Lounge Leather

Lounge Leather by Grande completely stopped me in my tracks. Leather dominant fragrances are always a gamble for me. They are usually done one of three ways. The easy route is turning the volume up and making it beast mode. The familiar route is adding fruits or booze which can be nice but has been overly done. Then there is the hard route. Creating something complex and wearable while still keeping leather at the forefront. This is a perfect example of the third and best approach. From the first spray the leather is undeniably present. Confident refined and intentional. Yet it never overwhelms. On my skin I immediately pick up a beautiful sparkle of grapefruit that keeps everything lifted and vibrant. Shortly after a smooth softly sweet tobacco begins to emerge. Never loud. Never heavy. Just perfectly placed. As it develops I catch tiny moments that feel almost magical. A gentle flicker of rose. The resinous warmth of styrax. The comforting glow of tonka bean. All appearing in soft waves like small bolts of heaven. Even though I normally prefer leather to not be the dominant note this fragrance completely won me over. The leather remains strong yet beautifully controlled. Polished. Thoughtful. Effortlessly elegant. Lounge Leather is a true masterpiece of leather done right. Bold yet wearable. Complex yet smooth. A fragrance that proves leather can be powerful without ever losing its soul.

As an enthusiast of leather frags, this is one of the best in my collection, way, way better than many other leather/suede perfumes I have, from well known houses. It is the perfect leather: strong, a bit bitter from tobacco, artemisia and grapefruit, a hint of allspice and vanilla giving it a bit of a tenderness, suede-like. There's also patchouli, tonka, and saffron. It is a well blended masterpiece, with a great sillage. 10/10. It is a must for any leather aficionado.

Another hit from Grande. Don't let the name fool you, this is super realistic, harsh leather, but done in a very refined way. The ingredients are top notch and the notes blend together very well, I can't tell them apart. The most similar frag I've smelled is Meydan, but this is way better. The best or second best leather in my collection, I highly recommend!

I imagine the men in the retro black and white photos, wearing black coats, smelling like that. Worth the buy.