Velvet Exotic Leather

My second try from the high-end Dolce & Gabbana Velvet line (after Velvet Desert Oud), Velvet Exotic Leather is a bright, interesting mix of leather, fruity accords that are probably yielded mostly by the juniper and perhaps the labdanum, some sweetness (perhaps attributed to the rum, even), as well as some noticeable incense that comes off quite spicy rather than smoky. The leather itself isn't particularly dominant but rather part of a reasonably-balanced ensemble, so it's not overly animalic, despite the alleged presence of clary sage, which can often exacerbate some of the dirtiness of a composition. Rather, it's quite sweet overall, not specifically boozy but there's something sweet about it that's not strictly the juniper, so I credit that to the rum. The note combination is odd, though--there's lavender, allegedly, but I wouldn't say it's very floral or fresh, either. It seems like a solid performer, with medium/high projection and longevity. It ought to work for men and women alike, and is surely cold-weather-leaning while at the same time perhaps being acceptable in some warm weather situations if applied lightly. My inclination with leather and incense is to generally avoid them in the summer except under unusual circumstances. The 50ml EDP bottle retails for $230 but is available on Notino at $130, and the latter price seems more appropriate, given that for a 50ml bottle, it doesn't dazzle like its similarly-priced counterpart brands like Tom Ford Private Blend or By Kilian. It's a nice fragrance and a decant that I'll hang on to but not one I'll likely buy even at the secondary market pricing. It works well, but fails to really impress me, though it's agreeable enough. 7 out of 10

This is genuinely a very refined, classy fragrance - I used it for formal, black tie, and certain events where smart was necessary from University onwards. It was perfect for that - anything else and it feels, to me, hugely out of place. Work? Perhaps when it first came out...but you had to be able to pull it off. You have to 'be' that person - they're not a CEO, they're not Matthew McConaughey. But it undoubtedly requires significant self-assurance, unwavering consistency, and an almost cold distance to other people. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be that person every day, and few people are, let alone in jobs where this scent would be a good fit as a signature work scent. Excellent performer!

This isn’t usual designer leather—it’s bold, opulent, and slightly mysterious. The leather is smooth, rich, and slightly sweetened. It doesn’t scream as Tuscan Leather animalics,coz it (smoother and less fruity) but it whispers something a bit more refined. There’s also a touch of incense and aromatic herbs that gives it, Mediterranean Vibe. Longevity:4–6 hours strong Projection: Moderate to strong for 1.5–2 hours, then intimate but still detectable. It is worth to have it, for who loves deferent and classic leathery Parfumes 🥰

Honestly i love Dolce&Gabbana. I might have gone through three bottles of the one edt in its first year, and two of the EDP when it first came out. I would have locked away my entire fragrance collection for now with two bottles of this, if it was worth my time ...and it literally disappears after one hour. It takes me at least an hour to get where im going, any day of the week. So what am i wearing this for if it lasts an hour, aroma therapy?! Unuseable.

This is a fruity ambery leather fragrance. Leather note is not too prominent here. It is mass appealing, not-heavy or dense, can be wear year-round in western country and in ACE. Totally not very formal as someone said.

This scent is amazing and a real complimentgetter, really nice boozy leather with some smokiness and some slight freshness from the juniper

It does share some facets with “La Nuit de L`Homme Le Parfum”, however the rum here makes the juice more interesting.

Sweet cinnamon scent. I absolutely love it

Opens with a smoky leather surrounded by fruity notes that grow bigger and bigger until they absorb most of the leather which, after the top notes takes the backstage. The fruits are sweet, but they are in contrast with darker herbal and lavender notes. There are traces of incense working in the background as well and together with a boozy note it The bottom line is that the leather is so exotic that it's hardly detectible after the first hour and definitely this is not a leathery perfume. This reminds me of a fruitier version of La Martina Cuero, mostly because of the leather accord used. 7/10

Boozy and lightly smoky leather with a nice aromatic counterbalance from the lavender and juniper, which altogether to my nose reminds me of pine. Gets spicier as it warms up on the skin, the leather gets a bit stronger. Cool/cold weather only, this is slightly below arms' length projection.

Designer mass pleasing vibes. Shines in winter and lower temperature. Under-performs in summers or higher temperatures. I got 2-3 hours of good projection with 4-6 sprays in winters and great longevity. Overall sophisticated and masculine leaning for the more mature audience. Shukran Habibi!

Nicely balanced - I like the way the lavender is discernible subtly through the boozy fruity leather. Pretty long-lasting on me. All the same not special or 'exotic' enough to justify its price tag, and possibly a bit 'heavy' for everyday casual wear - more of a 'formal occasion' scent.

More refined and elegant version of John Varvatos Dark Rebel. Not as dirty and sweet. Leather in it is very soft. No need to be very confident to wear it. As JV is no more available good replacement but layered with some sweeter fragrances having fruits or alcohol in a base.

Projection and longevity beast! Smells good, nothing extraordinary, previous reviewer @antonpan describes it best- YSL La Nuite de L'homme / D&G the one. So if you like those fragrances, think of this as a more refined and much more expensive version of the aforementioned.

Decent scent, I think The One is a decent comparison. I don’t think it lasts real long or projects that much. I think the one is a beast in S is a little better and a little more feminine, but not worth the price in my opinion. Maybe has some unlisted cardamom

A very mild mannered boozy/leather scent. Office friendly as sillage is average with longevity in the 6-8 hour range. As mentioned there is also a slight fruity accord that adds some brightness to this scent. Very likeable and more masculine than feminine.

Nice perfume with very bad performance! Smells like designer fragrance nothing unique. I don't recommend it for the original price as there are better alternatives. I found it for $80 which is a good deal.

Decent buy if you can get it at all good price. Smells like a more refined generic boozy-leather scent in a luxurious presentation

Such a good leather that isn't trapped by the raspberry and leather combo. Just sampled in Las Vegas... Will see how it wears EDIT Just bought this in Jan 2019. I really like the boozy and leather accords...very classy. It does have similarities with both Atelier's Gold Leather and John Varvatos Rebel, but I like it better than both. The quality is significantly better than JV Rebel, and the overall smell isn't as "skeevy" or "sleazy" as JV Rebel. Atelier Gold Leather is a great scent, but is more a plum liquor smell than a leather scent. This has a prominent leather scent that shares the space with the liquor accord. It leans masculine, but a confident woman could wear this. It has a raw yet classy and confident sexiness about it, and I believe is best for evening wear. I would not wear this during the day in summertime.

I agree with most other reviews, but will add one thing. I can’t find any ideal situation where I would wear this scent. To me, it’s too exotic (pun intended) for work, not subtle enough for a classy event, and not pleasant enough for casual wear. I know others might disagree with my assessment, but this is my biggest gripe with this scent.

Not my kinda scent to wear but that said I guess everyone has their own tastes on perfumery and it could work for those looking for an amberish leathery kinda scent. Would work best for nighttime occasions.

Today marks the final chapter of my exploration into Dolce & Gabbana's Velvet Collection as I take a look at Exotic Leather. As I mentioned in a previous review, this was the fragrance that first brought my attention to the line, having been singled out by someone as a personal favorite amongst leather scents. While I can certainly appreciate a well-crafted leather accord, I have yet to find one that resonates with me as profoundly as Tom Ford's Ombre Leather. Let's get into it and see if I've saved the best for last. Opening: The opening is a complex blend of boozy sweetness, bold leather, and fresh aromatics. The primary notes I discern are leather, rum, lavender, and incense, with leather and rum being the most prominent. The rum takes the lead, presenting a hit of rich, boozy warmth reminiscent of a glass of dark, spiced rum. Following closely behind is the leather note, which strikes me as assertive and slightly animalic—not unlike the leather accord used in Carolina Herrera's CH Men Prive. Next, lavender and incense weave into the composition. The lavender provides a refreshing, supporting note of classic aromatic freshness, helping to balance the heavier natures of the rum and leather. Lastly, a faint smoky and spicy accord from the incense weaves in and out of the background. In this initial stage, I find myself drawing strong connections to fragrances like La Nuit de l'Homme EDP, CH Men Prive, and, quite surprisingly, even D&G's The One, though I'm not entirely certain how without its signature cardamom note. Dry Down: The dry down settles into a subtle whisper of woodiness, delicate smokiness, and balsamic tones. The primary notes I can still perceive are juniper berries, incense, lavender, and rum, with juniper berries and incense being the most distinct. The juniper berries become the standout note in the dry down, providing a woody and lightly spicy accord. Notably, I don't get any of the piney or gin-like qualities that are common to juniper; instead, it presents as pure woods with a gentle piquancy. Behind the juniper berries lies the incense, still carrying its inherent smokiness. This is followed by the lavender and rum. The lavender is still present with the same aromatic freshness it had in the opening, but it is now fairly muted. Lastly, the rum holds on by a thread in the dry down with just a hint of its boozy sweetness. It's worth mentioning that the scent becomes so faint by the dry down that I struggled to identify each individual note. It was mostly just a quiet, smoky woodiness. Performance: The initial projection was surprisingly light, only reaching about arm's length and leaving a light scent trail. When I checked again, just three hours later, the fragrance was already barely a skin scent. I would estimate that its presence only lasted for about one to two hours before completely fading. When to Wear: Exotic Leather is a fall and winter fragrance that is best suited for evening wear. I see this scent being worn primarily for special occasions like a date night or anniversary, but its sophisticated character also lends itself well to formal occasions. I would not choose to wear it casually or in an office environment, though. Blind Buy: If you appreciate warm and sensual fragrances, such as La Nuit de l'Homme EDP or The One, you would most likely enjoy the scent profile of Exotic Leather. However, I cannot in good conscience recommend this as a safe blind buy, solely because of its disappointing performance. Final Verdict: When I first sprayed Exotic Leather, I was genuinely excited. It took me back to the first times I wore The One and CH Men Prive, and gave me a pleasant sense of nostalgia. Unfortunately, that feeling vanished within the first hour or two as the fragrance itself seemed to disappear. This is quite confusing, as the other fragrances from the Velvet Collection I've reviewed did not have this problem. If the performance had been on par with the rest, I could easily see myself adding a full bottle of this to my collection, as the scent profile, in my opinion, is better than any of the fragrances I compared it to (with the exception of Ombre Leather). Regrettably, its lack of performance makes it a hard pass for me. While it wasn't the best way to conclude my exploration of the Velvet Collection, I can at least say that Incenso made a strong and lasting impression. Scent: 7/10 Longevity: 3/10 Sillage: 4/10 Versatility: Average Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Masculine Value: Way overpriced

D&G's Velvet Exotic Leather is a classy, sophisticated fragrance that is not quite like any other offering from the company. It is an EdP that exudes a rich, complex character from beginning to end. I see some similarities of VEL to Hugo Boss' The Scent, which also has that leather-fruit-spice quality to it. Also, I saw a slight resemblance to Atelier Cologne's Tobacco Nuit, i.e. the slight smoky-tangy thing. From the initial spray-on, I get a moderately bright booze (that rum) and spiciness (the clary sage, no doubt) with a touch of woods (something akin to Comme des Garcons Wonderwood and a bit like DSquared's He Wood Rocky Mountain Wood, esp. due to the presence of labdanum "rock rose"). In about ten minutes, the moderate pungence of wood subsides, leaving a subtle spiciness along with incense, and then the emergence of a fine leather note - like a leather that is thinly coated with a slightly spicy and musky smelling oil. At this point, parallels to Coach for Men's suede note seem evident to me. The scent eases back into a well-blended mix of light florals (i.e., lavender), spice, leather, incense, booze and even a tangerine-like citrus tang. The tanginess wears slowly away, and the result is a long-lasting, steady leather-incense-spice finish that never ceases to smell classy and sensual. The greatly copied vibe of modern powerhouses (like Ferragamo's Uomo, Paco Rabanne's Invictus, Armani's Stronger With You and Acqua di Gio Absolu, etc.) exists within VEL in mild, tolerable amounts that adds a modern twist, but this scent is unmistakably a multilayered high-end EdP that says so much more. IMO, this fragrance is best for formal occasions esp. in colder temps. D&G's VEL is unquestionably well-made and well-behaved; whether one would pay the boutique price is another issue. Overall, I enjoyed this beautifully crafted potion and give it a strong thumbs up.

Velvet Exotic Leather is a masculine aromatic. Quite a unique bit by the brand. The collective aroma is like a semi-sweet, pseudo-ambrosial musk—if I could best describe the essence. There seem to be quite a few incense resin tones powering this, with the juniper berry (and another fruit-like nuance) adding a natural quality to the sweetened aspect. There is also a strong essence of musk enveloping all of this. It gives the fragrance a pungent kick, almost off-putting, but very true to classic masculine fragrances of the 80's and 90's. Not bad by any means, but something about the fragrance makes me feel as though it was purchased as a charity piece of some kind. The rum isn't detectable outright, but makes the musk and other qualities feel warm, and almost comes off ambery. There could even be some amber in here actually with it. I do not detect any type leather whatsoever. I think that might just have been an ambiguation of some kind. The combination of robust and pungent aromas gives the fragrance somewhat of a sophisticated presentation. And if applied gently, it can certainly have this effect. I would like to say that is how it's best applied in general. If sprayed, it comes off a bit overbearing—and that is typically a tell-tale sign that a fragrance wasn't intended to be applied like that from the beginning. All-in-all, I believe this was something thrown out there for the older crowd. Its bits of uniqueness won't likely be admirable except by one with a fondness for the classic bits it's laid upon.

I have yet to try any of the exclusive Velvet fragrances by Dolce & Gabbana.. This Velvet Exotic Leather looks like it may have the potential to be something special.. The bottle is gorgeous and the notes do look pretty exotic..

Love the perfume as the smell is exotic but the longevity is lousy , barely lasts 15 minutes which is too bad for the price paid

This is YSL La Nuit de L'Homme meets Dolce & Gabbana The one for men. Creamy, powdery, sweet. The longevity is low.

Boozy aromatic leather with a very nice incense note. Masculine, handsome, modern. Well dressed man in his 30s.

A surprisingly bright and refreshing leather that is attractive and pleasant

Smell classy and makes me feel quite superior. A definite keeper.

8 sprays, no sign of the frag after half an hour.