaning then you'll like this but if you want a marzipan leather this isn't going to do it for you.

Unexpected but great - a medicinal, mothball-y, new shoes-type suede with a beautifully blended sweetness from the almond. Masculine, potent and absolutely not blind buy safe - especially if you were expecting a gourmand. For serious leather lovers only.

I love almond and I do not like honey, so I needed the former to be much more the dominant force - it is not, honey definitely takes this one. Were it not for that, it's a good scent. Honey lovers, definitely worth a try!

This is just too harsh for my taste. The suede not is very loud, to the point it’s off putting. If the suede in this were a bit softer I would probably like it, but as is, it’s a big no for me.

This one left me in physical pain.

This is a scent I just did not enjoy at all. The almond is very strong, which is great, but the "suede" is equally strong and doesn't really smell like suede. It smells a lot like rubber for hours until at last it smoothes out into some semblance of black leather. But black leather smells pleasant whereas this smelled like improperly cured leather, like it's trying just a tad too hard to be "animalic". Combined with a smoky undercurrent, I found this fragrance nauseating, sorry to say. It lasts forever with intense sillage. Very strong on my clothes in a bad way.

All I got was leather... And not the "new purse smell" leather, nothing elegant, more like "went camping and now my leather boots smell like campfire" leather - harsh and scratchy. I waited and waited for the other notes - nothing. Eventually scrubbed it off and covered it up with the sweetest perfume oil I had and it still assaulted my nose. This tester goes straight to trash.

I don't understand what I'm smelling, and I'm probably pretty alone in this but, I hate it. It probably has to do with the neroli, it definitely gives me a headache. This feels weirdly powdery and floral on me. It's like a mix of Johnsons baby powder and the scent of concrete.

I love arquiste, but this is a complete miss for me unfortunately. Harsh and overpowering to a nauseating, headache inducing point. Smells like expired almond extract poured in wet concrete, mixed with cheap leather.

I know it's cistus concrete, not actual concrete, but all I get from this is an actual harsh concrete note (a facet of leather I guess?) - only a small amount of almond-extract and definitely no honey or sweetness. Maybe I'm just super sensitive to the concrete/leather and it overrides the rest? I've tested this quite a few times and it's always the same. Like a harsher Animalique without the warm fuzziness. EDIT: I kept on testing this at regular intervals and gradually the honey and almond body-cream components have come into focus. Still not sure if I'd want to replenish my sample, there's something in the honey note that veers 'royal jelly' rather than actual honey, which with the almond lotion smell gets a bit 'home spa' ish. But it feels much more like a fully rounded perfume to me now, and obvs the perfume's name and note listing are making more sense...

I love the scent of almonds but haven't tried many almond perfumes, so I was pretty excited to give this one a go. It's very interesting. To my nose, the most prominent notes are neroli, suede, and tar, which altogether give it a rubbery feel. I kind of see what the review a few below mine meant about bandaids. It's not bad, but it's not an easy wear. I've done a pretty light application with a dabber and I don't think I'd want any more than that, otherwise I'd feel like I was breathing through a plastic halloween mask. However, in this small dose I'm enjoying it. Not necessarily as something *I* want to smell like, but something I like to smell. I will say it absolutely doesn't read sweet to me at all. I'm glad since I dislike gourmands, but if you're looking for a true sweet marzipan experience, this isn't it.

Along the same lines as Fkin Fabulous- chemical rubber BAND-AIDS, concrete, leather, and tar. And it's strong. Less is more. As it wears, it gets addictive (like FF) and the sillage is close to magic. You can't huff it yourself, don't sniff down your shirt (that's where I spray)... but let it be worn/smelled in the air; it's mysterious and addictive. I bought a full bottle with a coupon code from the 10ml decant I purchased from Scent Split. I am not even SURE I needed that full bottle, but something happens when you wear this... it's kinda nasty and kinda magic. Of course, I wish it were sweeter and easier to wear, but then I'd probably be bored. ;) Wore this to work today 6/5, sprayed pretty heavy at 7am. IDGAF, lmao. Orange blossom is peeking out the most among the leather/concrete/bandaids.

Literally trying to scrub it off and it's so strong, i can't stop it radiating off my skin. . Please don't blind buy this expecting it to smell of Marzipane, if that's what you hope from it at least. Obviously everyone's skin is different, but unless you're skin is magic then expect medicated mothballs. . . The almond is very subtle and barely peeking through the cracks of sharp leather. It's a green almond and almost brings a smooth side but it's swallowed up by the pungent animalic menthol leather. . . Obviously it's not for me as i was expecting a very different scent, but who knows, this could be for you but it's unusual and i highly recommend sampling 👍

I picked out a few decants to try and this was one of them. I came into completely blind. I was expecting a nice cozy almond suede thing....but Almond Suede is farrrrr from that. Not for the faint of heart! It's complex, bold, decadent even... and has excellent performance. It has a syrupy texture...as if you soaked a leather glove in a thick saffron honey concoction. Not for me, but still a highly creative scent by a great house.

Definitely a striking composition! SWEET, gourmand, citrus floral, almond, leathery, with some really interesting facets (like a definite concrete note!) It's extremely "perfumey," not an easy-going, grab-and-go sort of fragrance. It's like if you mixed equal parts Love, Don't Be Shy and Narciso Rodriguez For Him EDT... plus a splash of Tuscan Leather! Very impressive but also a little much!

Sweet gasoline and concrete. What the hell? this is sweet and harsh, intense and tenacious. Projects like a bomb. Yes it has almond, and honey, and leather. But I just get a heavy sweet chemical smell. Very unpleasant and harsh. A sample is more than enough and is going to the trash. This made me feel physically ill. I do not recommend it.

A very green indolic almond. Makes me think of natural elementals. Like eating sweet almonds in the forest and falling asleep while searching for honey, to wake up and finding your self encircled by a fairy ring with no recollection of how you got there.

This is a strange scent, and I can’t tell whether I like it or not. Because there’s a toasted burnt smell here with a nice hint of leather; and in the air... I sometimes enjoy it, but never when I put my nose to it. How odd...

First 5 minutes this is an interesting honeyed suede. Shortly thereafter it went dental office on me. Still got the suede but it was like a suede dental chair. Where to wear: getting veneers in Los Angeles

Yeah, it’s that plastic suede note I don’t love. No scream but just too synthetic. I also don’t get the other notes at all, just that suede with the pine tar making it smell plastic. Pass.

This perfume reminds me more sweet version of bibliotheque by Byredo, but with less complexity. Good cozy sweet scent for cold seasons with niche twist. Good for everyday use

Pretty harsh opening but a unique drydown and sillage, People would know that you are into niche fragances. The best bitter almond fragance ive tried.

Concrete almonds and a thick suede. Super interesting. I like to wear this on a sweater for an evening inside. Lasts and projects really well.

Benzaldehyde and suederal (cherry-almond and suede respectively). Very very nice