Leather Opulence

When I got into fragrance niche brands, I never turned my back on mainstream designer brands. I liked both, and appreciated commercial scents because there are days when I just want something uncomplicated and easy to wear. Last year, Bottega Veneta, the leather house, launched their first ever scent, and what do you know - it's a leather scent! It is refined, quite elegant, and expensive smelling. It would easily match when you are all "dressed up" and even if you are just wearign jeans, you would feel opulent. For some reason, though, it took me a while to just want a full bottle of it. The bottom base notes soured a little bit, and while I love the suede, I kind of felt some of the fruity sweetness (pink peppercorn?) clashed with the buttery suede of it. There is definitely something indolic in there, probably the jasmine. When my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas, though, I thought about it and told her I wanted a small bottle of this. Now I think maybe I was just making excuses to *not* buy this, because I love it so very very much. The drydown, which was my biggest problem when I sampled it, is now my favorite part. It is so unique, a big departure to the ambery musky base that most commercial fares have nowadays. There is a melange of patchouli, oakmoss, and that buttery soft leather smells sweet but not sugary. It's instantly modern and classic at the same time. It really does smell like a handbag full of jasmine petals. And that is a good thing.