Peau D'Espagne

Strong, rough animalic leather dominates this time-capsule of a scent. This fragrance is not for the faint of heart and must be worn with the understanding that it projects and many people who smell it on you will not like it. I will not be one of these people. I love this unrestrained gem. Pd'E opens with a leather accord that, as has been observed below, smells like a cobbler's shop/shoe shine stand or a saddlery. There is an immense amount of birch tar here together with enough civet (not civetone--unless SMN has access to some magical version of this synthetic that does a much better job counterfeiting the real thing than that used by everyone else) to make me wonder how this juice can possibly be IFRA compliant. in fact, when I smell a leather accord that is this realistic and unrestrained, I suspect that castoreum is present in some measure (although it is not mentioned in the pyramid). Anyway, this leather is wonderful and it sticks around for the all-day duration of Pd'E, as it should in a scent whose name means "Spanish Leather". Gradually, after the first quarter hour, this leather accord is joined by other elements of the fragrance. It might be more accurate to say the other elements of the scent start to crawl out from under the leather cloak that has enveloped them up until now. These notes are thoroughly blended and hard for me to distinguish individually. There is a saddle soap accord here that I think is bergamot and a green spicy note that could well be carnations playing off of a heady jasmine-- but that perception could be influenced by the stated components. To me, it all smells like someone is cleaning the leather with the previously mentioned saddle soap and polishing the leather as they go. Later, This soap and polish saddlery accord is given a lift by just a wee puff of white florals (perhaps they have been sitting in a vase on the saddle shop counter the whole time and a slight breeze has just made them noticeable). Deep in the base there is a warm woody cedar that might just be the aroma of the sun baked shelves in the shop. To me this is a magical scent with a surprising complexity lurking under the leather. As I said, I love it and I believe folks who enjoy animalic scents will love it as well. If that is not you, do sample first and he prepared not to like Pd'E because it ever a fragrance was polarizing, this is it. I wear this fragrance mostly in fall and early winter and either at night or during the day, but really anytime when I want to linger in its leathery richness. Considering the quality of this scent, it is well priced and can be purchased from SMN's website in most places as well as at the house's charming apothecary shops. This fragrance is masculine leaning without being completely out from under the unisex umbrella, unsafe for the office or, indeed, most anywhere else, and as such, it is glorious. Perhaps you have purchased an eco-chic automobile featuring vegan leather and you wish your stylishly minimalist interior smelled just a bit more like the inside of a classic British or Italian luxury saloon or exotic. Wear Pd'E in your rolling virtue signal for a bit and your problem will be solved. Or just wear it because sometimes we all need a blast of leathery animalic goodness if only to remind us of how strong and punchy such scents once were. Highly recommended.

I’m so so glad I blind bought this. I own a lot of leathers. It’s a note that always plays well on my skin and I wear a lot of leather too. It fascinates me and it’s one of the grossest weirdest creations we’ve ever come up with as a species. Something so garish as the skin of an animal transformed into some of the most elegant articles of clothing known to man and it’s an ancient practice we started long before most things were invented period. Like who came up with that lol. But this scent reminds me of this process. Most leathers I own have a lot going on and the leather is a base for the cornucopia of notes but this one has the leather fully up front and center. I don’t think of clothing or upholstery or bags just the material. I think that’s what makes me think of the process more so than the end product. I sampled Hyde last night from Hiram green and though I enjoyed it when I compare it to this I clearly prefer this. There is no sweetness here to accommodate you and make amends for the harsh leather. I feel like that shows its respect for me. Hyde thinks I can’t handle the truth but PDE is the truth. The simplicity also makes it feel closer to nature and animals. I think of an ancient boar in the garden of Eden rolling in an herb garden. Update: this makes so many other scents of mine come off a bit crass. It’s so elegant and smooth and refined. I have the frosted glass bottle so idk what the newer kind smells like. But this is just wonderful I want the air to just smell like this all the time like an incense I can burn to have this fill my house would be nice. The herbs stand out more as I try it over and over it makes it smell like tea tbh. It is very similar to the Oriza bottle thought that one is louder and therefore I go nose blind to it. I’ve noticed if a scent projects too much my nose will block it out. It’s better to last long but hug your skin as this does

Now this is a fragrance from the old world which I can imagine a officer from world war one would wear. I can picture him in his tent off the battlefield having a shave and applying this scent like a aftershave. lol It opens with a very spicy smoky medicinal woods, within this I can smell the cedar and cloves. It stays like this for a good few hours until it calms down a bit and the leather comes through. The leather is a raw stark leather before it's been dyed and smoothed out. At this heart stage of the scent you get hints of bergamot, florals, soap and a tiny hint of sweetness. As time passes and we move into the base notes a patchouli and civet accord take over. This stage strongly reminds me of the original patchouli heavy Givenchy Gentlemen from many years ago. In that one you had the same patchouli, birch and just a hint of civet. In Peau d' Espagne the civet note is more pronounced but not overwhelming so. It gives the scent a masculine animalic sensuality and I like this stage a lot. The fragrance lasts about five hours before becoming a skin scent but even then I can still smell wafts of the patchouli/civet combo. Now this is definitely a polarizing fragrance!!, the medicinal opening is going to smell like disinfectant to a lot of people. But I find it compelling and interesting, the leather also is just part of the makeup of the scent. I would not call this a leather dominant scent as it appears in the heart of the fragrance and is gone by the time the basenotes appear. Also the bottle if bought from the Santa Maria Novella store comes as a splash but they give you a atomiser attachment to change it up if that's your preference. I kind of like using it as a splash, like a aftershave. Thumbs up from me I like it especially the basenotes.

Peau D'Espagne (Gold Label, sniff party) Arguably the best leather scent I have sniffed so far. Simply the best, actually might be my favorite from Santa Maria Novella. Uncomplicated vintage leather that twine with beautiful floral note. And Soft Licorice sweet undertone, soft powdery at base. All of this compress and condense into one beautiful sheet of leather. This is (imho) the mother blueprint of any fragrance using Leather in modern perfumery. From Oriental - Leather like Shalimar (1925) or twist into new modern format. Like Eau Noire from Dior or HdP 1740. Undeniable beautiful. Please anyone, if you ever have chance to come across this. Go ahead, at any cost. #1 Santa Maria Novella for me. ===== Extension 1 : Friday 31, 2025 I have probably sniff at least 4 rendition of this fragrance. Apparently, the one I have sniffed is probably the oldest version, gold sticker. And what is in my hand now are 3rd rendition (the smooth frost glass). I think they can preserve the core of scent so well. It is not as thick as I remember from the Gold Label that smoky and go heavy on Birch Tar. Dark and Resinous. My bottle is more relaxed, airier but you can judge this as EdC like Cologne genre. This leave a very good dry down on your skin, The way it dry down to cedar, Hawthorn (reminds me of Chanel Beige) and Soft Rose (Carnation) with Smoky Birch Tar skank with IBQ. Just one word, Gentle Man. The one that will open the door and let you walk first.

Managed to get a vintage sample of this gorgeous perfume but there's nothing flouncy or poetic about it to me, I found it quite functional and to the point. The point being leather. A unambiguous, loveable, non intrusive, realistic leather accord. Interesting that it predates big references I could make to elegant 'Russian' leather accords like the iconic floral leather Cuir de Russie by Chanel and perhaps that Guerlain one of the same name? (although alas I've never tried that :() The vibe here is much more stripped back though and simple tonality, which I totally love about this perfume. Peau d'Espagne has this creamy. fleshy, lightly powdered feel, with a hint of smoke to it. It's barely 'smoky' though I get that this has much more toned down, less exotic floral element, rather than ylang or jamine it's much more in the realms of hinting at carnation or geranium. Could it even evoke mentions of Guerlain Derby? Again that would be totally misleading! lol not having much luck here reference wise. Basically if you like the perfumes I've mentioned, classic floral and powdery leathers, you like the house (yes they deserve to be called a house) of Santa Maria Novella you So smooth, I love it.

This is a real beast! Full of unapologetic identity, not giving a darn to what people say or could or would or will, for the matter. Solid and almost palpable, the stay power is that of a true Parfum, more than 24h on skin and even several days on some fabrics. Santa Maria Novella seams to survive the turmoil of fragrances being butchered – is it because they are made in Italy? Is it because they are so “niche” and not dominant? – whatever the reasons might be, hope it stays this way for eternity. Peau d’Espagne punches with a resinous-leather base which we can feel is there even before we reach it... it is like a frame, because it is that in-your-face. The floral notes of violet and carnation contribute with a powdery-nostalgia touch, but they are kept timid, and I love this. Hawthorn is a special species that lands a spicy-honey imaginary aura, very present in the heart. I would almost believe the civet is the real deal, wouldn’t I know the animal raw material has been banned (?) but again, maybe SMN gets away with murder and if they do, I’m up for sin as I cannot resist it. From same brand, always with me, Colonia Russa and Acqua di Cuba (honey again, with tobacco)

Opened the cap. Sprayed liberally. Man. What a herbal smokey medicinal opening. I'm in love. Wife smells it. HATES it. Says it smells like a hospital. Disinfectant. Betadine. I'm not getting too much of that. While the opening is pretty herbal, I suppose I can see how people could take it to smell like dettol. The bergamot maybe? To me, this is pure bliss in a bottle. As the hospital smell fades, in comes the civit in all its animalistic glory. This stuff keeps getting better and better. Dry and dusty. Maybe like a 100 year old leather bound book forgotten by the world. Is that too wanky? It's hard to explain. Bottom line is, my wife hates it. And I am in love with it. So there could be some problems at my house. 8/10

The gladiator of leather scents. This stuff swaggers with zero eff's given. True Praetorian Guard juice. Compared to this, Knize Ten is a tag-along, wanna-be. Absolutely LOVE this stuff! There's no pretense, no mistaking it for real, tightly-drawn leather, like that found on scabbards, shields, and saddle bags that have seen more action than an Indiana Jones movie. Amazingly authentic gravitas. Wearing this says more about you than you could ever say about yourself - and isn't that the entire point of scent?

Unquestionably addictive. The main staple is heavy woody/leathery scent that reminds you of old furniture that you will most likely not find at your own home. It stays pretty linear, but believe me, you like to stay it that way. Here the wood is a combo of pungent birch and civet, but it does not come over as offensive, so it just a very strong scent, a real gem. There are some subtle fruit/flower undertones as well. Longevity and sillage are pretty good when taking into account that this is a cologne.

I spent 2 weeks in August in Florence, and this was the only scent from Santa Maria Novella that survived for more than a quarter of an hour in the Tuscan heat. Very dry, with nothing sweet that my nostrils can detect, it makes me nostalgically happy, dreaming of an imaginary past that superposes the idyllic images of Florence and the elegance of the people who wore this scent when it was launched, back in 1801. Leather, smoky and woody is what sums it up for me. Manliness and simplicity. Dark beauty!

Wood, smoke and leather. You'll smell like a spanish horse rider born in 1878. It's basically a fresher, dryer and more enigmatic choice than Gucci Guilty or Jo Malone Bronze Wood/Leather. Either I am ignorant, or I have misunderstood something, but I really don't know why SMN calls this a cologne. You certainly don't have to reapply this, and it lasts for weeks if you spray it on clothing. It may be a bit watery but the performance is something between EdT and EdP, leaning towards EdP.

The opening is a byproduct of pyrogenated/dry-distilled wood, and is quite phenolic - prepare for this. But as it settles, it becomes quite sublime. Powdery millefleurs composed of jasmine, rose and violets, sitting on a woody, smoky base, upifted with castoreum (to me, this fragrance has more castoreum character and not much if any civet). Long lasting and evocative - of simpler times in medieval Tuscany. A great souvenir from an Italian vacation.

Birch bomb with flowers and a touch of civet for good measure. Really old school blend, vintage, with substance. Absolutely gourgeous. Puts most of the modern leathers, that are dosed carefully not to upset or are infused with sweetness just to blend in, to shame !!! Fantastic fragrance. Oriza L. Legrand's version is so close to this. Purchase any of them for the same wear.

The quintessential leather scent. This is genuine, rugged leather, one of the best leather fragrances of all time. Not just classic, but almost antique. If you’re tired of all those modern, sweet leather scents, this is the one for you. It definitely has a masculine character, but I can easily imagine that this is what Amelia Earhart or Katherine Hepburn might smell like.

Oh yes, come to mamma! This goes on a smokey tanning leather. No urine. A bit herbal almost. Curing leather. Not new car smell. Not leather jacket smell. As it dries down, it gets a bit of a birch mixed with myrrh scent. A little waft of incense. It's soft but not warm. Mmmmm for a leather lover. Different from any of the other leather frags I own.

It is amazing how SMN stays true to its formulas (one can only implore at the cathedral beside the shop that such grace endures). LVMH should look at this example while butchering Guerlain’s colognes, yet entitling themselves a luxury-group? In staying true, it is SMN the luxury house...

This is what a classic men's cologne should smell like! Peau D'Espagne has a rich, leathery scent that's both masculine and sophisticated. It reminds me of old libraries and vintage cars. The floral notes add a touch of sweetness without being overpowering.

A little spicy, somewhat animalic. Very much a reference leather. In the dry down, Peau D'Espagne turns powdery- a welcome shift as it brings depth to what would be an otherwise linear offering.

Such an amazing scent. The opening is a blast of animalic floral sweet that It's kinda fruity for me, like peach. It's heavy but ... IT IS UNISEX.

its all about leather and only spanish leather in citrus juice, love it but its not creative similar to any other spanish leather but extra sharp