Clean Suede

Strange. The way this perfume opens I could've sworn it was with an orange liquor and new leather accord. I could've sworn it was! But no, apparently, according to ELDO it's lemon and aldehydes at the top; pine, pepper, birch leaf, saffron, cypress, and galbanum at the heart; suede, vanilla, ambergris, tonka bean, and iris at the base. Well, ok. The opening smelled quite hot, alcohol-like, with a new leather smell (like the birch) that together sort of gives you the impression of leather you bought cheap off of Amazon that isn't really leather and the manufacturer tried to infuse a chemical into it that smells of leather. Not exactly a welcoming opening; weird and intriguing, but a bit off-putting. Fortunately this dries down very quickly to reveal the heart and base notes that are very... very... I don't know! It's definitely a leather scent but it's just so unique that I don't know where to begin to describe it, but suffice to say I'm really liking it. It's so dry and "hot" - like a dry heavily-spiced dish - but the leather pulls it all together, equally dry and hot, well worn but still new. This somehow manages to be dirty and animalic but without the wet skankiness that comes from dirty and animalic leathers; it manages to be spicy, but a dry and hot spicy, not a steamed spicy; it manages to be fun and cheerful, but not slapstick, and a bit raunchy. Clean suede? Hardly. There's a reason this fragrance used to be named Tom of Finland. If you aren't familiar with the cartoon author look it up, just don't do it at work. Perhaps this is ELDO's signature cheeky wit coming into play again; not clean, not suede, but hot, raunchy, leather in a somehow tasteful way. It's fantastic.

I got this as part of a discovery set and at first I did not like it at all. It was very faint and smelled like wet paper / cork to me. I forgot about it and then a few months later I wore it again. The smell appeared to be completely different, almost intoxicating, I kept reaching for my wrist to smell it again and decided to buy a full bottle. To me it opens very pine and citrus forward (sort of like the lemon fresh and pine cleaning products if they smelled good), clean and sweet, and then in the drydown I get mostly vanilla and tonka bean. Sometimes I get a whiff of leather but it is not as present as the name would suggest. I can't seem to get the earthy notes other reviews are alluding to, and I would not characterize the perfume as "dry" in the slightest. I think people who describe this scent as dirty, murky, animalic and "the scent of poppers" may be getting carried away by the (previous) marketing as Tom of Finland, because I'm not getting any of that. People around me have compared it to the aroma of lemon pies, a coworker thought it was Acqua di Gio (yes, I sometimes wear it to work because, as I said, it is a very safe fragrance, it is not musky, rubbery or unpleasant in the slightest). Overall I think it is a nice pleasant scent in the clean musk family. Nothing too crazy out there.

On the opening this fragrance smells almost entirely different from the listed notes on Fragrantica. The leather note is pleasantly mild with a combination of clean notes of lemon (not citrus), wood, and pine. As it dries down there is a creamy note that starts to make its presence known. All of these notes combine into a clean, almost out of the shower, smell with a pleasent leather note mixed into the background. The performance here was so so. It lasted about 4 hours on my skin and under 3 on my clothes. It was entirely gone by the end of hour 5 on my skin even if I pressed my nose to my skin. 4/10 for longevity. The projection was surprisingly good, it radiated within my arms length for 4 hours in a very pleasant manner. 7/10 for projection. Overall this is a very pleasant and unique fragrance, it has a clean out of the shower scent with some unstandered notes mixed into it. I greatly enjoyed wearing it today and I can see it being an easy enjoyable reach for spring and fall. 8/10 overall even with the mid longevity due to my enjoyment and the uniqueness of it. An after note: the atomizer on this sample spray from Etat Libre d’Orange was one of the best I’ve ever gotten on an official sample.

Although I really like ELDO’s originality, I couldn’t find any of their fragrances that wouldn't smell synthetic. This is one gorgeous exception though! Clean Suede is a beautiful realistic sweet pine-suede fragrance. Suede is here, from the start. Immediately followed by light and airy sourness becoming fresh, nearly green. That green side takes up space, I'm suddenly transported in a pine forest. But it's not wood pine I'm smelling, it's pine needles. Realistic green pine needles in the middle of the forest. And then, it's fading away. The pine sweetens. A sweet suede wakes me up. Suede again, but this time perfectly balanced with pine, slightly woody and sweetened by the vanilla. The name Clean Suede perfectly fit this perfume. A gentle, soft, lightly woody, realistic sweet suede that has now become my signature scent.

"CLEAN SUEDE is a fragrance that is clear in its intentions, a sweet and aldehydic leather, bold and honest, narrating a playful man, carefree, with all the freedom money can buy. A masculine scent, yet not devoid of a sweet and sensual feminine aspect (I would even say sexy), unsuitable for those burdened by fragile masculinity or unable to keep up with its charisma. An excellent signature fragrance for everyday wear, distinctive and refined without losing its modernity and youthful charm. P.S.: If I had this fragrance, I would spray it inside every bag I own. It's exactly the lush scent I would want to experience in a leather accessory."

Clean Suede (Tom of Finland) to me, lives in the Bvlgari Black scent profile but comes off more creative and artsy. At times it pulls a sparkling clean almost minty suede accord. Other times it's a dose of warm sexy rubbery vanilla. But, the aldehydes, birch and pine notes along with a sugary lemon zest bring this into otherworldly category. The perfumer here was highly creative with this profile. I will never not have a bottle of this. Unreal good. The idea of "Clean Suede" may be a little on the nose especially compared to some of the other great names from the brand. Cuir Scintillant 9/10

wasnt expecting to really like clean suede but i loveeeeeeee the mix of of clean cold aldehydes, stiff leather, and lemon altogether, especially how it lands on my skin. spraying this on paper, clean suede was more sweet than i was expecting from it and i never got that deeper, almost earthier tones of leather that i was wanting, but as soon as this hit my skin those deeper tones came out. very new car smell or professionally cleaned and oiled leather car or couch. beautiful beautiful, very masculine and deep scent. almost woodsy with the mix of birch and pine in there

I did not expect to love this scent since typically I find leather or suede fragrances to be more masculine leaning and sometimes a bit harsh, Clean Suede is neither of those things. Starting strong with the suede, pine and pepper it fades nicely into a vanillic suede with the lemon, pine and aldehydes keeping it a bit fresh. Very unisex and something that I will be adding to my collection as soon as possible. I can't sum it up any better @cielito "making out in a new car with a delicious stranger."

Gorgeous simple linear fresh suede as suggested. Negatives here are undeserved. Its not synthetic. It indeed reminds me of a fresh car leather with cream protectant rubbed in. Warm and inviting without a dark or animalic edge. It reminds me of Thameens Regent Leather that is supposed to represent a Rolls Royce car seat - one of my fabourite leather scents.A nice vanilla finish that ironically outperformed the Thameen in both performance and value.

It is with great sadness that I confess this fragrance doesn't last long - which is a shame because it's so, SO beautiful. However, good news if you're looking for a 'second skin' scent because I feel like it's a bit that. Sexy yet serious (I wear it a lot in the office), smells luxurious but effortless at the same time. A more laid-back and playful alternative to TF's Ombre Leather thanks to the sweetness of the vanilla note. 9.5/10

Citric peppery birchy/incense opening that goes straight to clean grey suede with pine undertones. Definitely not dated or overly mature, bit modern, carnalic and moderately sexy - good signature fragrance that is not too much intense to cause nausea or disgust you after few applications. Dry down is powdery soft, unsweet vanilla with large portion of cumine. Interesting, original, nice to have in your collection.

The leather in this is very light, not animalic at all to me. The opening makes me think of a softer, airier cedar, like taking the cedar-scented crayon and softening it with something a little powdery, a little green. There's a note or accord in the middle act that is exactly the way my mum smelled when I was younger, nestled among the threads of other notes, and it almost made me tear up a little.

Love the way this smells! Just like the title suggests, clean scent that has maintains surprising depth. Certainly comes off more masculine. I usually don't gravitate towards overly masculine types of scents, as I honestly do enjoy the sweeter stuff but this one is a beautiful exception. Tried this as a part of a discovery kit, but this is definitely one I want to add to the collection.

A clean suede scent? I have no idea how they made aldehydes and suede mix but this is really smooth. A clean & musky-lactonic but also faint woody-suede scent. I also pick up some iso-e-super but overall it's a gorgeous well-blended second-skin profile. This might be the night-time non-leather leather scent I have been looking for. I actually really like this one. Edit: got a bottle.

Oh wow! It's fueling my soul right now, its beautiful, I am attracted to this mystic perfume... I dont have a precisely review because 5 minutes ago I tested it for the first time, but trust me, the notes that are mentioned, you can feel all of them in one. I already love this perfume, maybe just for this moment, but, I think this will be my main fragrance for autumn.

Citrus, Saffron, and Vanilla. Simple, elegant, and charming. Previously 'Tom of Finland' now rebranded, and all the better for it imo. It really didn't evoke cruisy leather bars in its previous incarnation. Good to see ELdO dialling back the 'shock' factor a little and focusing on the actual perfumery. An easy wear and competent year round signature scent.

This stuff is absolutely gorgeous. Such a clean, leather fragrance. Perfect for the office. Not offensive whatsoever. Very masculine and clean and leathery, best way to put it. More clean & woody with leather in the background. It's not a leather bomb like Ombre Leather but it's definitely there. Highly recommended!

I’m glad they moved this to a dark bottle. I was always worried that my Tom of Finland juice* was darkening to a caramel brown over the years. * which gives me a great idea for ToF’s next tie-in. If you’re in product development at Nestle, call me!

As a fan of this perfume house, I’m really disappointed with its longevity. I absolutely love the notes and wish it would last longer. On my skin, it fades after just an hour or two, and even when I ask others, they can hardly detect any sillage.

This scent feels like me. It's rugged yet clean. So elegant yet masculine. It's not mass appealing imo and it is fairly unique. Great beginner leather fragrance. Starts off a bit aromatic fresh and then heavy suede. Later some vanilla pops up.

making out in a new car with a delicious stranger. i loooooveve this, its very unisex to me. the lemon top notes making the woods the tiniest bit resinous. it lands on that plump beige car seat though

I love it! The softest leather perfume I've ever smelled. Exactly what I was looking for. A bit sweet on my skin, it becomes a skin scent after a few hours. I find it rather feminine and delicious.

By a long way the best perfume from this house. It's versatile and beautiful, with great performance without shouting. It's one of the ones which doesn't seem like a joke perfume somehow.

I really like this one! Surprised me that the leathery scent was sweet and def unisex. I enjoy the lemon opening with a sophisticated dry down. The name does describe the fragrance.

A better version of TF Ombre Leather, more clean. Great if you find other leather scents way too dusty, old smelling.

Possibly my favourite masculine fragrance to date

Aers Etat Libre d'Orange Advent Calendar I bought the ELdO discovery set and made it my advent calendar. I'll try to post a review every day in the order the samples are in the set. Day 2 - Clean Suede When I read the profile, I was a bit worried. Leather notes aren't the easiest for me and so far I haven't found a single leather-dominant perfume that I would consider wearing actively, so I sprayed carefully on my wrist to not overdo it. And maybe I should have been a little bolder because I really liked what I smelled. It starts of a little synthetic and smells like cheap faux-leather but on my wrist, this only remained like this for the first 10 minutes or so, until the synthetic notes thankfully faded away. What remained was really what the scent is all about: a clean leather note. It's not the most complex of perfumes I have ever tried but I enjoyed my time with it tremendously nontheless. Once the synthetic opening fades away, I got a warm and very refined leather scent that evoked the feeling of a very understated, very expensive pair of leather gloves. Dark brown, incredibly soft, very sophisticated, very pricey. The kind of gloves you wear in fall to an invite-only Dinner Gala. Those that fit your hands snuggly and perfectly. They are comfortable and elegant in design and smell just like this perfume does. There are hints of sweetness here and there which make it all the more comfortable to wear, much like very good leather also has that hint of sweetness to it. In between, there are dots of spices here and there but they come and go every now and then and I don't feel they matter too much in the grand scheme of things. It's leather. It's a very refined and suave leather, but it's leather. Just leather. It's a very mature scent but in the best way. There's no old man or old lady here. It feels adult, sophisticated and expensive. You can wear this in a dungeon at a kinky party accompanied by an actual leather collar just as much as during your Fortune 500 company christmas get-together in suit or dress. It doesn't scream and it doesn't whisper, but it's confident and self-aware. It's unisex in the best way but it requires you to be as confident at it is and also a certain age - or: mental age - to pull off. There's nothing playful on display. It's serious and tasteful. And maybe a little boring for some. It's very much one thing and it does that incredibly well, but if you're looking for a fun and exploration-worthy perfume, this is not it. It kept on my skin for about 6, 7 hours before fading away. I was careful with my spraying, so if you spray a little more, it might become louder and more long-living. You can probably wear it around the year but I would only wear this for few occasions. I do believe it *can* be an office scent, but it's hard to pull off and not seem wannabe in that setting. I like it a lot, but I think a 10 ml decant would last me quite some time.

Today we’re moving on to Clean Suede from État Libre d’Orange, formerly known as Tom of Finland, a fragrance meant to celebrate the male form and the natural presence of the self. Like many ELDO releases, it has a playful personality and a sense of fun beneath its refined surface. How much of that character comes through in the scent itself is what really matters. Let’s get into it. The opening is slightly fresh and aldehydic with a touch of lemon. It is not sharp or sour but mellow and rounded, almost like a lemon liqueur or a well-balanced cocktail. A hint of pepper adds light spice while the suede immediately takes center stage. After about ten minutes the suede becomes more prominent. The aldehydes and lemon fade slightly but remain in the background. Subtle earthy notes of birch and pine start to emerge, giving the suede texture and depth without overpowering its polished feel. Around the one-hour mark, vanilla begins to appear. It is not sweet or sugary and never feels youthful or decorative. Instead, it has a soft, powdery quality that blends naturally into the suede, enhancing its warmth and richness. After roughly three hours, most of the brighter elements have faded. What remains is suede supported by pine, birch, and a faint trace of lemon. The result is a masculine suede with a smooth, slightly earthy, outdoors-inspired character that feels natural and familiar. I did not expect to enjoy this fragrance as much as I did. It brings to mind my father coming home from work, stepping out of a car with leather seats, taking off his leather loafers, and setting down his leather briefcase after a long day. There is a human warmth here, not animalic, but worn-in and comfortable. Broken-in leather is the best way to describe it. Clean Suede is a smooth, sophisticated fragrance that I think would work well in both warm and cool weather because of how natural it smells. It is balanced, easy to wear, and a pleasantly surprising addition from the house.

What your next Monday business meeting is missing is a leather harness. I'm not always on the same page as État Libre D'Orange's marketing (or concepts, to be optimistic), but I find the Tom of Finland name affiliation particularly apt for this Clean Suede. An erotic fragrance because it's bold yet clean, the leather scent is polished, evoking the leather accessory more than baroque fresh flesh. The vanilla base (delicately blended into the composition) is understated and doesn't overpower anything; it simply softens the fragrance, making it more approachable. The remaining notes primarily deliver freshness. The first few hours are therefore leathery/fresh, perfect for those who aren't fans of this olfactory family in its more opulent forms. The drydown is delicate, a discreet yet present leather—its longevity is excellent—considerably softened by the comforting vanilla. Clean Suede is truly an ideal proposition for people who, like me, do not like cloying leathers but are still attracted by the adventure and the confidence that this sultry olfactory family can provide.

The leather fragrance for people who hate leather. If you’re like me and typically shy away from leather accords, Clean Suede might surprise you. My first impression was immediately positive: it opens with a clean, slightly citrusy brightness before settling into a leather scent that is genuinely smooth, soft, and elegant. It’s an incredibly aromatic and polished composition. After committing to a full skin wear, my rating held steady. This is a rare example of a "clean" winter fragrance. It’s crisp and sophisticated without being heavy or animalic. There is a deep, nostalgic familiarity to this scent—it reminds me of something from my past, though I can't quite place it, which makes it feel incredibly comforting to wear. It’s versatile, refined, and one of the few leather-based fragrances that I find truly wearable for my rotation. Definitely full bottle worthy. Note: I don't actually own this fragrance; I am writing this review based on my experience with the official Etat Libre d'Orange discovery set.

this is really nice, citrusy lemony, clean, cold, fresh, woody and piney but, at the same time sweet, leathery, vanilla-y, a bit of rubber in there, almost gourmand, which is an interesting duality, but surprisingly they don't conflict at all, they actually complement each other really well. I also like how the dry down gets sweeter and envolves over time, it's really nice. having tried Soul Of My Soul as well, I can totally see why that one feels like a more feminine version of this one. pretty nostalgic too, I think my dad used to wear something with similar notes, and funny enough, Soul Of My Soul reminds me of my mom putting on her lipstick, so this one is definitely my dad

I am very pleasantly surprised by how simple and lovely Clean Suede is! Even though most people have voted it as unisex on here, its branding definitely leans into the masculine side. I’m not big on masculine fragrances and usually prefer feminine scents. However this is delightfully unisex in such a wearable way. It opens with a short burst of subtle florals that really remind me of another perfume I’ve smelt (I wanna say Fame by Lady Gaga but they share no notes). When it settles on the skin the leather scent comes through loud and clear without being overbearing or too strong. It’s very comforting and a really nice smell.

This is the first and only sample I've had where only my BF used it and I didn't try it once haha. I do normally enjoy quite masculine fragrances but this one smelled sooo good on him I didn't even want to try! Gorgeous leathery, woody vanilla vibes in a very manly way. Hints of incense. Probably the best or one of the top 3 in the whole discovery set which overall I was not that much of a fan of unfortunately. I prefer ELDOs less complicated fragrances that smell recognisable. Dont think I'll ever stop saying how terrible The Ghost in the Shell smells!

This is the most realistic suede I've ever smelled. That's awesome. I have to give it to them, this brand is king of accuracy. If they claim their perfume is going to smell like something, it will smell like the best version of that thing. On my skin, it leans more intimate in projection, so I imagine this to be in the musk/clean category of fragrances, just for you and your partner to enjoy. Still, I get the feeling that if you sprayed up to 5 or more times (overspraying) you would of course get attention with it.

Etat Libre D'Orange Sample Kit 2/20 Name is quite accurate. The suede is by far the strongest note, both on the initial spray and the drydown. I do get a bit of lemon, but it is quickly drowned out. I can smell the vanilla, but it's a very intimate vanilla and not quite as strong as I would have liked it. A very potent vanilla would probably have balanced out the suede better. Pretty interesting in its own right, but the performance is really not good, especially considering the scent profile.

I quite liked this, it didn’t last nearly as long as i would’ve liked it to and found myself reapplying after only four hours. It’s a really clean citrusy/pine scent. It smells like my mom deep cleaned her living room and i took a nap on her leather couch that still smells like lemon oil and the floors still smell like pine. I really enjoyed this, but I also really enjoy the smell of cleaning products so... to each their own.

Starts with a bold, very rubbery, spicy leather. It feels very synthetic and slightly sharp. As it dries down, the synthetic sharpness quickly fades, revealing a more pleasant, animalic leather that feels warmer and more natural. This is one of the nicest leather fragrances I've smelled, as it’s moderately airy and has a very smooth edge in the end due to the vanilla that shows up minutes later. Leans masculine.

As I've been test Etat libre d'Orange perfumes, I've noticed that many of them smell very "clean" or even medicinal, including this one. On first spray, I was getting "new car smell" but that turns into a more complex, clean leathery scent. It's definitely a more masculine scent, so not for me, but I wouldn't mind smelling this on someone. It reminds me of being in my grandma's church as a young child.

Opens powdery before the leather sets up shop. The "leather" is sort of that bitter base note to real suede- nothing too plasticky or animalic. The vanilla base note does a lot of heavy lifting here, giving the sharp leather note a base to ride along and contrast against. Simple and effective. Overall a very clean and interesting scent, and like most reviewers here I wish it lasted longer.

this fragrance definitely surprised me! I am not typically a leather fan, but this makes me question if it’s not the fragrances compositions overall typically involving leather that I actually don’t like. this is fresh, clean, light, and slightly sweet. I would consider purchasing a travel size or larger decant for when I’m in the mood! definitely unisex. very nice :)

Clean is right. Like most from ELDO, i dig the concepts. The only problem I have with this and many others is the performance. I barely pulled 6 hours from it and most of that time was a skin scent. Enjoyable and 6 hours is a decent amount of time but unless I pull it from a discounter, it isn't worth it. Still, I like the concept and the bottle.

Fat electrician is a bit too sweet for me, but this is just right. I smell like a car air freshener in a plastic bag. I like the novelty but I don't know if I could wear this daily. Edit: after a few hours of wearing this it's beginning to make me feel actually travel-sick. It smells so much like hot car. That actually makes me like it even more

This starts as "Expensive Car Seat Leather" and then dries down into "Scent of Poppers and Suede Shoes". It's an intoxicating smell and I catch whiffs of it as I move about the day, but these scents may not be for you as they are extremely synthetic. I enjoy the synthetic smell of it. Definitely not a safe blind buy, must be sampled first.

This, to me, smells like photorealistic saffron threads. spicy-aromatic and fresh with some extra freshness and muskyness beyond the saffron accord. After some time a clean vanilla note gains in prominence. Unisex leaning only slightly male. I like it. Clean and simple, but not boring.

really nice albeit basic suede fragrance (which i am attributing to the inclusion of lemon and vanilla). not too much of a new car in my opinion but definitely Not a worn in suede. the suede note really drowns out the birch, pine, and pepper notes which is a shame.

Opens with a strong leather note that had me going "Oh so that's why this used to be called Tom of Finland". The leather lingers, but it's slowly overpowered by the suede, which then mellows into a vanilla musk. I dug it!

The smell is reminiscent of a new handbag or a shoe shop that deals with only quality leather and suede. Very fresh and light citrus/saffron. Clean. Nice. Not my style but I appreciate it

It does smell like a clean suede, the opening is pretty sharp, though. A bit basic but pleasant scent. Longevity is average, as it is with most ELDO scents I tried.

If you want to smell like a new car and/or are a car salesman that wants to smell like a new car then this is most certainly the fragrance for you.

First impression is that it smells like gin and Dr Pepper - not necessarily in a bad way either. Sexy in a 'car showroom' way.