The best leather cologne for men can make you feel like a million bucks — so why not do your best to find the fragrance that best suits your style? We love leather fragrances, so we thought we’d share some of our favorites with you today.
Leather has been a staple ingredient in cologne compositions since the early days of French perfuming, thanks to its ability to lend both depth and breadth at any level of a cologne. In this guide, we’ll be introducing you to our five favorite leather colognes, with options available to suit every budget and style.
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5 Best Leather Cologne For Men In 2022
Most major producers of cologne have at least one fragrance with leather as a primary ingredient, but that doesn’t qualify them to be leather colognes. For this guide, we leaned heavily on colognes that are officially classified as leather style fragrances, with only one exceptional outlier included.
Tom Ford Ombre Leather (Our Top Pick)
Debuted in 2018 as part of Tom Ford’s Private Blend collection that can be layered with other fragrances in the series, Ombre Leather is a unisex leather fragrance that’s an absolute pleasure to wear. Where some colognes can go overboard on the leather intensity, it manages to have an ever-present but never overwhelming tone of leather throughout the entire composition.
Two types of cardamom make up Ombre Leather’s top notes, with both spicy green cardamom and caramelized black cardamom sharing equal room. The heart of this fragrance is all leather, with occasional hints of jasmine to balance the strong animal intensity. Anchored by a base of amber, oakmoss, and patchouli, it’s set to become every man’s favorite new scent.
Exceptionally long lasting, with a balanced but pronounced intensity, Tom Ford Ombre Leather is an exquisite example of a modern take on a leather fragrance. We absolutely love it, and would be happy to wear it every day throughout an entire year. If you had to pick between the body spray vs the cologne version, go with the cologne. But if you can pick both, do it.
Notes:
- Top notes of green and black cardamom
- Middle notes of leather and jasmine
- Base notes of amber, oakmoss, and patchouli
Best For:
- Year-round wear
- Becoming your new go-to cologne
Parfums De Marly Godolphin
Named after an award-winning sire of racehorses who then went on to win their own awards, Parfums de Marly’s Godolphin is a niche leather fragrance that was released in 2010. It’s a luxury fragrance in both its cost and composition, and is absolutely brimming with leather tones from the moment you first apply it.
A bowl of fruits forms the centerpiece of Godolphin’s top notes, with saffron and green notes giving exotic and pungent accents. Huge portions of rose and jasmine make up the heart notes, which move slowly into the powerful base of leather and musk, cedar and amber, vetiver and vanilla. Overall, it’s a refined and sophisticated fragrance with a long development and dry down.
Incredibly long lasting, with a powerful projection, Parfums de Marly Godolphin is sure to leave a strong impression on anyone who smells it. We love it for date nights and special occasions, or any time that you’re expecting to have a late night with someone.
Notes:
- Top notes of mixed fruits, saffron, thyme, mate, cypress, and crushed greens
- Middle notes of rose, orris, and jasmine
- Base notes of leather, amber, cedar, vetiver, musk, and vanilla
Best For:
- Date nights and late nights
- Leaving a lasting impression
Acqua Di Parma Colonia Leather
Modeled after the famous original, Acqua Di Parma Colonia Leather is a revised formulation that debuted in 2014. It’s the only citrus aromatic style fragrance to make our list, and that’s entirely because of its legendary roots — this stuff really does smell like a classic cologne, just with even more leather.
Brazilian orange and lime zest are on full display in Colonia Leather’s top notes, which are present for the first few hours of wear. After this, the heart notes of rose and bitter orange leaf come to the fore. Throughout the entire duration of wear, you’ll smell the base notes of leather, guaiac wood, and cedar in equal balance.
Long lasting, with a strong intensity, Colonia Leather is a versatile cologne for year-round wear. We’re impressed by how seamlessly it integrates leather into a classic citrus-heavy formula, giving an impression of both deep masculinity and refreshing vibrance. Overall, one of our favorite niche leather colognes.
Notes:
- Top notes of Brazilian orange and lime
- Middle notes of rose and petitgrain
- Base notes of leather, guaiac wood, and cedar
Best For:
- Year-round wear
- Men looking for a bright but masculine scent
Tom Ford Fabulous
A limited edition offering from Tom Ford’s Private Blend line, Fabulous is a unisex leather fragrance that was released in 2017. Like all the other offerings from the Private Blend line, it can be layered with other colognes from the series — and we think it’s absolutely worth buying a few just to play around with making your own signature scent combinations.
An intensely herbal top note selection of clary sage and lavender quickly segues into heart notes of bitter almond and vanilla with a slight inflection of leather. The base is really where Fabulous comes into its own, with heavy doses of leather and cashmeran being joined by sweet and spicy tonka bean, white wood resins, and amber.
Featuring a moderate longevity and balanced intensity, Tom Ford’s Fabulous is a wonderful cologne choice for everyday wear — though we prefer how it develops at night and after work.
Notes:
- Top notes of clary sage and lavender
- Middle notes of bitter almond, leather, orris, and vanilla
- Base notes of leather, tonka bean, cashmeran, white woods, and amber
Best For:
- Layering with other fragrances
- Nighttime wear
Valentino Uomo Intense
The most intense and long lasting of all the leather colognes featured here, Valentino Uomo Intense is a dedicated leather fragrance that was released in 2016. If you’re looking to maximize the leather in your cologne, look no further: This is the bottling you want.
Mandarin orange zest and juice are paired with clary sage in Uomo Intense’s top notes, which give way very slowly to a heart of iris and tonka beans. The whole cologne, however, is centered around its powerful base: A huge portion of leather, with accents of vanilla, giving a soft and powdery drydown after a long and pronounced leather body.
Long lasting, with a strong intensity, Valentino Uomo Intense is a cologne that’s best reserved for the most dedicated leather lovers among us. It’s also fantastic during the colder months of the year, when its dark and animalic tones seem to naturally suit the weather.
Notes:
- Top notes of mandarin orange and clary sage
- Middle notes of iris and tonka bean
- Base notes of vanilla and leather
Best For:
- The coldest days of the year
- Holidays and special occasions
What Is A Leather Cologne?
Leather colognes are, quite simply, any fragrances made for men that utilize leather as their primary aromatic ingredient. While many colognes have leather as a portion of their composition, this does not necessarily make them leather colognes — a fragrance has to have a pungent and apparent use of leather to classify as a true leather cologne.
This is not a fragrance you’ll want to leave collecting cobwebs and going bad. Women love leather fragrances, so put it on even if you have to apply it without the spray. It’s that good.
Brian Adee
Brian has been fascinated with fragrances since his 8th birthday, when his Dad gifted him a bottle of Acqua di Gio. Since then, he has become a men's grooming & style aficionado who teaches men how to look sharp. Backed by personal experience, Brian's articles are known for his no-holds-barred style where he holds nothing back. You will get his real opinions on the latest men's grooming products and best practices where he reveals the best (and worst) style advice every man should know.
