Description
Monotheme Fine Fragrances Venezia has launched a new collection inspired by the Orient. The collection consists of four fragrances and it is named Black Label. The fragrances are available in black bottles crowned with black caps of the same design as the previous collection of classic Monotheme editions, Bio Collection and invigorating line Book of Citruses. Four oriental fragrances, belonging to the line Black Label, are aimed at both men and women. The scents are based on rich and opulent natural essential oils combined with carefully selected essences. The intention of their creators was to evoke the olfactory wealth of Orient.
LEATHER is redolent of power and intensity! The composition opens with the powerful strike of spices, sweetened by fruit notes and softened by an aromatic veil. The heart highlights the notes of cedar intertwined with a lush floral bouquet, resting on a base of rich wood, resin, vanilla and leather. Leather was launched in 2013.
virunchev – :
If Tuscan Leather was an orchestra this is the same but played through a toy radio.
Good for the price though.
AlekseyDW – :
When I first smelt this, I thought the smoke note was a little bit challenging, it opens strong and bold and the smokiness tested me, but I loved the leather and fruit. It definitely grew on me though and over a couple of wears, I started really coming around to it and eventually found the smokiness that I originally struggled with to be pleasing. I’d say it drys down a little on the feminine side as the florals and fruit come out a little more, but it does maintain a quite rough masculinity at the same time. I really like it and think it’s a great scent, a little difficult to wear at times and I wouldn’t call it a crowd pleaser but it’s unique and interesting and has a lovely, gentle, warmth and darkness to it. I appreciate that it’s quite a heavy scent but never gets cloying or oppressive and at £20 for 100ml, it smells significantly more expensive than it is.
I have no idea about TL, so can’t say anything about that. I bought this because I wanted to try out a leather and see how it suited me but it has made me curious to try TL next.
Vredina – :
Totally respectable little high-street scrapper which is absolutely capable of giving niche brand leathers a good pop in the nose, and of leaving Tom Ford trampled to a pulp if we’re talking value for money. It’s not the most amazingly organic or nuanced leather you’ll ever smell but it is many many MANY times better than a perfume coming in at under £20 / $30 has any right to be. Pretty straight-ahead, mid-level leather (no luxury spices, hardly any floral notes, slightly generic fruit/sweet rather than Tuscan Leather’s rampant raspberry) which is neither rawhide not soft suede but a well-tanned man’s belt sort of leather. Pleasant on male and female skins, punches far far above its price point in terms of nuance. Stamina and projection not overwhelmingly forceful, but honestly, punters, what more can you ask for? Sold mine on in the end as I accumulated more upscale leathers, but this one deserves its good name. Diamond in the rough.
Olesikom – :
Another bargain from M&S for £12.00 .This one is more raw then I was expected. You know that feeling when you are in perfumes section in shop so excited because you spotted something new and want to try all of them and you end up with horrible mix on both of your hands? Well… I do it on my partner , he is my testing paper. My skin literaly eat all scents and nothing lasts longer than an hour. Back to “Leather” …than I try to find what the hell I sprayed on this part of hand! Smelled like leather with hint of sweet but I am more than sure it was mix of two or more different scents. Purchased “Leather” lovely again dark,deep and raw. Meets my needs. Wish it was stronger. Lasting quite good while on clothes. Nice. Will get “Black Oud” for sure.
vikys9 – :
I got this fragrance thinking is gonna be a more casual Tuscan Leather, easier to wear and to appreciate by non fragrance people. (A tester was not available)
Well no, this is just as rich and heavy as Tuscan Leather on my skin.
Smelling this fragrance form its projection I think even Tom Ford himself will think you wear his fragrance. :))
Smelling side by side I find some differences indeed, Tuscan Leather smells better, I have to admit that, but not by much!
I also owned La Yuqawam Homme and Charriol Royal Leather and Monotheme Leather smells just as good as those two to me and 100% identical to the Charriol.
And I paid for my bottle just 12€ at the closest perfume shop to my home!
orar – :
Opens with a blast of fruity leather, very similar to Tuscan Leather, indeed. Although one would be inclined to say that they’re almost identical, Monotheme goes downhill after the opening, it’s thinner and quieter. The drydown is a woody/leather combo and different than Tuscan Leather. It smell nice, yes, but it feels much simpler, thinner and cheaper if I were to compare it with TL. More of a replica than a substitute.
Scent: 7.5/10
Longevity: 7/10
Projection: 5/10
west1000 – :
This is literally a first impressions review as I only picked this up in M&S today, purely based on it being a clone of TL, and to be fare, it does not disappoint at all.
Opens with a huge blast of leather and candied fruit (not so much sweet raspberry but a sort of candied berry fruit salad) but it’s not sickly or cloying, but rich and very dense.
The opening is very powerful, when I bought this I was wearing Bogart PH, which is a projection beast, and it drowned it out, even though I’d only sprayed a couple of squirts from the tester on the back of my hand. I could smell it over the BPH from arms length. To say I was shocked is an understatement.
The frag takes a solid 3 hours to develop and morphs into a rich, smokey leather scent with hints of fruit, but not sweet fruit, more like a regular fresh fruit salad.
For TL lovers and clone enthusiasts I can see this and Nabeel’s Arab Tradition being what CDNI/L’Aventure/ADAMS are to Aventus, all great frags in their own right but also offering an individual slant on the character of the true masterpiece.
For a more fruity TL go Nabeel, for a smokey leather hit go Monotheme.
I really Am finding it difficult to find fault with this frag, so for TL lovers I’d say this is a very good option for when you want that TL feel/vibe but don’t want to be reaching for your premium juice.
davidov.179 – :
After ordering this from ebay for only 18usd, I was really happy to experience this Oud Leather Fragrance. I never had the chance to test Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, but I do think it has some notes of Tom Ford Oud, just mixed with Leather.
The Leather scent is rich, warm but unfortunately also a bit sweet for the fist hour. It’s really strong but never causes a headache yet still better not over use it. It takes a while to dry down and unfold it’s true potential. After like 3-5hours it start to smell best on skin.
To get such a rich leather fragrance for this price amazes me. The Sillage and Longevity are by far over average………….
Worth to mention, it’s no scent for boys and I actually on the edge. I don’t think it goes well on someone under 30 to 35.
Lygik – :
This is one of those scents that I sprayed by chance whilst bored on a shopping trip, with little else to do and no intention of buying. Within a couple of hours, I was obsessed with it.
You are hit with a powerful dry and smokey leather note in the opening, which almost seems to suck the moisture out of your nose. This is accompanied by little else in the beginning, except maybe some dry wood. This combination is common to Monotheme’s Amber Wood, but whilst Amber Wood remains relatively true to this, Leather goes on to develop a resinous, fruity character.
Most scents suffer poor longevity on my dry skin, and definitely do not survive overnight. One spray of Leather to my wrist however lasted from 4pm until 8am the next day. Granted, it was very close to the skin but enjoyable nonetheless! If you don’t mind the fruity base that emerges, this is one of the best value scents to be had.
Update: Now that I have purchased a bottle, I do not get the same longevity as when I tested it in the shop. Batch variation maybe? It’s a pretty solid 8 hours, but wears very close to the skin after the initial hour or so. I received a damning review from my wife, saying I smell ‘dusty’. I still like it though.
dmitrii666 – :
it is tuscan leather, if you are into leather then great great buy! love it. okay longevity 4 hours approx.
good projection
Gilmortiu – :
Monotheme Leather failed miserably on me. The actual leather is MIA and all I get is smokiness that translates into an ashtray. It’s been years since I quit smoking so I really can’t handle that smell anymore. The ashtray-phase lasts a good 2-3 hours. The late drydown consists almost entirely of supersweet fruits and unfortunately there’s nothing to tone that artificial sweetness down. For me this is pretty much unwearable (swapped it away promptly). 🙁
Decent longevity and moderate sillage.
p.s. I don’t know if it’s similar to Tuscan Leather because I haven’t tried that one (yet). Certainly not in a hurry to do so if it actually resembles the Monotheme creation… 😀
Наташа Безкоровайная – :
I bought this due to the close comparison with Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather, and at this price-point for an EDP, that seemed like a good reason to blind buy without hesitation.
Owning a few leather fragrances now, this is definitely the most ‘non-sweet’ of all of them so far. Besides a very natural leather smell, it carries that almost engine-oil kind of accompaniment you get with a new leather jacket or bag right out of the factory. Although not what I initially expected, I really like the fact that this isn’t “sweetened up” to make it more contemporary, and carries an authentic lived-in leather smell with good liefspan on my skin.
I enjoy the fact a cheap scent of this quality can also manage to be distinctive in the way that many more expensive niche fragrances are.
For UK readers, as far as I know, Monotheme is an Italian house and this is currently only sold through Marks & Spencers (still currently available). At the current price of £22 – for an EDP no-less – this really is worth taking a chance on.
oldbacha – :
this to me is a nice dried fruits variation to the mighty TL. I think if you are a lover of leather frags then this would make a great addition to your collection, and you can pick it up very cheap
королёк – :
I’d have to say this is the best leather fragrance I’ve ever smelled. You definitely don’t need to shell out Tuscan Leather money to get this, in fact the price is almost too low to be believed. The longevity is top notch and the scent itself is superb. Wish I knew about this house earlier. Purchased from a dealer in the US and got in 2 days.
vbif1213 – :
I agree with the others that this really makes an argument for just how overpriced TL is. I’ve always liked the Tom Ford but this is as good if not better when price is considered.
The differences are limited but noticeable. I find that instead of the clear raspberry in TL, Monotheme employs an indistinct, yet tangy and bright fruit-cocktail esque note, somewhat juicier. The leather here is damned near identical. There is a conservative breath of powdery florals that also is a bit more prominent than I remember in TL but if you are thinking of picking up a bottle of the expensive Tom Ford shit, just get this. Seriously, nobody will be able to tell and with the 200 bucks you save you can invest in the stock market or buy 800 gumballs from your local gas station.
7.5/10
alekseys2008 – :
Reminds me of David Yurman David Yurman Limited Edition, also
lyuda0904 – :
I’m not the biggest leather fragrance fan in the world, so I’m surprised at how much I enjoy this. The leather comes through immediately and remains strong throughout. Balancing it well are the bright, sweet fruit notes mixed with warm woods and resins. Great longevity here and decent projection. It’s also not overbearing, which I feared it might be when I first applied it. I haven’t tried Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, but if this is a decent facsimile and a fraction of the price, then purchasing it is a no-brainer! Well done to Monotheme on another winner.
dvnukovo – :
I received a sample of this recently. After a full day wearing this i have to report that is is very much like Tom Ford Tuscan Leather and Dueto Golden Boy. A very good leather scent with good projection and longevity on my skin.
timosha16 – :
Too sweet and too synthetic-smelling.
On the other hand, I never did like TF Tuscan Leather.
wgw – :
Quite simply this is as sweet as sweet gets in that approximated leather vibe which many many perfumes go for in the vein of Tom Fords Tuscan leather etc…
Recently In response to a forum thread, I discussed at length the merits of these leather fragrances and the subtle differences between them. Although starting out quite leathery this one tends to go the way of AdP leather and sweetened up fairly quick. Don’t get me wrong this is excellent perfume and at a jawdroppingly cheap price, a great alternative to TL and the likes. It’s not quite got the richness or density of long lasting niche leathers and settles to a skin scent much more readily, only projecting gently. I can live with this though because the performance is still very good and it clings to clothes relentlessly.
Monotheme have produced some great scents at prices which cannot be denied are bargain.
newsome865 – :
where is a little bit harsh leather??? after a first sniff i thought about an oldschool cherry Amphora pipe tabacco… it smells nice (fruity, dusty) but the leather note is here very, very soft… nice scent, but very safe/ not a masterpiece, but the price is a masterpiece;)
Меандр – :
I purchased this based on the reviews and haven’t regretted that to say the least. Now my signature.
I have acquired a couple of leather dominant fragrances to date, such as Shalimar (edt and pure perfume), Habanita, AP Petales and the renowned Jolie Madame.
I have so far shied away from Tuscan Leather thinking it might be too butch (at least Noir de Noir was too sharp for me) but now that people think this one’s that similar make me think I’ll swing by the Tom Ford counter one day and sniff that for myself.
Back to Monotheme Leather and my experirence now…on me this is a very smooth and soft leather and probably more fruity than leathery. It presents itself very feminine on my skin but it might be chemistry (my skin tends to sweeten fragrances). I found that Shalimar pure perfume, Petales and Jolie Madame were a lot stronger on the leather note than this one. I have recently tested Aqua di Parma’s Leather as well and I found similarity with Monotheme Leather. Owning this I feel that Aqua di Parma is a bit redundant especially that it’s retail price is 150 and I hear Tuscan Leather would cause an even bigger dent in my pocket.
Now thinking that if I wanted to add more leather could easily layer with Shalimar pure parfum and I’m good.
Or Hot Couture for more raspberries. We can’t have it all, can we?
P.S. This is more of a skin-scent
P.S.2. got a huge decant straight from Tom Ford counter. Tuscan Leather does not last longer than this one. So totally not paying the extra bucks.
dasha_anime – :
It’s amazing how a cheap perfume can be so well made.
Certainly better than many expensive scents around.
I’m not referring at how much one can like it – it’s a matter of taste, we know – but how seriously crafted it is.
I am a fan of leather perfumes as you may note from my wardrobe and I wanted to try this one too, blindly bought (a mere 12 Euros!!!).
It opens very smoky, strong and full rounded.
15 minutes later (on my skin) the smokiness leaves the stage to leather, the fat, buttery leather of saddlery. Very English, no, better, very Tuscan (I know nothing of the scent by Tom Ford, so I do not mean to compare this one to his Tuscan Leather – I’m just hinting at the leather you can buy in those tiny market stalls in Florence, that’s it).
It’s embracing and warm, soft and classy.
The drydown is a sweet spicy leather skinscent which goes on for hours.
In my opinion this is more for a gentleman. For a lady the leather par excellence remains Cuir Fetiche.
EXTREMELY GOOD
P.S. To make this one a bit sweeter I layered it with Fleurs des Comores. WOW!
psynik – :
The poor-man Tuscan Leather? No. This is basically Tuscan Leather sold at ridiculously cheap prices. I don’t like the Tom Ford and I can’t say I like this one either but if you’re a fan, don’t miss the chance to give this a shot.
Another blatant example that niche prices are way too often more about brand positioning than actual quality.
Rating: 6.5-7/10
appleee – :
Wow! Very impressed. I liked TL but never really loved leathers so I never would’ve bought it. But I tried this and was so impressed with what they did with the fruit to make the leather not too smoky or heavy. The woods are heavier later on and the cedar is beautiful nearer the beginning. If you’re even a slight fan of leather and live in the EU, I would 100% blind buy this. The fruitiness is not too sweet or ‘fruity,’ mind, so don’t worry if that’s a concern.
Ps I bought this in the sale at M&S and it was only £17.50!
yasnikova82 – :
Just received this today and, from my initial test, I’m very happy. It’s a little harder to locate here in the USA, but well worth any searching you may have to do. This a fantastic fruity leather fragrance – that’s as far as I’ll go until I wear this a few times. I will update this soon, but my initial impressions are extremely favorable.
EDIT TO ADD: Ok, I’ve had a test run, and a full wearing at the office. I am really impressed with this fragrance. I’m not going to compare this to anything; those connections have already been made, and I think this is wonderful as a standalone fragrance. To my nose, this fragrance wasn’t totally linear, but there wasn’t a ton of development between wet and dry. At first spray, you get alcohol, wet leather, and fruit. The alcohol fades in 60 seconds, and the leather becomes more prominent. After 15-20 minutes, I’d say, the leather gets a little deeper and richer, and the fruit becomes a little sweeter, but not sharp. At this time, the leather that was up front, moves just behind that sweet fruit. So from 20 minutes until the end, you have a wonderful, sweet but mellow fruit, right on top of a deep, rich but bright, resinous leather, with a little bit of woods, and a little bit of spices. The absolute main players in this are the fruit and the leather, and both of those notes are fantastic – they make the fragrance. I’ve had it on for about 8 hours and I can still detect a hint, but it would be close contact at this point. Up until about 5 hours in I was still getting frequent whiffs of that lovely fruity-leather, so projection is not too bad. All in all, I think I’ve found another one to add to the favorites. Despite the fact that its a little tricky to find here, and the prices in the USA are considerably higher than they are in Europe, this is still a monstrous value in my opinion. It cost me less than $70 shipped (which goes to show what a great value it is in the EU); I have paid substantially more money for fragrances that I’ve liked half as much. At that price I think this fragrance was a steal. This experience has made me want to try more from the Monotheme Black Label line, and I certainly will.
kinoktin12 – :
in simplicity it is a very complex perfume.
fantastic price, fantastic performances.
before buying a tom ford or a dior homme….you throw away not your money.this is class pure friends!!!!!!!hit open with a triumph of fruit and spice…..then flowers and light wooded notes and cedar, a touch of vanilla up to the explosion of leather and resins.9/10 masterpiece.
fruit,resins,flower and spice remain remain also with the notes of tail.wow.
rememember really tuscan leather tf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wizzard15 – :
I know I mentioned some time ago then deleted my comment as I felt it was perhaps to based, but the pleasure I get and the feedback fro friends is inspiring. Although several of the range van be a tad raw, they are easily balanced by a gently additional spray from one of the others to soften them and to add a bit more complexity.
So glad the y did not suddenly disappear of the shelves. Still my favourite of the range after considerable testing. Enormous value for money.
Soaftmamadvag – :
Any Idea where I can get Leather in the US?
Nordbich – :
Lovely Scent. Smells like the souk in Marrakesh (and this is a good thing!)
A mix of saffron and spice, amber and newly tanned hides, settling on the skin like dark eyed Berber youths 😉
marmoset – :
ho annusato tuscan leather tom ford è praticamente uguale a questo e anche gli altri tre di questa serie sono praticamente uguali a profumi di tom ford provare per credere
ivan1234567890 – :
Un po’ Tuscan Leather e un po’ Aoud Leather. L’ho comprato a € 9,90 in saldo; inoltre acquistando 5 fragranze della linea Black Label, con la promozione in corso, una era omaggio…….Così ho fatto la scorta di Rose Oud, Black Oud e, appunto, Leather.
Restando a quest’ultimo devo dire che è buono (sembra persino più naturale di Aoud Leather), soprattutto rapportato al prezzo ma diventa uno skin scent dopo un’ora con una persistenza medio bassa (nelle note di fondo percepisco sentori di ambra). Naturalmente non ha la sublime complessità di Tom Ford e la sua durata, pertanto, il paragone è fuori luogo. Ma, ripeto, per quello che costa…….
Flin2007 – :
questo brodo è pura pelle forse manca qualcosa per renderlo piacevole al mio nasone ,ho provato una spruzzata di leather e sopra una spruzzata di un profumo a base di incenso myrrhae erbolario ,vi assicuro è un mix bomba molto mascolino e sexy
KOSTEG – :
Not bad at all!! For 22 GBP its hard to beat!
Never tried the TL by Ford as it is not available
in sweden so cant compare but it stands quite well
on its own!
Ciao
matz Ridderstrom
Stockholm
msg46 – :
I have both and it is not the same in any shape or form. Tuscan leather is a more well blended perfume. Monotheme’s leather is good however its like the diet version of Tuscan leather. Last but not least the raspberry note in Tuscan leather is what rounds the fragrance out making it a masterpiece.
аркус55 – :
this was ok but not better then golden boy
Romion29 – :
Yup, Tuscan Leather. Seriously, it’s pretty much identical. I do not see the need to buy TF now there is this. I’m sure people will disagree, but the only benefit of buying Tom Ford is the name tag and the nicer packaging. Even the longevity and projection are the same. Oh, and this is 1/10th of the price.
comdiger – :
I wish they would ship these to the US. 🙁
orel025 – :
Hi MOS, yes literally it is TL on a budget. I bought Amber/wood or whatever the woody one is. Smells almost like Gucci PH1.
Sadly though im still not a fan of TL so didnt get this one. Very decent for £20!