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alekseikis1 – :
I wanted to check this fragrance out just because Burt Reynolds wore it. That may sound corny, but I thought it was $10 or so. After research, I found it’s selling for $50 US. I just wanted to wear it for a day in tribute to him, just to smell like the Bandit did in the 70’s. what a shame. My father wore it as well, but we were pretty poor at the time. My father had 3 bottles atop the old TV with a hanger for an antenna. It still doesn’t make sense to me that people would wear a leather scent in the summertime in Florida, but in those days warm weather didn’t really matter. RIP
высоцкая – :
English Leather was launched in 1949. I purchased three 15 ml bottles for around £9. Straight from the bottle, I love this perfume. The packaging is vintage and the scent is too. Very vintage. It reminds me of my childhood when my Mum used to cut my hair. The bag which she stored the scissors and trimmer had this scent – I will ask her about it.
Some people describe it as a classic barbershop smell – I agree.
I sprayed a little on my forearm and the scent just hits me; it’s pleasant to me.
I describe it as: spicy, leathery, floral, peppery and musky. The sillage is moderate and the longevity is long lasting.
valera153-10 – :
This definitely reminds me of the 60’s. I actually like English Leather a lot.
fzx384speagoessenda – :
It sounds like nobody really knows what is going on at Dana. Luckily there is still tons of vintage out there for a reasonable price. I love the stuff, grew up with it as one of my first ever colognes. Even though it gets lumped into the same category with Old Spice and Brut, I believe EL has held up fairly well over time and holds its own against other leather scents out there. I have the most recent Dana aftershave and a vintage bottle of the MEM cologne. The modern has the same personality, just a little bit greener, not as stuffy. I love them both. I’ll definitely be acquiring some backup bottles. (Just be careful, there are many sellers out there touting the post-MEM Dana versions as “Vintage” – so don’t assume it’s MEM, look at the label)
Crewglass – :
In reply to Spartan’s comment of March 28th, 2018, I had corresponded numerous times in February with a Dana rep and the same stock was for sale on their site at the time. The rep told they had found a stock overrun. They explained they are no longer producing the 8 oz. bottle and are “not currently” producing the cologne. Only the aftershave is currently in production.
I explained that I purchased the same 8 oz. bottle for $12 in 2016 and to sell it for $30.50 seems excessive. When a company discontinues a bottle size, the usual procedure is to sell it at a discount and not a premium.
The 3.4. oz bottles were being sold for $5 in a gift set with the aftershave balm and body wash at a local discount store in my area during the year end 2016 holidays.
Golubok – :
I just spoke with A higher up at Dana….English Leather Cologne has NOT been Discontinued…It is available again for purchase on their web sight..He did say that the Cologne was out of stock and unavailable for a few months..
3/28/2018
Spartan
halim – :
English Leather Classic Form is a return to its leather-and-tobacco soaked roots and an attempted recreation of its peak glory days…English Leather during the MEM Company era and produced by Dana…potent, rich and exquisite in a leathery, tobacco and supporting citrus way, with a longevity that rivaled Polo for Men or even the dank heaviness of Kouros.
This current juice is today’s English Leather but its amped up with the addition of a biting, somewhat harsh burnt or smokey-type element thrown into the mix that, while I’m still undecided if it truly does blend well or is a distraction that borders on being a nuisance.
. But taken at face value, and from the pages of nostalgia, it’s a welcome boost of the overall masculine, sinewy and leathery overtones of yesterday’s English Leather. Classic Form is a sufficiently balanced blend of leather, tobacco and a homogenized lemon-limey citrus mid-note introduction with its subsequent smoothing of the rougher edges. Actually, this fragrance does it well enough to impress…and it behaves and keeps its leash on and it’s guard up.
olejik140 – :
This appears to be discontinued. Prices are already going through the roof for the 8 oz bottles, and the 3.4 oz bottles are also quite high, most going for over $40. Dana’s site only has miniatures left, and claim the aftershave and colognes are out of stock. What surprises and angers me about this is that instead of respecting a 70 yr-old brand and keeping it alive (the way P&G and Helen of Troy revived Old Spice and Brut), Dana just let English Leather die. No attempt to keep it in the public’s interest beyond a twenty year-old reformulation and logo redesign. No ad campaigns, no marketing gimmicks, and I guess no concern for the fragrance at all. As Donald Trump would say: “Sad.”Update 2/14/18:
According to a response from a query about this fragrance, Dana has discontinued the cologne but still make the aftershave. Right now they are ditching remaining stock of cologne in the 8 oz bottles from their site. Once those are gone, Dana will no longer offer the cologne.
dimasy7 – :
The most current 2017 / Dana release of this dreck should be named English Tonka. There’s little to no leather in this sickly sweet and watery mess. Thankfully it’s longevity is short and it’s gone within a couple of hours. Save your money and pass on this.
KurtKentin – :
I agree with some of the reviewars.
This frag is great but the spiced version is better. It’s a pity that it’s not included in the Fragrantica Database.
My scores for English Leather Spiced:
Scent: 8.5
Longevity: 8
Sillage: 7
Uniquequeness: 8
Quality: 7.5
Presentation: 7.5
Average score: 7,75
alekkrush – :
My father had bottles of this stuff when I was growing up. A few years ago for Christmas, my brother found a humongous bottle and gifted it to me as a joke. Sometimes I wear it anyway. It’s very masculine but it’s an old school masculinity that isn’t found in current best selling men’s fragrances. Mostly I smell leather, like an old beat up leather jacket or a baseball glove. I get a quick dose of citrus oils when it’s first applied and in the drydown I catch little whiffs of tonka and cedar. It’s not exactly something I want to smell like very often but it’s not unpleasant either. Mostly it reminds me of the bathroom in my childhood home where my dad kept his shaving supplies. I remember smelling this on his neck, riding around in his old Army style Jeep. This review would be incomplete if I didn’t mention how every time I apply it my skin stings and burns for a few minutes. Not in an allergic way, just in a heavy alcohol way. As an adult I finally viewed the old television commercials for this and had a good laugh. “I make all my men wear English Leather… every one of them” she says in that breathy post-women’s-lib-but -still-clinging-to-traditional-methods tone of voice. Hilarious. This stuff is a time machine.
Sushok – :
* These are my personal experiences/thoughts with this fragrance. Yours/others may differ. *
— These notes pertain to the MEM version —
Initial – bergamot + lavender + lemon + rosemary
Drydown – leather + lavender + cedar + musk + rose + rosemary
Duration – 6-7 hours
Projection – moderate
Experiences – Opens with very bracing bergamot/lavender notes. The citrus/herbal combo is quite invigorating. On drydown, the scent warms up considerably when the leather/cedar/musk notes come into the picture.
Quick Thoughts – manly, comforting, bracing, leather, herbal
— These notes pertain to the Dana version —
Initial – bergamot + lavender + lemon
Drydown – lavender + musk + iris
Duration – 4-6 hours
Projection – moderate
Experiences – Citrus notes are sharper and vaguely chemical in this version. Drydown is completely different – no leather – instead it’s a powdery lavender musk.
Quick Thoughts – masculine, powdery, lavender
Ruscuxurf – :
English Leather ‘Spiced’ is similar to British Sterling in the top but the heart is much more complex ! Also resembles Paco Rabbanne PH ( sans the soap) especially my vintage splash of PRPH.
Absolutely beautiful. Definitely a gentlemens scent. .
Great scent for a father, a husband etc..
Versatile but Ill say this is best as a night fragrance.
Go get a 1oz bottle for 4$
ekaterunka – :
This and English leather spiced are still the best. Spiced may be a bit better, but I enjoy this. Always gets compliments
korelin – :
Long ago, my Dad received English Leather as a gift. He used it once, then switched back to his favorite aftershave, Old Spice. I added his unwanted English Leather to my collection. Also, my high school sweetheart wore English Leather exclusively.
Recently I purchased this scent, along with several other minis, as part of a “Dana Classics Collection” gift set for my fiancé.
It still smells the same, a leather-dominant version of the traditional barbershop cologne. The oakmoss note is delightful, and there is just a touch of honey. I prefer the smell of English Leather Black on my own skin, but on men I love the original English Leather. It’s quite sexy in a very “macho” way, but not overpowering. My fiancé says “this is a scent that says MAN!”
Longevity and sillage are good, especially when one uses the various scented products.
karpik_y – :
Why doesn’t Fragrantica have a write-up for English Leather Spiced??? It’s the best of the 3 English Leather versions.
Review of English Leather Spiced:
Scent:8
Longevity:9
Sillage:8
Unique/Industry First:8
Quality:7
This one is somewhat similar to the original, just adds the spiced element in a great way to make this scent, a hidden gem. You smell a lot of spice on this, takes it to another level from the original.
Also oddly enough, there is no write=up on Curve Black??? Need to know what’s going on Fragrantica??
medkoff – :
a wonderful classic scent and truly timeless as well ! a must to any men whom like leather smells!
Nikolas14 – :
ODE to English Leather…
When they smell our strength they will run for their lives… Here once again there is A Battle to Fight…Gathered together for the Smell of the Might…..So long did I wait to find you again!
Now we will fight for the King of Fragrances, fighting with steel, fighting till the last of the enemy is dead…ride thru their blood… that we gladly have shed.
I now issue the call..are you ready to fight?.. to fight as one for the right to wear it again!!….I can see by that look in your eyes….that you come here for LEATHER and to fight and to die…. Now I prepare for the days Battles ahead…to wear once again the scent of ours Fathers and Grandfathers…
I now swear by my Brothers who have come here before me.. that to No Man shall ENGLISH LEATHER Yield…….Into Forever Glory it Shall Ride…….
Masculinity 10/10
Versatility 5/10
Value 10/10
Projection 10/10
Fragrance Quality 7/10
Bottle Worthy / Yes
wolf010485 – :
I love English Leather and have since my dad wore it in the 70’s and it’s always in my rotation during colder months. I like looking at my collection and seeing the big 8oz bottle of cologne in all its glory. When I need a English Leather fix I go all in with aftershave and cologne. That’s the only proper way to do it. Don’t get the AS and expect the cologne scent and performance because you will only be disappointed. Go all in and use both.
amadey – :
I have over 100 spray colognes and a rotation of 8 splash/aftershaves. English Leather has long been in my winter rotation, I would not wear it any other season. The Dana version is not bad, it’s not my favorite aftershave, but it’s a nice change with my other winter aftershave Pinaud Clubman. It last about 2 hours and has a decent classic man scent, the wife enjoys it. I find it very close to the original version, and I should know my dad wore it since the 70’s and I have been wearing it since 18 years old in the late 80’s. I don’t get the guys that said they had to wash it off. I mean seriously, where is the manhood nowadays? Maybe those guys should look for a unisex aftershave.
Тимур 1988 – :
The Dana version does not smell like the original . It stinks. I had a bottle gifted to me and I used it once and could not wait to wash that stink off me . If I were them I would be ashamed to sell this crap and call it after a fine old product like English Leather . Musty Old Underwear would be more appropriate . Spend your money on something else or find some 70’s vintage Mem .
tashka – :
English Leather doesn’t get much love and part of me understands why, but that’s not my personal opinion.
English Leather is THE first “real” or “grown up” fragrance I ever owned; it’s where my trip down the rabbit-hole of frag-headery started. The first time I tried it was with a tester at Sears about 20 years ago, yes Sears still had English Leather testers back then, fell in love with it almost instantly, and forked over the $20 for the big ol’ 8 oz bottle, which was a lot of money for me back then. It smelled NOTHING like what was popular back then, and even now, and that was the biggest thing that drew me to it.
I came out of the womb 20-30 years behind my time as far as “fashion” goes I guess.
To go back to my original point English Leather may seem dated to some, a victim of the kind of reformulation that is bottom-line-centric and says “to hell with what it ‘used to smell like'” (which I think it has come back from in the latest formulation); my opinion, along with several others, is that English Leather is a timeless classic.
English Leather, as I remember it and as it currently smells, is a rather linear concoction. It starts out with a blast of fresh citrus with a hint (and I mean a HINT) of lavender. There is some LIGHT floral and musk that takes a clean soapy form, and never smells like an old woman’s powder, cedar that smells like pencil shavings, and leather that smells like sticking your head in a bin of freshly tanned (not oil tanned) leather which carries you through its 6-10 hour life. It’s a surprisingly fresh fragrance, especially considering its age; almost like a warmer (non-aquatic) 1949 version of another timeless classic, Davidoff’s Cool Water.
The early-mid-2000’s to about 2014 reform had a definite heavier musk and floral fixative that resulted in a more mature, crossing over into nursing home old lady stink. The current formulation has remedied that, but it is something to be aware of if you’re buying from somebody that has old stock, which many retailers do because, let’s face it, this isn’t exactly flying off of the shelves.
If you can get your hands on a current paper label bottle it’s definitely worth a blind-buy. For the amount it’s going for it’s a steal. Switch it up and wear a classic.
*UPDATE*
I recently purchased a non-current (mid-2000’s-2014) formulation for the hell of it; an 8 oz cologne for next to nothing, which is more than what it’s worth. Although it’s the “cologne” strength, it doesn’t project any longer than the current (paper label/non-saddle) formula aftershave; it doesn’t even project as long as the current formula deodorant!
Also, it smells COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! This formulation, which pales in comparison to the formula that preceded, and succeded it, has two notes: it pours out onto your skin with a funky old leather note that remains linear as it dries down and develops a hint of cedar as the leather becomes a bit powdery. In the three or four times I’ve worn it I’ve used up around 2 oz of the 8 I originally had. It still lasts the same amount of time (as the “good” formulations) as a skin scent, which is 8-12 hours, but you have to bury your nose into your skin to smell it.
There’s no citrusy lavender manly floral freshness, no soapy musk or light earthy woody sweetness; it’s just leather funk and one or two dried up cedar shavings. If English Leather’s pre-’05 and current formula is a masterpiece of macho woody, manly-floral, soapy musk set atop a heavy base of new baseball glove/leather jacket this formula (again, the ’05-’14 formula) is the leather jacket your grandpa wore for 40 years and left in a musty mildewy basement for 20 years near a not-so-fragrant cedar chest.
I can see why this carnation has a bad reputation…
Mabelod – :
The cologne that started it all for me. funny story how I got it. I was 8yrs old at the time. My moms bought it for her boyfriend, it didn’t work out for them, and she gave me a full bottle of this, this cologne made me stick my chest out as I played with my friends in the neighborhood, I was a tough kid with this cologne.
wruo – :
My Father wore this. He was a professor at a local college, his students, mostly female, voted him the best smelling teacher and he even got a plaque. It was all in good fun, but gives you an idea of how generally well liked this scent is.
My chemistry also works well with this cologne, and not only do I get the fond memories of my dad, but also a similar reaction from ladies.
My dad was in the navy and with 99% of his shipmates wearing Old Spice, he decided to be different, and thus began the tradition.
English Leather is best after an hour or two, and gets downright devastating after 5. Get a sample and try it.
medvedik – :
If you dislike this scent, it is a good chance you were probably scared by someone that was mean to you, someone you didn’t like, or someone you associate with being old.
That being said. This cologne can not be dislike by it’s smell. AND I AM NOT OLD OR CORNY in the least. I am a true fume head. If it smells good, it smells good. Please smell this again. Someone said it before that fragrance snobs have smelled so many high dollar fragrances they are bias before smelling this old time gem.
It reminds me when Katie Puckrik reviewed Old Spice, and the popularity and acceptance of the smell increased a bit.
If any expert or fume head who have not smelled this in a while or AT ALL smelled it in a decant label YSL, Creed etc, they would give this high marks. And yes, I have had all the top fragrances in bottle or decant format. Point being is I am not a drugstore “colognist”, and it is a strong…
*******7.5/10
A rating without bias from an experienced nose. It is a solid scent. I have not tried it’s longevity or projection for a whole day, because I always change frags or re apply (I am a heavy sweater).
OLarion999 – :
Way back in the day, my mom had a bottle of this in the house. I’ve been getting more nostalgic so I scoped out an NIB gift set (aftershave, soap, cologne (red/black foil label)) from the early 80s to get the full experience.
I’ll cut to the chase — it’s terrible. It smells like leather cleaning cream right out of a brown squeeze bottle… and not in a good way, if there is a good way. I haven’t met many fragrances I couldn’t find something to appreciate but this may as well be described as crap that stinks, because it is and does.
I doubt I’ll be wearing this very much, in fact, I’ll probably throw it away. Should have gotten some vintage Quorum instead.
Pavel2991 – :
I tried it due to remembering it from being all over ESPN in the late 80’s with the some guys have it all commercial and if you wear this you were left out in the rain, yuck. The smell is too off putting to me. If you ever look up wet dog in the dictionary, this cologne should be the picture with it. It don’t work for me at all. If it does for you, maybe your body chemistry works with this wet dog.
marzlat – :
The newer formulations don’t have the longevity, and that bitter bite the vintage used to have. But the overall top notes are the same. Distinctive “brown leather”, smooth, with a bitter lemon Limonene opening. Very classy. Some don’t handle leather well, thinking it smells chemical or barber shop like. But this one is a classic.
If you experience problems with longevity, i suggest layering it over a lotion, or even vaseline if you don’t mind the feel.
qwerty1303 – :
for the price, there is nothing better. there are many niche and celeb scents way worse than this. soft, tabac, powder, tonka beans, caramel, peat/whiskey, more powder…
goloborodko – :
I have the MEM version from the 90’s and it’s still intact and going strong. It’s one of my faves. It dries downs into a spicy bitter chypre/leather. It’s thankfully an attenuation of the 70’s version, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. As I recall the 70’s version, my dad would reek for an entire day whenever he would put that one on. In my experience, only Kouros could rival that kind of intensity…well, maybe also A*Men.
I also recently acquired the Dana version which was tossed in free with something bought from eBay. It dries down into a woody powdery leather. It’s pleasant enough, but nothing special…a disservice to its forbearance, actually. However, taken on its own account, it’s still a good buy for the price.
So, with both versions on my arms, I suddenly feel a hankering for Habit Rouge. Time to hit the shower!
anollaZidlins – :
They toned this stuff down since I had got 1 for Christmas of 2014,but the Smell is very Woody very floral and some how I’m sure whiskey was s ingredient
Once lol Good stuff tho Stays on all day breaks down into a fine powder smell
wertase – :
The way this early postwar villain left me after first encountering it sometime around the mid 80’s, could be summarised in just one (mostly british) word. Flabbergasted!
It was a Christmas gift for my father, by someone who kept ignoring that the only scent my father ever used was a lavender-lemon dirt cheap cologne that was sold not only in pharmacies but even in grocery stores. My father, being the exact opposite of my mother who was a zealot of the perfume cults, passed it to me, without bothering to give it a second sniff. If he had done so, maybe he would have realised that it was not exactly the kind of fragrance a teenager could handle. But apparently, being used to smell archetypical powerhouses like Macassar and Yatagan all around him, he probably didn’t think this one could do any harm. He was wrong. For what it should be actually called was English Lewdness.
Before slapping it on my face for the first time, it raised its leatherclad hand and crowned me majestically. As if challenging me in a duel which proved nearly impossible to win. Not at least before I managed to wear the sucker instead of him wearing me. And that really took some time.
The commander of Her Majesty’s shock troops came in a wooden box with a wooden stopper, bearing a wonderful embossed label in crimson and gold on its thick glass bottle. I guess it was some kind of a special edition which, as is the case with so many natural things nowadays, is nowhere to be found anymore. Being the first time I saw a fragrance not being in a carton box, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this one had to be something extraordinary. And it was…
All the more that I love wood more than any other natural material, with the possible exception of emeralds.
In hindsight, I believe that even if someone failed to read the name on the doric bottle, this amount of wood was definitely not a harbinger of vanilla or cotton candy.
Until then it was hands down the dirtiest star ever to shine in my olfactory universe, and it still remains amongst the most prominent paragons of salaciousness. For some reason it turned otherwise cheerful and soothing notes like citruses, lavender and honey into guilty pleasures of which the world should never be aware of. It was as these notes had a dark and secret side that would take an arcane perfumer to expose. Unfortunately it seems that we’ll never know who the conjurer behind its creation was, since even Dana doesn’t bother to mention anything about him(?).
It seemed like it was enhanced with some shady age-boosting ingredient, for I felt like my years had doubled long before its top notes subsided.
First poured on one of my 16th year afternoons, evening found me flirting with 30 year olds, in places I was not supposed to enter. You know, just because of being 16. And I swear that I got some really funny looks overnight. And they were not of the miffed kind. It was like these ladies were weighing up the odds of making out with a splashy barefaced teen and get away with it. And not because of me being a male jailbait, since the claptrap called politically correctness was still a hazy dream in the minds of some self-righteous, self-appointed, self-centred pricks. You know, like the ones who would banish scents like English Leather if they had the power to do it. No, the ladies’ only concern seemed to be how they would succeed in cornering me and being spared the excruciating details and the envious glances to an by their friends. God, how I miss those years!…
After blaring my silly cockiness for what I thought was enough, I went to sleep smiling with what I thought was a huge victory in the battle of sexes. And I dreamt of the leather chesterfield sofas in the House of Lords, where a slightly drunk young crossbencher had accidentally spilled a dram of rare Ardbeg, before escaping the boring meeting and driving with the sun on his back in his Triumph TR3, hastening to meet his concubine in Mayfair. In the morning I pledged to myself that I was going to be this man one day.
I never became a crossbencher or any kind of representative and I never came even close to having such a curvesome beaut (the wheels, not the girl). The successful part of fulfilling my dream was just tasting rare Ardbegs many times and spending some time in London. But I still remain a barefaced teen (although a little less splashy now) even though some 30 years have passed since that night. Especially when English Leather of yore joins me for a ride. Perhaps not in a TR3 but in an equally fascinating vehicle. The time machine that I have built in my mind, permanently programmed to the days of my youth.
UESTT – :
Lots of Haters here…. I’m not surprised…. Yes, its an inexpensive drug store cologne Bla Bla Bla…. most of the cologne snob reviewers here will slam it just because of the stigma of it…But put it in A Creed bottle and their review will rave how its the next great coming… So typical…and boring….
English Leather is a wonderful cologne with very strong masculine undertones.. It would make for a great choice for a signature scent on the right person.. I could see Tom Selleck wearing this or perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger…. Clint Eastwood… Donald Trump Types….
Funny thing about this fragrance, say what you will.. but I have yet to come across A woman that does not Love this juice… And thats what really matters…There is A reason why its been around forever and outsold virtually every other fragrance on the market today..
It is very strong upon first application, but give it a bit and it really settles in nice.. I Love it.
Masculinity 10/10
Versatility 5/10
Value 10/10
Projection 10/10
Fragrance Quality 7/10
Bottle Worthy / Yes
nick1793 – :
I got a 4oz bottle of the aftershave at my local department store for $8. I knew it was a classic, so it was worth the risk. Much to my delight, I actually really enjoyed this. I might agree it wouldn’t be ideal for younger men who want to avoid smelling “old.” For the record, I’m in my late 30s. I think the scent has been described fine already, so I don’t really have anything to add there.
barcelona-bmwx6 – :
It ain’t bad. I am amazed at how many people disliked this product. I would expect other colognes to be more divisive such as tabac.
Right after I poured on my skin the opening scent and the alcohol truly reminds me of whiskey.
And as it settles it gets a bit vanilla sweeter and the not so fancy leather persists.
It’s a nice cologne.
maximum13 – :
It’s a more woody version of grey flannel
All and all a perfect aftershave
yana-8 – :
This is the fragrance that I had to feign delight for when I received it as a gift; unfortunately, I am not that accomplished an actor. It reeks cheap ostentation and its sillage could scare away a bull moose. I knew someone a long time ago who once put it in his air conditioning unit and regretted it for a long time. I cannot think of any occasion or use for this other than spraying it around your house to keep pests away.
A Frankenstein fragrance.
dimulika67 – :
Bought as a blind buy and I’m very pleased I did. Really BIG opening burst of citrus which quickly dissipates as all citrus aromas do. I then get a LOAD of sandalwood which seems rather strange as it isn’t listed as one of the ingredients but I’m sure it must be there. Reminds me greatly of Trumpers ‘Spanish leather’ but at a vastly reduced price.
Certainly one for the older more mature man. I like it a lot.
lukashka93 – :
Oh dear- I had high hopes for this one, based on many positive reviews here…I blind bought this (thankfully it is very inexpensive so all is not lost)…this is a very generic barbershop cologne, quite harsh on the nose at first in the same way that Brut 33 is, and somewhat on the soapy side. There is possibly a leather note hiding somewhere but it is drowned out by very synthetic smelling pine and citrus notes.
On dry down, it does improve somewhat and acquires a more pleasant dusty leather book type note, but even so I cannot get past the overall cheap smell which detracts from this.
At the price charged for this it is definitely bargain basement stuff, and if you want an inexpensive barbershop smell then go for it….if, on the other hand, you want REAL leather then go for Trumper’s Spanish Leather (barbershop, still inexpensive but with genuine leather note and MUCH more pleasant), Dior Fahrenheit or Knize Ten for hardcore leatherheads
Wraddifognora – :
This brings me back 50 years to when I was a little girl. Watching my dad shave and splash on English Leather…He smelled so good! I don’t know if I can adequately describe it, but it was a deep, but clean scent. I don’t know if the smell is the same today as it was 50 years ago….I can bet it’s not, but I am going to check it out. I didn’t even know they still made this!
layz86 – :
I’m guilty of looking at this humble drugstore scent with suspicion. After all, in my opinion British Sterling Cologne is rather harsh and unrefined. Definately not the stuff dreams are made of! And I lumped the two together, by default.
BUT. I have one redeeming quality. I’m willing to give almost any fragrance a second chance….
Today I was wearing a bit of vanilla lotion and spritzed English Leather on the back of my hand, in the not too optomistic hope that it would be more appealing this time around. The opening is so rough and jagged around the edges that I nearly dismissed it at once.
A half hour later and something Wonderful began to waft my way. It would seem that leather and vanilla are my magic elixer, because I’ve seldom smelled anything like this outside of Shalimar. Although far from Guerlain quality, my instincts ( and nose! ) tell me this is pretty darn good. I think even a man could layer with a soft vanilla to advantage. Distinctly interesting, and I am morally certain that nobody will assume your fragrance of the day is a cheap thrill.
Recommended.
( Based on my latest learning curve, I may have to go back and give British Sterling a second chance also! )
Hoiseeenlance – :
I agree with karlovonamesti’s assessment, though I prefer the MEM version personally. I have an older Dana and it’s a bit too harsh for me, with a really hard leather note. I also can’t say much for the supposed iris or rose in that formulation. In the MEM one, however, there is clearly a bit of rose and iris, and that makes it a somewhat odd composition (the mild honey gives it a slight urinous/animalic quality). However, I’ve come across a couple of “major” niche