Black Leather by Honorine Blanc

After my recent experience with Azzaro Naughty Leather, I decided to try another designer with a leather scent offering. I choose Black Leather from the Mercedes VIP Club Series because it has been designed by one of my preferred perfumists, Honorine Blanc. Honorine designed Tom Ford Noir Anthracite for men and some feminine gems like La Nuit Trésor à la Folie, Viva La Juicy Gold as well the original, and several Opium flankers. There is some traditional sweetness associated to her works and, in my opinion, excessive sweet notes don't get along well with leathery scents. Another Honorine work signature is the way she deals with amber and incense and that is a must in any leathery fragrance as far as I am concerned. The fragrance opens very floral with a strong Iris note, although not lipsticky. The heart grants us a very nice frankincense blended with earthy patchouli. Actually I look (sniff?) at it with impatience for what's to come. In the base we scent the leather coming to life, very well supported by a strong leather/amber note (must be the labdanum on top of the leather and the amber) and another kind of sweet amber together with the remaining incense. The scent is never pungent positioning this perfume in a very western position and making it very easy to wear. That is a plus when you compare Black Leather with several other mainstream leather fragrances, including Naughty Leather. It's also miles away from more strong and oriental hyped leather perfumes like Tuscan Leather, Leather Oudh and La Yuqawam. How do I rate VIP Club-Black Leather ? ___________________________________________________________ Scent Opening:..7.5 (initial alchool burst) Scent Dry Down:..8.5 (very pleasant) Longevity (h):..7.0 (Up to 5~6 hours with 2 sprays) Sillage (ft):..6.0 (under average with up to 3~4 ft sillage and 1.5 h projection with 2 sprays) Versatility:..8.5 (above average but not really for very hot Summer days or very cold Winter nights) Usability:..8.5 (Everywhere where a very wearable perfume is desired, like group dinners, evenings with friends, office and normal daily wearing) Compliments:..7.0 (better than just Ok! Nevertheless it seems to be a nice choice for intimacy and kissing) Uniqueness:..8.0 (I could name a couple of similar fragrances, but I will mention only a sweater D&G The One EDT. The similarity is mainly due to the ambery notes) Quality:..8.0 (above average) Presentation:..8.5 (similar to the other VIP Club flasks) Price:..7.5 (€29.00 for a 100ml tester + taxes) ___________________________________________________________ - Average:.........7.73/10.0 between 7 and 8 => above average; between 8 and 9 => recommended; equal or bigger than 9 => don't miss it; Opinion about Naughty Leather: There is some resemblance with The One EDT even if the later has tobacco instead of leather. It's a very polite leather scent that you can use even if you are socializing with leather scent haters. It may be a very good choice if you are into leather scents but also want to buy a "pleases everybody" fragrance. There are no similarities with Azzaro Naughty Leather. Recommended? No, Not different enough from mainstream leather/tobacco/amber fragrances, in my opinion. Try it first. Blind buy worthy? No.

A fresh leather fragrance with a bit of a tropical fruit note at the top, similar to that found in D&G The One. Black Leather isn't a deep, dark, and dirty leather fragrance. There are no animalic aspects despite what the "Main Accords" chart above suggests. This is a clean designer leather, similar to that of a new black leather jacket, and resembling the leather note found in John Varvatos original. Beneath everything is a subtle incense which lends a smoky hazy to the entire compositions, but it's restrained, and isn't an in-your-face kind of smokiness that dominates the scent. Black Leather is a nice choice for work, dates, or casual evenings. Since it's sort of light and fresh as far as leathers are concerned, it's easy to wear indoors and in close quarters. Projection is average and longevity is about 8 hours with decent projection for the first four. Overall, this edition to the Mercedes VIP line deserves a thumbs up. While it's not particularly original or bold, it's an easy wear and smells very pleasant, presenting an accessible leather fragrance for men that can be pretty much worn whenever and wherever. As with Varvatos, I enjoy the pairing of a kind of sweet tropical note over leather. It offers an interesting contrast and adds an upbeat, youthful quality to the whole. I can see this making a nice gift for a guy who owns a Mercedes. Thumbs up. 8/10 UPDATE: I've worn this about 5 times since this review and I like it more each time. It's very fresh, but the leather is apparent at all times, and it works great indoors without ever feeling heavy or out of place. It's different too. Other than a vague similarity to Varvatos, I really haven't come across much else that smells like it at all. Just bumped my rating up from 7 out of 10 to 8.

Black Leather by Honorine Blanc Mercedes Benz for men - Now there's a grand name to begin with! This stuff is deeeeeeelightful. How best to paint a picture for the nose? The opening; thick, heavy, pungent. You get the bergamot perfectly mixed with the orris. That suedey parma violets with an ever so slight fruity tartness. As this starts to die down you can definitely smell a drier, only ever so smoky, incense and patchouli. I'm not really getting the sage unless I take deep sniffs and then I think it's just the patchouli and leather. All the while that magnificent amber builds and builds. The leather comes through, yes, but the labdanum which has its own musky, fruity, woody aroma also has a deep amber smell. This is glorious. Very refined, and very different to a lot of fragrances I've tried recently. What is also a big win for me is the longevity. After about 4-5 hours it's passed its peak BUT 12 hours later if you sniff where it was sprayed you can still smell it. Sillage is good as well. One spray, moderate; more than one spray and it's proper heavy. I would love to get my hands on the full range. If the rest are as good as this then I'm a Mercedes fan.

I just picked up a bottle of this as well after sampling it. And completely agree with what BB states below. Black Leather is a very nicely done "airy" fruity/leather/amber scent that is just so lovely smelling and super versatile. Truly a wonderful surprise! For the most part it's pretty linear, but after a little time goes by the resinous labdanum and a tiny bit of incense lingers in the background. I personally don't care for incense/smoky frags in general, but here it's restrained really well and just adds a bit of depth. Also it helps to cut the fruity/sweetness. I dare say this is even more likable and a better option for a all around/year leather scent than the slightly darker smelling Varvatos original, which has been my go to leather scent for many years. Only a couple of full wears so far, but longevity seems to be average. Fantastic release from M.B. and Honorine Blanc!

I agree with the person who said it has a peachy element, only here you get some of the skin as well, which is the strength of the leather (rather weak). I think it should have been called Light Pink Leather, and I hope women will give this one a chance, especially if they like scents such as Rogue. Compared to other recent "leather scents" in this range, I prefer Ferrari's Leather Essence to this one, but that one might not appeal to those who don't like powdery scents. Probably the best "super cheapo" that is a "real" leather is One Man Show Oud Edition (along the lines of TF's Tuscan Leather). I guess this one is a leather scent for those who want to barely smell anything remotely leathery.