Atelier Cologne - Gold Leather (perfume review)

I'll be honest, of all of the samples that came in the Atelier Cologne set, I may have been the least enthusiastic to try Gold Leather. To be fair, I hadn't read anything about it and my prejudice was based solely on the name, which I didn't particularly care for. I'm not even really sure what I had against the name, I guess I just associated it with an image of gaudiness. I've also tried very few leather scents but haven't had great success with them on my skin (I'm looking at you Kelly Caleche and BV Knot), so perhaps those experiences contributed to my lack of excitement. 

So when I randomly drew Gold Leather from my fine jewelry box of samples, I kind of shrugged my shoulders in disappointment. But hey, I had to try it at some point, right?

And then I put it on.

Wow. 

...

Gold Leather is extremely alluring on (my) skin. I was immensely shocked by how quickly I was drawn into this enticing gourmandy leather. Everytime I wear it, I find my wrist stays glued to my nose - consciously or subconsciously.

The opening features a crisp, almost cranberry-like citrus that manages to be simultaneously warm and cool at the same time. After the first bursts of citrus die down, a sweet and spicy plum emerges. This temptress is dark, boozy, thick and jammy - with a touch of pepper. She's a bit playful, she's definitely sexy, and she is really quite delicious.

Elizabeth Taylor in 1960, via dailymail.co.uk

This dark-haired siren calls for you as she lays seductively upon her bed of soft nude leather. The leather is soft, supple, warm and cozy. But before she can get too hot, the woods in the base wrap our jammy queen in their dry airiness - ultimately preventing Gold Leather from ever becoming too cloying, spicy or heavy. Interestingly for the first 30 minutes or so, the scent distinctly shifts between plum or leather, but after that they blend together seamlessly. 

Several hours (5 or so) into the dry down, Gold Leather loses its spicy edge and becomes an innocent skin scent - lightly sweet and slightly leathery. Still gorgeous, but in a new light. It stays on my skin that way through the next morning and occasionally through a shower. 

And as much as I hate to admit it, I can understand the name Gold Leather - the perfect combination of nude leather and wood emanates luxury. However, while the golden leather may be luxurious, it's the spicy plum that keeps me coming back for more. 

To me, Gold Leather feels like a power scent - it's assertive and sexy, bold yet refined. This is easy my favorite Atelier (so far).

This would almost definitely be on my FB wishlist, but at $195/100ml bottle (or $295 for the 200ml + 30ml ecrin absolu set), I think it's a bit out of my price range. Perhaps if the bottle weren't plated in real gold (it really is)... I suppose I can dream that they'll offer the 30ml bottles someday.

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Clint's 3: Pleasant, Beachy, Floral

Hehe, I think he might be getting the beachy vibe from the wood. I'm not exactly sure about the floral - but that's what he smells!

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My rating of Gold Leather: 4.25

1  -  - -  -  2  -  -  -  -  3  -  -  -  -  4  - X -  -  -  5

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation      

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Gold Leather as described by the Atelier Cologne website:

Family: Woody Leather*

Top Notes: bitter orange from Seville, Indian saffron, Jamaican rum

Middle Notes: plum, davana from India, eucalyptus from California

Base Notes: heart of gaiac wood from India, heart of cedarwood from Texas, leather & oud accord

Perfumer: Jerome Epinette

*Personally I would consider Gold Leather more of a fruity leather than a woody leather (though I can understand why they would say woody leather). Interestingly though, the Atelier line has another fragrance, Rendez-vous, which they characterize as a fruity leather. I'm really interested to try that one too now!

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Have you tried Gold Leather and if so, what are your opinions on it? What are some of your favorite Atelier scents?

Diptyque - Eau Duelle Eau de Toilette (perfume review)

When I casually tested Eau Duelle on a paper strip, I had no idea what kind of scent it was and was struck by how quickly I was drawn in. Sensitive to scent, I never imagined I would like a vanilla which screamed sweet and cloying. I immediately purchased a sample. 

Upon first spritz, Eau Duelle immerses you in vast and expansive vanilla, like a heavy fog over the ocean at dawn. From within the depths of this boundless vanilla a playful and sparkly juniper note dances like the bubbly fizz of a gin and tonic. Strangely, a concentrated sniff of my wrist imparts only the light citrusy juniper, but when I take a step back, the clouds of vanilla swirl about me and the whole becomes creamier and reminiscent of the delectable Licor 43. Finally, the citrus notes deepen and combine with the emerging spice and black tea notes, producing an Earl Grey tea accord before gently fading into the distance.

The heart of Eau Duelle features a lovely dry vanilla peppered with spices. Frankincense and cardamom elicit a warm and smoky incense which beautifully tempers the sweetness of the vanilla - like cinnamon and chili to hot cocoa. In the early dry down, as Eau Duelle melds into my skin, the sillage actually becomes stronger and I feel engulfed in its dark and spicy richness. At this point the perfume feels thick and for me straddles the line of overbearing - but I am particularly sensitive to scent and this only lasts for about an hour.

After several hours, Eau Duelle softens and lightens considerably. The spices mellow and the final stages of the drydown are subtly sweet and smooth - similar to the Licor 43 phase but this time swirled with heavy cream. The vanilla begins to slightly veer toward rubbery, and as Eau Duelle wafts around me, I imagine that I'm in an inner tube gently floating along a lazy river of cream soda. A delicious and relaxing end to a day-long journey through several fine beverages.

Though an EdT, Eau Duelle lasted through whole day and was still detectable in the morning with just 1 spritz. I'm curious how the solid perfume version compares in sillage and strength.

I'd definitely recommend trying Eau Duelle if you're a fan of vanilla.

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Clint's 3: Vanilla, Airy, Sweet

Clint's a fan - he likes the vanilla.

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My rating of Diptyque: 3.75

1  -  - -  -  2  -  -  -  -  3  -  -  - X -  4  -  -  -  -  5

   Nausea/Gagging         Meh        Decent       Great         Olfactory Elation    

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Eau Duelle as described by the Diptyque website:

Family: Spicy  Notes: Vanilla, Spices, Frankincense.

As described (in more detail) by Aedes:

Family: Woody/Gourmand

Top Notes: Cardamom, Pepper, Saffron, Juniper, Cypress, Elemi

Middle Notes: White musk, Hedione, Vanilla

Base Notes: Vetiver, Vanilla, Olibanum

Perfumer: Fabrice Pellegrin

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Have you tried Eau Duelle EdT? I've read that the EdT and EdP formulations are different enough to have their own profiles, so I'm interested to try both. If you've tried both - which do you prefer?