In short: leather smells warm, dry and a little smoky, like a worn saddle, an old armchair or the inside of a well-used book bag. It can be soft and suede-like or dark and tarry.
What leather smells like
Leather is a mood more than a single smell. Soft leathers smell like suede gloves: smooth, slightly sweet and powdery. Darker leathers are smoky and tarry, closer to a tack room or a pair of riding boots. In a candle, leather makes a room feel lived-in and storied, like a library, a study or a tavern.
Where it comes from
Leather notes aren't made from leather. They are accords that recreate the smell of tanned hide. Traditionally perfumers used birch tar, which is smoky and phenolic; the classic "Russian leather" scent came from the birch tar used to cure leather in Russia. Today they also use saffron, which has a natural leathery side, and aroma molecules made to smell like suede or hide.
Leather has a surprising place in the history of perfume. Grasse, in the south of France, was a leather-tanning town before it was the perfume capital of the world. Tanners there began scenting gloves with local flowers to cover the smell of the hides, and perfumed gloves became so fashionable that the flower trade outgrew the tanneries. Our candles use fragrance oils with a leather accord.
How it is used
Leather is a base note and the center of its own fragrance family. It adds depth and a sense of age and craftsmanship to a blend.
What it pairs with
- Tonka bean and tobacco, for a cozy study
- Amber and smoke, for a firelit room
- Rose and patchouli, for something dark and romantic
- Oak and whiskey, for a tavern
Our candles with leather
- Dragonfire Tavern: leather with oak, whiskey, amber and smoke by the fire.
- Guardhouse Armory: leather armor, saffron, tobacco leaf and sandalwood.
- Arcane Library: old leather bindings with rose, patchouli and teakwood.
- Chapel Sanctuary: a soft leather note under frankincense, oud and amber.
Common questions
Does a leather candle smell like a new car? Not exactly. New-car smell is mostly plastics and adhesives. Leather candles smell more like a well-worn jacket or saddle.
Is leather a masculine scent? It is often marketed that way, but soft suede leathers are common in women's perfume too.
Explore more notes in our Fragrance Notes A to Z, or browse our Woody & Earthy candles.