Ocean Leather

I love this stuff. But I can understand why some in "fragcomm" will be underwhelmed. Is it ground-breaking? No. Is it beast mode intrusive in your face? No. But what it is, is a really well executed and slightly unique take on a theme that's been done to death, but that's no reason to knock it. I look at citrus-focused fragrances like this to be kind of like a modern version of a standard jazz tune. It may not be the first and there are many other similar renditions, but everyone is going to have one in particular that speaks to them more deeply than the others. Also worth mentioning, I don't find this "oceanic" or "aquatic" at all, which is actually a good thing, but not sure why they went with the oceans/cetacean motif. Note that the whale depicted on the bottle is a humpback, not a sperm whale, so it's not an allusion to ambergris, which is not at all present. I can't help but think that the power of suggestion is making some other reviewers perceive this is aquatic. I respectfully disagree on that point. One of the reasons why this is such a great formulation is that it walks the line of being pleasing to others near you (my wife said she like it, which is not a common occurrence), while being interesting enough to hold your attention throughout the day without growing boring and satisfying my personal desire to experience and express something a little out of the ordinary (mostly from that weirdly, oddly enjoyable, uniquely Memo leather note). Longevity is great for this type of citrus scent and it's buoyed by a toned down dose of the signature Memo leather note, compared to others in the line, which gives it a unique character and helps carry the citrus way beyond the point where most other citruses fade. And the citrus itself is up my alley too because it's not screechy and features more mid-tones which come off as more mature (probably has something to do with the added basil and sage). As with all Memo fragrances, price is an issue, but if you're like me and this strikes a particular note, then the calculus is less important since you can't compare apples to apples with other fragrances. And because this is fairly strong for a citrus, you don't have to use as much, so keep that in mind when thinking about cost. Also, I've purchased two other Memo fragrances (Italian Leather and Irish Leather) on the grey marked at about 65% of retail, so once this one hits the secondary market, this will be at the top of my FB purchase list.

I was gifted this masterpiece over the holidays and I shamefully accepted this quite underwhelmingly. My lady bought this for me on a final sale from a boutique. Previous to this, I had tried this at a Neimans and while I thought it was nice, it didnt seem unique enough to consider paying for myself, especially since my first impressions reminded me much of ADG Profumo which I already had and was happy with at half the cost. After having the opportunity of wearing this for some time now though, I can safely put away any fears I have for a potential future discontinuation of Profumo. While I love the marine burst I get from the open in Profumo, the Incense/Smokiness was always a bit peculiar to me and the dry down was never as impressive to me. Ocean Leather takes the qualities I love that remind me of Profumo and replaces the parts that I didnt care about (Incense) with a medley of other notes that imo make this more well rounded, smoother, deeper and much more satisfying. Scent wise, Ocean Leather is much more preferable from opening through dry down. Performance is the area where I wish Memo was a little better, especially given the pricetag. Projection is average at best. While this scent sits closer to the skin, the longevity on skin is respectable. Spraying more, and on fabric boosts the aura. I feel no shame bathing in this juice - it is the furthest thing from cloying, artificial or offensive in any way. Wore this to a holiday party shortly after receiving it..I bathed in it and got a number of questions/compliments.

I respectfully disagree with @JuliaToothFairy on the comparison of Ocean Leather to TF F'ing Fabulous. The two are nothing alike. I own both. FF is spicy; an evening fragrance. OL is smooth, citric, and the leather is barely detectable; a daytime freshie. Despite the fact that "leather" is in its name, if you're looking for a leather fragrance, this isn't it. The orange accord is what comes through the most. The leather seems meant to tamper down the acidity of the orange rather than stand out on its own -- an accessory instead of a centerpiece. I won't pretend to have the most sophisticated nose, but I don't notice any of the other notes. To me, though, that's a tribute to how well blended OL is. The Memo rep at Neiman Marcus said this is Memo's "safest" leather fragrance. So it's meant to be more mass appealing than niche. For me, personally, I love Ocean Leather. In Memo's lineup, it and Winter Palace are two of the best for guys. Sure, Ocean Leather is not in the same genre as Ombre Leather, FF, or, for that matter, any of Memo's other leather offerings, but as a citric fragrance, it's very pleasing. I purchased a bottle and then unintentionally forgot about it among all my other colognes, but I recently rediscovered it, as I've been on the hunt for a strong performing spring/summer frag. Not yet sure on the performance since I've only worn it out a few times, but its scent is fantastic, well-conceived and blended, and perfectly suited for the coming warm seasons.

My first niche, and a fairly expensive one to start with. I ran my nose over dozens of other niche that day, yet nothing pleased me more than this whale. Most reviews conclude that there is no ocean / aquatic vibes - which is true, and a lot of reviews state there is little / no leather - I disagree. Mandarin and basil are very dominant on the initial spray, but once it dries down a little, it is such a rich lush citrus scent, with the basil being supported now by violet and the sage note. Underlying all of this, is the subtle leather accord. It is there, but very subtle, and I like that. It is a mandarin, basil and leather masterpiece. The balance of notes is so classy, rich and enticing. Bottle and packaging are first class. A little over priced. Atomiser is average - have had a few splutters. I wear 3 sprays and lasts most of the day but is likely closer to a skin scent. 5 sprays is too much. Looking to buy a couple more Memo too. Will restock. EDIT: I have come back a year later, to say that this is still my favourite scent in my collection. It’s is so versatile, all times of day and weather. Few perfumes, like this, get better the more you smell them. My issues with the sprayer were short lived by the way, and in context, I now don’t consider this perfume expensive - there is real value for money in fact. If I could only have one, it would still be this whale. Ocean Leather is utterly beautiful.

I think people who give low ratings to this fragnance either expect an oceanic smell like aqua di gio or a stronger leather smell like ombre leather or the rest of memo's leather line. This is neither. People tend not to like it because its not what they expect. This is more like an evening sea breeze you would feel walking near the coast in the Mediterranean, mixed with citrus coming from the near gardens. The subtle but characteristic leather gives the vibe of a leather jacket you took because its one of those chill spring evenings. Its a very versatile, sexy, and unique fragnance in my opinion. And its nothing like Acqua di gio