Sleek Suede

Okay so this is nothing short of fantastic! I'm pretty sure this one didn't exist in the old style bottles, or I'd have tried it for sure. Anyway I have now and the opening is sumptuous as hell, a chocolate accord which feels rounded and deeper than a poof of cacao. It's warm, sort of musky, sweet and creamy but not too much so and has a bitterness delivered by the finest dark chocolate. What is apparent is a kind of coffee note too, in fact I'd say the sense of coffee liqueur is there from the get go. Could even be tonka in here too? I've no doubt that patchouli is adding to both the effect of chocolate and a natural smooth earthiness, with a peppery, smoke from what can only be described as an incense accord. Then the base is woody as anything and this 'Oud noir' that is mentioned on the little card I also sprayed and put in my pocket, is responsible for this opulent, leathery, spiced wood smell. I don't know the origin of the 'oud' and frankly I don't care, Sleek suede is a knockout regardless. The best part about this fragrance is that it's not a gourmand in the sense of it existing to emulate food or just be a 'smell' of the sake of it. Sleek suede feels like perfume, rather than an attempt to have a 'foodie' one in the line. I love Indy perfumers don't get me wrong, and much of the time have a bias towards them for the creativity and lack of regard for the so called 'rules'. However, some perfumes have that, 'I trained in Grasse' sort of feel, a kind of untouchable, jus ne sais que. The sort of subtlety that makes you marvel at it. Sleek suede is one of those, sadly it's quite pricey or I'd want a bottle and I'd prioritise it too. I wasn't looking for a gourmand but this one found me in the middle of summer, I love it!

Finally got a full bottle of it and oh. My. Goodness. 😳😳😳😳😳😍😍😍 This and Magnificent Gold are just Chef’s Kiss! They sort of mirror each other (scent wise) I think. After tracking Sleek Suede for years, I found it and it was worth every penny 🖤🖤🖤 Beautiful, dark, sexy and bold. The patchouli here is not dirty or earthy, it goes well with the powdery cocoa note, which is a dark cocoa, as in Dutch cocoa powder with NO sugar. The woods in here are very present but do not outshine the cocoa powder. I love that the leathery note in here is actually quite minimal (at least, to my nose). I struggle with heavy leather notes but here, it’s quite subtle, like a whisper of it. To my nose, there is also a whispery boozy note (very subtle too) that gives this fragrance its darker side. This is magical to my nose and so sophisticated. I am head over heels for it because it’s so beautifully blended in both complexity and craftsmanship. A beauty I will always keep in my collection ✨✨✨

Wow what a surprise, this is completely different to anything I've ever smelt, initially I get heavy cacao, not the sweet kind but very dry and peppery so it starts quite masculine, the dry down is beautifully smooth with a nutella/vanilla vibe not like angel muse sexy Nutella, more like a classy expensive chocolate. I blind bought this because the price was unbeatable instead of £245 it was £75 but I would've paid full price for this beauty Edit: Jesus, it gets even better in warmer weather I never thought that could be possible since its a very deep, sweet and smooky I am absolutely in love with this perfume Edit II: Absolutely addicted to this fragrance regardless of the weather and the occasion.. out of my big perfume collection this is definitely on my top 3 and at this moment a n'1 Sleek Suede took the crown from Portrait of a Lady 😁

I have managed to grab a full bottle of 125ml, and it indeed is spectacular. The raw cacao pod is a dream, at least on my skin (which turns everything into a cocoa dust). It is not sugary but it is gourmand, it is not powdery but it is delicate like a perfect soufflé, not greasy but full of rich cocoa. It is hard to describe a perfume that smells so good you’d rather taste it, without smelling gourmand. No similarity with Nutella, but only to an untrained nose. No vanilla either, not even the slightest, no indolics whatsoever. Indeed, there’s labdanum, it is enveloping all the potion of cloves, tobacco and nutmeg it its velvety suede texture. On a less happy note, at least for my nose, for the first 30 mins the oud / patchouli combo is too in my face. But I read it goes well in the summer so I’ll wait for next season to splurge.

Nutella. On a wooden spoon. After a night out. Nutella ...if you hand-ground the cacao nibs on raw slate. If you shelled the hazelnuts by hand & kept their bitter, nutty, woody essence intact. If you kept it diet-friendly & low cal with minimum sugar content. Nutella... whilst drinking some smooth & boozy rum at a patchouli-fuelled outdoorsy party. Earth & wood & just the tiniest touch of smoke. A little bit Neonatura (dusty cocoa patch) a little bit C’est la Fête Patchouli (Labdanum amber patch dry down) ...a little bit something I can’t quite put my finger on ...perhaps Deep Red Hugo Boss with a little One Million for men? Lovely fragrance. Easy wear. For lovers of cocoa, patchouli & dry “diet” scents.