Like many fragrance enthusiasts, I was intrigued by the online buzz surrounding African Leather by Memo. After purchasing a sample and wearing it a few times, my impression is that it is an okay fragrance with very strong projection.
Memo Paris has a series of leather fragrances, Les Cuir Nomades that was launched with Irish Leather in 2013, homage to Clara Molloy husband’s John Malloy; Italian Leather, French Leather followed as well as Memo Paris Russian Leather.
Today we are reviewing Memo Paris African Leather, a fragrance that is very popular and has quite a few fans.
It seems to be blended with good quality ingredients, but ultimately I'm not impressed enough with it to pay the asking price for a full bottle.
First Impressions
African Leather opens with massive and overpowering blast of cumin, the leather, musk and cardamom are also there but in the opening the cumin dominates. With an enticing opening of spice, most notably cardamom and saffron, African Leather starts off strong, and up to this point is the most impressive of the Memo leathers I've sampled. I can see how this would have some significant mainstream appeal.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
The Scent Journey
Fortunately as the fragrance settles the cumin dies down which is good because I don't want to walk around smelling like last nights chicken khorma. The best thing for me in this fragrance is the quality of the leather note, it is a nice masculine, aged leather, something you would smell in a good quality saddlery. The bergamot, oud and cardamom are also there in the dry-down providing a nice backdrop to the leather.
The initial burst is warm and spicy with cardamom, saffron, and cumin. The presence is rich, but also with a hint of softness - and is perhaps a little synthetic. It's also somewhat sweet at this stage with a vague gourmand allusion.
After about thirty minutes a leather note emerges which is warm, soft and closer to other modern leather fragrances. However, in about a couple of hours there is a smooth transition to an airy woody accord with a prominent vetiver note coming to the fore.
The fragrance thereafter remains linear, with this woody accord comprising the dry down, and only near indiscernible hints of leather and distant spices comprising the supporting cast.
AFRICAN LEATHER by MEMO - THE 2 MINUTE BREAKDOWN
Comparisons and Similarities
I get an old school fougere vibe from African Leather, I'm getting accords from it that bring both YSL Opium pour Homme and Davidoff Zino to mind. On the whole it is hard to classify this fragrance, as one feels it is not quite a leather fragrance.
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
There is also an 'inverted shape' at play here - the fragrance thins out towards the dry down (though not exactly being a top note con job). Additionally, it does come across as a bit unique in terms of its composition - especially the transitions.
However, eventually it is a bit insubstantial, and not memorable enough. In roughly similar territory for a leathery fragrance, Armani's Oud Royal is a more compelling alternative. This comes across more as a warm-spicy vetiver fragrance that is supported by leather.
The spicy Cardamom and dry leather in Memo Paris African Leather make for the perfect match. When I smell this complex and compliment-getting eau de parfum (composed by House Perfumer Alienor Massenet), I envision the pairing of Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in the movie African Queen.
Longevity and Sillage
Be aware that African Leather by Memo is a super projector, especially in the first hour, definitely not something to over-spray. Sillage is average in the beginning, then quite soft as it becomes a skin scent after 2-3 hours, and it lasts only about 3-4 hours on skin. Longevity is about 6 hours on my skin and then it becomes quite intimate.
Final Thoughts
It's not a bad scent overall, but too heavy on the cumin for me, a little bit cloying and I feel that it adds nothing to my collection that some of the classic fougeres do with more subtlety and class. However, eventually it is a bit insubstantial, and not memorable enough.
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
