Some of the most masculine scented colognes for men are leather based scents. The note of leather has been used as a base note and as a primary note in perfumery for decades.
Leather notes in perfumery are often attributed to masculine scents, and there are many different styles of leather accords to smell.
I have tested a lot of leather fragrances, and I have put together a list of my favorites.
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Our Leather Cologne Top Picks
- Best Overall Leather Cologne: Tom Ford Ombre Leather
- Best Boozy Leather Fragrance: Bentley For Men Intense
- Best Woody Leather Cologne: Bottega Veneta Pour Homme
- Best Budget Leather Cologne: John Varvatos Dark Rebel Rider
Best Overall Leather Fragrance
1. Tom Ford Ombre Leather
Best for: A versatile leather fragrance
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Versatile
Cons: A bit harsh in the opening
When I wear Ombre Leather, I feel classy yet rugged. It opens with a dirty leather note, but there is some sweetness underneath. It is likely coming from the cardamom and florals. While it may start out harsh, it does mellow out a good bit. This is what sets it apart from Tuscan Leather. If you compare Tuscan Leather to Ombre Leather, TL is more masculine scented. OL is lighter, more cool, and it could be worn in more seasons.
To me, this gives you that bad boy in a leather jacket feel, but it also has a lot of versatility. This fragrance from Tom Ford is one of his best yet.
This leather fragrance still commands attention, and you will get noticed when you walk into a room. This fragrance smells incredible, and it is unique.
If you want to have some edge, get compliments, but not be mainstream like Dior Sauvage, then grab a bottle of Ombre Leather for your collection.
Best Boozy Leather Fragrance
2. Bentley For Men Intense
Best for: Fall, Winter, Dates
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Affordable, easy to wear
Cons: Not a great choice for young guys
Bentley For Men Intense uses leather as a centerpiece along with other notes. While it may not be the star of the show, the leather accord mixes with boozy spice, and vanilla to create an incredible scent.
If you want to have a leather cologne that does not smell like the inside of a car, then you should get this one. It is also beginner friendly. This is one of my favorite fragrances to wear during Fall and Winter.
It smells like a warm, spicy, boozy leather fragrance with cinnamon mixed in.
Best Woody Leather Fragrance
3. Bottega Veneta Pour Homme
Best for: Casual and office wear
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Masculine smelling, woody and unique
Cons: Can be for the older crowd; not very strong
If you want a fragrance that is heavy on notes of woods but also has leather, then look no further than Bottega Veneta Pour Homme. This fragrance is loaded with Juniper, Pine, and Fir. And lets not forget the leather. The leather plays a role in the dry down. It smells like a touch of woods, spice, and leather. Another underrated cologne to add to our list.
This is a classy and masculine smelling fragrance that you could wear almost anywhere. It is inoffensive and smells more like a “cologne” than a strong leather fragrance.
Best Budget Leather Fragrance
4. Dark Rebel Rider Eau de Toilette
Best for: Outdoors and bars
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Budget friendly
Cons: Inexpensive, does not last long
Dark Rebel Rider is a great leather scented fragrance from John Varvatos. This is a good choice if you are on a budget. It is also a great choice if you want a smoky leather fragrance. This can be described as a leather, chocolate, and resin scent.
This is the best leather scent on our list if you want something to wear close to your skin. Dark Rebel Rider does not have a lot of projection or longevity. If you are concerned about other people smelling your cologne, then Dark Rebel is something you should look into. You get to enjoy the smoky leather, but it won’t be off-putting because nobody around you will smell it. You have to get basically in a hug distance to project.
Best Of The Rest
5. Tom Ford Tuscan Leather
Best for: Formal Events
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Beast mode performance
Cons: Can be too strong, expensive
Tuscan Leather is one of the top smelling leather fragrances. This cologne is incredible on so many levels.
For a review of this fragrance in a simple way, it is smoky leather with the smell of raspberries. The scent is unique, and your nose won’t be able to stop sniffing it once you wear it on your skin.
Tom Ford Tuscan Leather is a sweet smoky leather fragrance. Do women love to smell this on a man? The majority of ladies that we talked to absolutely love to smell this on a man.
Make no mistake, this is an alpha male scent, and if that is what you want to project, then Tuscan Leather should be in your fragrance collection.
This fragrance is more suited for evening wear or formal events.
6. Parfums De Marly Godolphin
Best for: Special Occasions, Formal Events
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Niche smell
Cons: Can be too expensive
Godolphin is a sweet and floral version of a leather cologne. This gets compared to TF Tuscan Leather a lot. I can see the similarities, but they are still unique and different from one another.
I really like this because you get a great leather forward scent, but with some fruit notes at the opening and some herbal notes in the dry down.
The candy notes at the opening are what stands out to me the most. It also has a good bit of florals mixed in. However, this is still a very leather heavy scent.
To me, this is a very underrated fragrance, and it deserves more hype than it gets.
7. Guerlain L’Homme Ideal L’intense
Best for: Fall and Winter
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Amber Woody
Pros: Unique smelling
Cons: Not beginner friendly, opening is too smoky
Guerlain L’Homme Ideal L’intense is a leather scented flanker from the Ideal collection. This is designed to be intense with notes of Chile pepper and cardamom.
The leather notes are combined with smoke and spice which smells great. This is more on the smoky side compared with some of the other scents on our top list.
This fragrance is about opposites. On one hand you have the notes of sweet vanilla, almond and Tonka bean. On the other hand you have leather, smoke, and patchouli.
This is a dark fragrance, but it includes some softer notes which makes it unique and very enjoyable.
If you like to wear colognes that are not mainstream, then this should be in your fragrance collection.
8. Aqua Di Parma Colonia Leather EdP
Best for: Outdoors
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Leather
Pros: Masculine smelling, leather dominant
Cons: Very mature smelling, too smoky
Colonia Leather Eau de Cologne Concentree is a great niche leather fragrance. This is a unique and well blended scent.
This leather fragrance has a bright and fresh opening due to the citrus notes, and it is something that can worn year round. A lot of leather based scents are dark and rich which makes them more suitable for winter wear, but Colonia has a lot of balanced notes for year round use.
This can be too harsh and smoky for some which is why it is so low on our list. It still smells great though.
This is a sophisticated and elegant leather cologne, and if you are a fan of Tuscan Leather then you really need to try this scent out. The sillage and projection are incredible, and you will get a lot of compliments on this fragrance.
If you are looking for a great niche leather fragrance, then Colonia Leather is a scent that you should be considering.
Comparison Table
| Cologne | Best For | Concentration | Longevity | Projection | Price |
| Ombre Leather | Any occasion | Eau de Parfum | 10 hours | Strong | $$$ |
| Bentley For Men Intense | Fall, Winter | Eau de Parfum | 6 hours | Moderate | $ |
| Bottega Veneta Pour Homme | Casual | Eau de Toilette | 6-8 hours | Moderate | $$ |
| Dark Rebel Rider | Budget | Eau de Toilette | 4-6 hours | Low | $ |
| Tuscan Leather | Formal Events | Eau de Parfum | 12+ hours | Strong | $$$$ |
| PDM Godolphin | Formal Events | Eau de Parfum | 8+ hours | Moderate | $$$$ |
| L’Homme Ideal L’intense | Fall, Winter | Eau de Parfum | 6-8 hours | Moderate | $$ |
| ADP Colonia Leather | Outdoors | Eau de Parfum | 8 hours | Moderate | $$$ |
What Is A Leather Fragrance & How Is It Used In Cologne
Leather fragrance is a synthetic component that is added in perfumery to mimic the scent of a leather accord. There are a lot of different leather accords just like there are different scents of leather.
The smell of leather car seats is different than the smell of a leather saddle which is different than the scent of suede.
Leather is used as a heart note or base note, but due to its potency it is usually smelled throughout the life of the fragrance.
We have reviewed the best leather fragrances for men, and hopefully our list will help you pick out the top smelling scent for you.
What Does Leather Cologne Smell Like
Leather cologne can smell like dark and dirty notes to supple notes of suede. Leather is not a natural scent. It comes from a mixture of many other notes. Leather fragrance accords are synthetic components, or they can use other natural components that may smell similar to leather. Birch tar is one example.
Sometimes you can combine multiple essential oils to mimic the scent of natural leather.
What Notes Do Leather Colognes Use
Most leather fragrances are not plain leather accords. They are often mixed with a wide range of fragrance notes.
Some of the most common fragrance notes mixed with leather accords are
- Bergamot
- Iris
- Vanilla
- Tonka Bean
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
- Tobacco
These are just a handful as you can see there are a lot more just from our list of the top leather colognes.
A lot of these scents are on the sweeter side, and that is because those notes seem to balance and mellow out the leather scent. Sometimes, that note can be a bit harsh.
