Yes I'm a sucker for leather, This is one that I actually left behind a few days ago, regretted my desicion and went back to get. It's rather intriguing, said to be a dupe for everyone's favourite, Ombre Leather. But whilst there are some similarities, Rare Carbon is different. I even get some African Leather vibes in the mix here. Overall it's an impressive release from 2020 by the UAE based house Afnan. It's built around a strong leather accord, sweetened with florals and spices, and grounded by a woody base. The opening is a powerful blast of leather, it's a little smoky, rugged, new-car-like. This is immediately smoothed by the green, slightly aqueous presence of Violet Leaf and warmed up with a touch of aromatic Cinnamon and Nutmeg spice. As the initial intensity mellows, the scent reveals a softer, more complex heart. The Violet and Rose add a powdery, floral elegance that prevents the leather from becoming too harsh or linear. Cedar Wood provides a clean, dry backbone. There is supposed to be an oud note here as well, but if it's there the cedar seems to be masking it? The dry-down is warm, earthy, and long-lasting. Vetiver introduces an earthy, smoky quality; Sandalwood adds a creamy woodiness; and Amber adds a rich, resinous warmth, securing the leather accord.Oddly this is one of the few leather fragrances that does not contain any Jasmine Sambac. I really like the construction here. For a budget friendly ME fragrance, it offers solid performance, especially for its price point: I'm getting a strong 6+ hrs. The opening is quite strong, pushing out noticeably for the first hour. It then settles into a moderate scent cloud that will still be easily detectable to those around you in your personal space for a few more hours. It continues my favouritism for cold weather scents. But it's versatile to cover day and nighttime wear. This is a good one to have on your shelf My Rating: 8/10 Scent: 2.5 Longevity: 2.5 Sillage: 2 Y/N: 1

This one hit me between the eyes ever since I got the sample. I know Boadicea is a very polarizing house on here. its a love it or hate it. I'm on the Love train. 😎 It just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling from the second I put it on. I have been trying to not "over wear" it and make sure I give plenty of love to my others and all the samples that keep arriving.😎 But I couldn't wait any longer. So today is Tobacco Sapphire day!! When I went to leave this morning and my wife was just stirring and starting to wake up she rolled over and said - OOOH! Which one is that? You Smell amazing!! 🎉 That's all the validation I needed today. This is a solid bottle buy for me! While insanely expensive for a 100ml, I opted for the 10ml since you only need 1-2 sprays max, but if the stars ever fully align I would have no problem spending the big $ for the 100ml. Happy Friday everyone.