Leather Malaki

This is the fourth of my Chopard Malaki review series and of the four, I found Leather Malaki the most difficult. I went into it blind and was expecting a nice rich leather-centric DNA as befitting the name and the bottle. This one opens with a cedary greenness I wasn't ready for. I find verdant aromatics occasionally a little challenging and this one is a good example of why. I'm a child of the 80s and grew up in cars with Magic Tree fresheners and that is what I associate the scent of cedar with. This is brighter and airier than that, but it still gives me that vibe that a very pleasant black pepper and some slightly-too-sweet bergamot addition to the opening do not fully address. I get very little leather off this in the beginning. It takes its sweet time to dry down and it becomes (slowly) apparent that nothing about this fragrance is in a hurry. It is very relaxed and relaxing, but I think if you're expecting strong leathers and a bit of intensity then this will not be the Malaki for you. If this came in the Cedar Malaki bottle I'd understand it a bit more. I just think Leather Malaki doesn't know what it wants to be. Honestly, I get very little leather in the heart of this either. What I do get is that smell of vegan Alcantara you get in new cars sometimes. Like suede but not as rich. I cannot escape the feeling that the cedar and bergamot (again, a bit synthetic feeling and too sweet) are trying to cover up the eponymous suede vibe, as if apologising for the lack of leather. This is a strange one. For about an hour or so I wasn't sure what to make of it. Then, right when you are losing hope and about to write Leather Malaki off, there emerges some slightly salty amber in the base that rescues this. Not only does it add some much-needed richness and texture to the whole shebang, but it does address the sweetness in the top notes. It adds context, as much as anything. I believe the brief here was to create a very easy, rather languid fresh aromatic fragrance that sits close to the skin for people who don't really like strong leather and suede notes in their perfume. Not for the first time in my fragrance reviewing journey, I find myself recalibrating my view on a fragrance based on what it is, not what I thought it was before I sprayed it. So what have Chopard and Dora Baghriche created here? An old school, slightly evocative chypre that doesn't project much, with a very pleasant salty amber base with a hint of suede. It is actually quite good. Like a more mature, more feminine, warmer take on Himalaya by Creed but with better performance as a skin scent. Unlike Himalaya you need to wait for this one to warm up and dry down for it to come to life and when it does it is very pleasant. Not really something I'd reach for over Amber, Black Incense or Oud Malaki, but I can absolutely see someone who isn't in a hurry, who doesn't mind waiting, who likes restrained mountain fresh cedar with a richer base enjoy this a lot as reach for days when they want green skin scent performance but not the sillage. Layering suggestion: Santal Wood by Ajmal or Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel by Molton Brown. Three Word Summary: Forest Walk Suede Scent - 6/10 Drydown - 8/10 Sillage - 5/10 Bottle/packaging - 8/10 Performance - 7/10 34/50

#1247 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I see some people smell Nuit d'Issey Parfum. Close. It's Nuit d'Issey Polaris, which is now only available from the eBay scalpers at prices from $150-400. No Issey Miyake fragrance is worth that, including Polaris. And this is a mildly spicy version of Polaris, launched very tactically just as Miyake discontinued Polaris. But there's a lot to choose from in this category, some fruitier, some greener. Kilian "Dark Lord", Ralph Lauren "Polo" and "Polo Cologne Intense", Tom Ford "For Men", "Beaufort "Absent Presence", O Boticario "Zaad Expedition", Molton Brown "Black Pepper Re-Charge", all close enough that if you have one you don't really need another unless you're an impulsive collector like me, so i'd choose on price. This Chopard is $75 on Jomashop.com. Zaad Expedition $69 on Purebrasil.com. The Zaad is fruitier than this. Dark Lord is more complex like the Zaad, but $200 for 50ml. Not worth it. Black Pepper Re-Charge is $180 for 100ml. Also not worth it to me, but I confess to having the shower gel. I wouldn't bother paying a Tom Ford price for this kind of scent either. For me it's a toss-up between the Leather Malaki and Zaad Expedition as to which I like better. Expedition is more complex, The Malaki is more leathery. For business wear I'd probably choose the Chopard Malaki and for date night I'd probably go with the Zaad Expedition. There is BTW a Zimaya called "Braveheart", a Memo Paris "Irish Leather" wannabe, that isn't bad for $20, though it's a little less spicy, and kinda synthetic. This scent is fine for close spaces and everyday wear. Not going to overpower or offend anyone. It's a blind buy I'm happy with.

Leather Malaki the latest flanker from this line is probably the best if not second best. This is an aromatic classic incense leather that's very wearable and non offensive. It's well blended and suits all occasions and both day and night. I'm quite impressed by it as I think I'll wear this more often than it's counterparts, mainly because of the nice soothing incense and the aromatic Leatheryness of how the scent becomes on my skin. Maybe some ladies might pull this off because yes it is definitely very musculine but it seems more unisex. Reminds me of guerlain's encens or incense too. This ought to be more popular if it's under a very known brand but in fact it's so much under the radar that hardly anyone know or want to try it. Once again, the smokiness, the amber, the incense and the leather. I find it irresistible to keep smelling my arm/hands. It was this irresistible that I had when I tested a spray and told myself 'Must Buy' and than this full wear. Very good longetivity here with nice silage and decent projection. However you'll need to like Incense to like this. they can't call this incense Malaki because they already have a black incense malaki but this is a more wearable incense Malaki to me more than a leather malaki as smoky Ambery incense stands out more than the leather. Really good and nice. I think this is one of the best I've tried and used in 2025.

Nose Note #949 I have Oud, Cedar, Black Incense and Leather Malaki and the latter is my favourite. It's funny, because Cedar Malaki smells like leather to me and Leather Malaki smells like a ton of cedar! The cedar is sort of like Burberry Hero and Montale Full Incense, but ultimately different. This is also definately sharing similarities with Irish Leather, but no nutty leather here, but there is a slightly similar tea-ish note in here. All these Malaki fragrances fry my nose if I approach skin too close, I don't get this, almost never, even with the strongest scents. I don't know what they put in there... Man, this cedar accord is good. Very special. Again, sort of a mix between Irish Leather and Full Incense, but without incense. I don't like Irish Leather at all, but I really like this. Mind, whereas Burberry Hero is super mass-apealling, super easy, weak, Leather Malaki is not mass-appealing per se, it is a more sophisticated fragrance for a more mature audience. Men only. Strong, but not crazy at all, probably weakest of all Malaki. Similar story with sillage. Still absolutely worth the money. Chopard put good prices. The bottles represent the style of the perfumes well. 8.2/10, good cedar

I bought this blind and am quite pleased with the purchase. The bergamot and pepper in the opening are very well executed in a style I would describe as mature: an assertive presence without being garish. The projection is modest but durable. I was getting lovely whiffs of cypress and cedar nearly twelve hours after spraying, with NDS (nose-down-shirt test coined by sniffer 65) still delivering the full pallette of notes. As it dries down to a skin scent, one is left with a pleasant labdanum that lingers into the next day.

From my middle eastrien back ground, this one over here will hit the top on the list. I loved how smoky it is, easy on the nose, I feel sense of luxury. although I still can't figure out leather. still under observation, lets see the performance. over all 8/10

What a joy trueout the day, I love the chopard dna as well as it's details. I love the whole Chopard Malaki line but this one is the bomb, so addictive. Thank you Dora Baghriche, so very well done.

I don't understand the complaints; I get refreshing leather from start to finish.

and now we need a summer Malaki ... isn't it about time, you go girl !

Tanned Leather, Dark Incense In A Spice Market - Leather Malaki by Chopard Leather Malaki is the latest release in the Malaki Series from Chopard. Since I own the other fragrances in this line, I was comfortable purchasing it blindly. Upon first sniff, I thought... wow, that is leather! The smell of high-quality tan leather bags or shoes comes to mind; what I get is more of a “brown or tan,” not black leather. There is a definite presence of incense here, but it doesn’t overpower the leather. I also detect hints of black pepper and subtle spices, both blending well with the leather and incense. Leather Malaki has a salty, mineralic, metallic undertone that I can only smell up close. This is an aromatic, classic incense leather that's very wearable and not offensive. It has a “serious” fragrance vibe and seems more suited for dressing up, but I wore it today with black sweats and hoodie... perfect. Leather Malaki is a classic, masculine leather-centric scent from a bygone era that still feels modern. In my opinion, Leather Malaki is a slight departure from the typical DNA of most of the Malaki line. There is a distinctive oily, Middle Eastern vibe in this line that is best showcased in Oud, Musk, and Rose Malaki. Leather Malaki has presence but doesn’t shout. The dry-down is stunning—a dark, peppery leather that melds seamlessly into your skin.

An easy reach but slightly boring. If you’re looking for a bold leather scent this isn’t it, it’s nice but on the safer side and mainstream designer leaning. It has more in common with a men’s blue scent than a dark leather. The cypress and woody incense elements aren’t in your face either blended into the sweeter amber elements. I really like the salty mineral undertones that I smell up close, it smells less interesting in the air. Could see this being an office scent staple.

Just got my bottle.... blind bought. To keep it simple, it's a mix of an animalic Nuit D'Issey with some metallic freshness from Sauvage. At least to my nose, this is what I get. The animalic Nuit D'Issey is the Leather and the metallic freshness is the twist. It deserves your attention (even blind buying it) if you are a fan of the Malaki line or Nuit D'Issey. You won't be dissapointed!

Just got it in, first impressions, this seems like a classic leather scent of yesteryears that hovers somewhere between aromatic/fougereish and leathery. Definitely a departure from the previous hits (Black Incense, Cedar), which was to be expected since Dora Baghriche did this one instead of Alberto Morillas. The way leather is done here brought Ferragamo's leathers to mind (the whole line, Intense, Spicy, Bright, and Red Leather), glad to see I'm not the only one. Think of it as a classy, inoffensive, subdued Italian leather you might find in Trussardi's perfumes. I might like it more in 10 years when I grow into it. Performance seems iffy so far.

Chopard Leather opening leaves good first impression, serious manly scent for people over 30. However, dry down smells linear of vanilla and pachouli- it's the same as Zino Davidoff.

I like Chopard Oud Malaki, so decided to try this one as a blind buy. I do not care for it. I do not think the pepper and Bergamont go well together. As it dries down, it smells like an old barbershop I used to go to. Others may love it. It is not for me.

So I was able to source this new release a little over a month ago, as it appears to have already been somehow released in the Middle East. This certainly carries the Malaki DNA we’ve seen in Oud, Black Incense, and Cedar, though it treads its own path. It’s a very dry scent, and quite heavy on the leather, woods and spice (in that order), with a hint of sweetness that mostly stems from the amber. Although it does have that middle eastern persona, I do feel like it might be a little easier to wear than the likes of Oud or Black Incense - probably because I’m not picking up on heavy incense or resinous notes. To try and paint a clearer picture of what the scent is like, I’d say take Black Incense and tone down the resins/sweetness, and add a healthy amount of light leather (not animalic) and woods. Or take Oud, reduce the “Oud” accord and amp up the leather. For those that have tried Ferragamo’s Spicy Leather, this, in my opinion, is a nicer, smoother, and more niche version of that. Of the 4 fragrances that share the same DNA within this Malaki collection, I’d rank Black Incense 1st, Oud and Leather as joint 2nd, and Cedar as 4th. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily a redundant buy, but it’s also not drastically different. Definitely worth trying though, and I can see myself wearing this during the winter season here in the Gulf. Haven’t given this a full wear yet, but based on what I’ve sprayed so far, performance seems decent, but not as nuclear as Black Incense is.

This is the latest release of the Malaki line and I must say, even though I like it, it is one of the more less potent one of this series. It"s quite a fresh take on leather as it opens up bright and even though the notes state pepper, I can't really say that I smell it , so it seems to be blended very meticulously here . I suppose that the freshness comes also from the cypress, which gives it this uplifting aroma. It's a really good blended perfume, albeit not very strong and the leather is in my opinion very soft , not at all animalic. It's not a loud perfume nor does it has great sillage and for the moment I find the longevity to be quite short lived too, hopefully it'll be better /stringer after oxidation. All by all , i like it and it's good but not as loud nor strong as the other flankers als the oud version .

The whole chopard malaki line is great in my opinion. Especially in the quality versus price aspect. Leather Malaki is probably my favorite. It is a green leather fragrance that mellows and wears smoothly. Projection is not loud which might be good for a dark fragrance and the longevity is ok and scent wise gets better with time.

I have the Oud, Rose and Cedar from the Malaki line and I'd say Cedar has been my utmost fav. I'll be definitely be looking out for Leather when I'm out about. Love the quality and performance I'm getting from the Malaki line and I assume the Leather won't disappoint.