N°02 - Bergamot & Leather Spritz Zara 2021

There are plenty of leather nuances in the perfumery world, ranging from the smooth suede glows to the rugged leather boots. These notes can take on different facets: smoky, tarry, burnt, or even shades of licorice. More Masculine rather than feminine, wild or refined, powerful but also delicate. Yet leather has linked its animal smell for centuries to the history of perfumery. Suppose the city of Grasse in France, famous for its tanners, soothes the invasive and nauseating scents of leathers with floral essences. In that case, it is in Russia that the history of leather and perfumery takes us. Russian cavalry and dancers will inspire many noses with the smell of their waxed boots. Russian soldiers and dancers of the time made their precious shoeshine and waterproof thanks to various essences. Birch and styrax, with hints of smoke, tar, and notes of tobacco and licorice, perfumed the boots of these gentlemen. However, the intense and relentless smokiness of birch is the vital ingredient, the odour that gives the Russian skin its characteristic smell.

Returning to the topic of Bergamot & Leather Spritz, the first time I smelled this perfume, I was thrilled. Without a doubt, if they did not print the ZARA brand on it, it could very well be mistaken for a niche perfume. It is dark, hypnotic, smoky, and animalistic leather. The kind you only encounter in cult masterpieces such as Ombré Leather (2018) Eau de Parfum, Guilty Absolute pour Homme, or Hypnotic Leather. If the leather family has ended up disappearing, and in these days and has instead become only an olfactory facet, here we have an agreement and a core of dominance of raw leather, that of saddles for riding. And Jo Loves, aka Jo Malone, has done a fantastic job here. I strongly advise you to check it on your skin because the strip of paper releases only the tip of the iceberg; the essence releases many shades warming up with the skin, which are not perceived by the cold blotter.

First things first, I get licorice, birch tar, kind of musty, woody vibe, a bit of a fumy to it. The lavender, dark and wild, hay-like, I would say, blends with bergamot and smoky birch, resulting in a soothing and medicinal aroma—a prodigious medicinal ointment redolence. For an instant, I smell the oud from the base notes, slightly therapeutic with iodine and peaty aspects.

This fragrance pursues dry and warm, and when the heart approaches, the leather is the primary star. A powdery orris oozes and goes side by side with the leather, not a lipstick kind, but something with smoldering edges. Dusty and smoky whiff of iris infuses leather, like charcoal crumbs aroma.

When the essence chills out, the initial punch of medicinal leather softens, moves in the back, but does not disappear. The oud enters the game playing with the amber. I do not get a nasty oud, nor a too sweet or salty amber. They tune the former ideally not to overwhelm but to add subtle texture to everything. The overall redolence remains warm, cosy, sexy.

That’s my journey with Bergamot & Leather Spritz. The performances are superb, with several hours of amusement on my skin and clothes. The essence goes well with fall months, or better, it is a fall in a bottle. Day or night does not matter, inoffensive at work but captivating at night out. I want my jacket to smell like that. Pity Lagavulin Scotch whiskey, a burnt rawhide, drenched in smoke and alcohol. I want more of this. This is a ZARA rare gem, which is part of the Rain collection, n°2. It is a limited edition, and I doubt you will find it around.

And you, did you already know this fragrance? What do you think?

I base the review on a 90ml bottle I have owned since August 2021.

-Elysium