Baikal Leather Intense

Very feminine-- I would not want to smell this on a man, unless he's some sort of nubile forest sprite emerging from the birches to tell me a riddle. If I assigned a folk figure to this scent, it would be Sneguroshka, the Russian Snow Queen. This is my PERFECT anthem for White Woman Winter, but specifically the final snow, turning to ice in the sun as the first violets peek through. There is a snowy wet aspect. It smells even more beautiful caught in furs and woolens. This is the only feminine leather I've ever smelled that I like. Most female leathers are just "what if sausage smelled like pink candy?" but this evokes a very buttery smooth handbag or evening glove, possibly lined in fur that catches a wisp of violet incense or fine herbal cigarette smoke.

This one is an amazing scent. Someone below mentioned how this is a leather scent, and I agree. It is leather, with it's caustic, acidic-plastic elements toned down, muted and restrained. The leather is at the right level, and the purple florals are tuned in perfectly to capture all the best parts of the leather, and they just compliment each other PERFECTLY -- I've tried out a LOT of leather-iris/violet scents, and nearly all of them feature one the elements in too high a concentration -- not this here, both elements are in PERFECT harmony with each other, and it's just this perfect balance that shines through. I love this scent -- big fan!

I adore this fragrance. The yuzu at the top brings a pop of brightness to an otherwise deep and grounded fragrance. I felt so smooth the whole way through, like every ingredient blends seamlessly into the next. I picture a mid century office furnished with dark solid wood & rich leather and brass fixtures, with pipe tobacco on the desk and a nice bottle of cognac in the drawer. There were a whole lot of heavier florals in the heart, but I felt like they supported the leather and wood accords very nicely. I’d say this fragrance is unisex leaning masculine.

Name is for sure misleading saying "Intense", it's definitely not. It's very delicate leather, iris and saffron combination. Nothing groundbreaking but still love from me. Unisex but slightly leaning feminine to my nose. I can compare it to CH Men Prive but without boozy feel. So if you like that one and are looking for something nishe and little bit softer go for it. If you are looking for something complex and heavy look somewhere else. Out of 6 fragrances from this house Baikal Leather Intense is my fav. 8/10

A very wearable and enjoyable leather. Natural soft leather from a very high end store like Hermes, not dark or harsh, but smooth, soft, charming, with a brightness to it. A prominent woodiness...reminds me of long days hiking through birch and pine forests through wind swept Maine islands. I'm not usually a leather fragrance fan but I am of this one. Scent: 8 / Sillage: 8 / Longevity: 8

This one is totally intriguing... The leather is muted and does not dominate, and the iris/violet combo really shines through -- I can really appreciate how 'unfloral' both are, and I am really enjoying it. I dunno how far I would go with this (decant/bottle/etc), but I am enjoying what I'm getting thus far, and I think I might just have to get a little more some time soon...

No chicken poo detected in my bottle. Just faint “watercolor-like” and slightly smokey leather framed by violet and iris. It’s a very feminine-leaning perfume to my nose, where florals overpower the leather. This creation by Patricia de Nicolai really stands out from other perfumes by the house but it’s quite wearable and unique. Not a crowd-pleaser, so test before you buy.

A beautiful, authentic smelling yet soft leather. Great fresh, citrusy opening, leather starts to come through fairly quickly and accompanying it is a very nice floral heart that polishes the leathers rough edges. The performance could definitely be a bit stronger but I find that this is definitely meant to be a softer more gentle smell.

I was looking forward to saffron and I get it, but I am excited about the leather more. It is soft! So pretty, spicy combination with iris and tonka! And when this combination settles into the woody base, I fell in love.

Feels like you're at church on Sunday morning, very sweet and cozy!

The Chauffeur by Duran Duran in a bottle!

Unlike Cuir Cuba Intense, another Nicolaï scent from my discovery set, Baïkal Leather Intense is, in fact, a leather scent. That said, it is an unusual take on leather - there is a lot going on here, and I'm not always convinced that it works. Patricia de Nicolaï is a talented perfumer who tends to approach her perfumes with fearless creativity, taking risks with unusual accords while managing to keep her compositions balanced and cohesive for the most part. However, BLI, while interesting, is not for me. BLI has a fresh, spicy opening, thanks to the yuzu, adding bittersweet freshness, and a sprinkling of saffron. Saffron typically melds nicely with a leather accord, but the yuzu is an unusual addition here. While it adds freshness up top, it feels discordant alongside the leather accord, but the saffron helps to bridge the gap. The leather accord comes to the fore as this scent develops, and is smooth and worn, like an old leather jacket, a comforting, realistic take on leather. The leather accord is easily the best part of this scent. The violet follows, green and powdery, joined by iris after a while, adding depth to the powder. They meld beautifully with the leather, conjuring up the image of an old-fashioned powder compact in a leather bag. However, the yuzu overstays its welcome, and I feel that BLI would be a better scent without it. As it develops further, woody notes creep in, complemented by peppery spice. There is a turpentine-like quality in the background, perhaps due to the pine tar note, which, while it marries well with the leather and woods, isn't what I personally would want to smell like. This is the dominant note to my nose during the second half, despite the smooth tonka bean and dry woody notes, and ultimately, BLI is disappointing to me as a result. It becomes increasingly dry and musky as it fades, with the leather remaining, but the layer of turpentine seems to be as indelible as it is in reality. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is a masculine-leaning scent, best worn in colder weather. While BLI isn't unpleasant, it feels a little strange and ultimately doesn't work for me. I appreciate the creative risk, and it is objectively a good-quality, interesting scent, but I would choose a more wearable leather. 3/5.

Although I do not personally own this fragrance because it doesn’t suit my personal taste, I have gifted Baïkal Leather so many times; to my partner, my sister, friends, and relatives. It has an ethereal, airy quality to it that I feel suits people with this sort of personality and aura. I would also recommend for those who enjoy wearing iris to try this. On my partner, the powdery and woody notes of purple flowers blend beautifully with the leather, making it both assertive and incredibly elegant. On my sister it is more creamy and woody, whereas my cousin relayed that he smells of refined, leathery saffron. Baïkal Leather is so smooth and seamless in its transition from powdery florals to a clean suede on my own skin, and though it is a well behaved and understated fragrance, it lingers around you leaving a trail of grace and intrigue; so pleasant and sophisticated. Whenever I catch it on my partner I have to comment on how incredible they smell every single time. The only reason I don’t wear it myself is because I prefer my leather scents more rough and dark. But I love that I get to smell this on so many people around me.

I probably shouldn't have let fragrantica sway me so much as I had avoided this one given the low score and the comparison to Sauvage as a category. I got a carded sample thrown in with a recent order however and this is actually very nice. I do agree it might not be completely in line with something like NY Intense or Fig Tea in terms of what you might think of from PdN but that doesn't make this a bad scent. It is bright and does have that "generic woodsy" aspect I will agree, but it also has some nicely blended leather and violet here that does indeed invoke a sense of what you might think of around a lake like Baikal. I have Baikal Gris from Areej le Dore and there are some crossovers here with that, but obviously way less depth and pungency given the types of houses these are; Artisinal vs more mainstream niche. Is this the best frag PdN do? No I wouldn't say that for sure, but I'll be picking up a 30ml of this as I think it will fit well in spring and summer evenings.

I like this stuff. At spray, this is bracingly sour for a moment but rounds off almost immediately. Overall impression is really nice, typical Nicolaï in being well-blended and hard to classify. It's sweet and round but not too sweet, woody, leathery, floral, and resiny. The backbone feels primarily woody-masculine but with leather and florals mixed in, rather than a leather-forward or floral-forward fragrance. Perhaps it's the pine tar or perhaps the synergy of other notes, but the qualitative impression to my nose is quite similar to a resin-forward fragrance like Amyris Homme from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (but I like this more than Amyris Homme). I tested it meeting my friend for brunch in mid-September, and it was lovely first thing at 62 F/17 C but smelled a bit heavy later at 73 F/22 C - a clear fall/winter fragrance. At 12 hours, the fragrance is diminished but still noticeable, woody with a bit of sweetness, really nice.

I received this as a sample when I bought a full bottle of another perfume. To me, this is Byredo's Black Saffron "light." Black Saffron is pretty much the only of the Byredo frags I've liked as its so unique- but even then, I find it very heavy and overpoweringly strong. Baikal leather definitely has the saffron edge but is slightly sweeter and more floral than BS. As others have said, I don't get leather from this, even on the drydown, but I do get pepper and musk. Its quite nice actually and again, would be perfect for those who like saffron, but don't want to wear something as heavy as Black Saffron.

Opening is a leather jacket. Dry down is a leather purse. Both of equal quality and craftsmanship. Superb, nuanced, leather-forward blast of iris, violet, rose and saffron from Nicolai. Nuanced by wood, like the type of wood you'd find in a wooden peg, for example. Totally unisex, but I envision a hot feminine pirate wearing this fragrance better than anyone else could. She is so hot and badass while boarding between our ship's riggings. What a smelly fox.

Soft, sweet woody-leather opening. Like there is leather, but it's soaking in yuzu juice infused with floral notes and just kinda meekly peeking through. This is more about the rose-iris combo, uplifted by the powdery violet and watery yuzu, the leather adding just a hint of darkness. Moderate projection fades over ~3hr, catching faint whiffs through 5-6hr, longevity 10-12hr.

I don’t know what exactly happened, but man, I cannot get the name-juice connection. Zero Baikal associations, but maybe it’s not the lake :) It smells like a lush and expensive makeup used to, so I’d say, that iris and rose are the main contributors here, not the woods. Utilisation of spices is masterful: subtle, yet character-defining.

This fragrance has a leathery undertone with a hint of soapiness and sweetness. The delicate flowery notes, particularly the distinctive iris, give it a feminine touch. It emanates a warm and inviting aura, making it suitable for everyday wear. This perfume feels safe and comfortable, making it a reliable choice for various occasions.