Submarine Realm, Memo Ocean Leather

Those of us who have already spent some years in the world of perfume (and many of you have this hobby way longer than me) know that there are raw materials that simply go well with one another. Thanks to science the perfumer palette becomes broader year after year, yet still noses willingly utilize these well-known duets, like oud-rose, amber-vanilla, lemon-mint, violet-mimosa. We all got used to these pairings, that’s why a spark of interest appears when a brand tries something new. Cuirs Nomades line from Memo just got a new member. Marine accord and leather? Will it work?

In the opening of Ocean Leather mandarin is the one that comes first to the front, bringing a happy juicy vibe that makes my mouth water in no time. Its scent combines citrus juice and bits of the orange flesh, with additional whisper of aromatic aspect of the peel. So far the perfume doesn’t evoke anything marine but that is about to change. Couple of minutes later sage joins the composition and when it starts to effuse its herbaceous aroma with hints of iodine and a slightly sweaty impression, we are already getting few steps closer to the big water & its mysteries.

Aromatic scent of vetiver, slightly woody, a bit hay-like through its dry & grassy facet gives me the impression as if I was smelling an old rope that’s been on a boat that saw coutless marine adventures over the decades. There’s a saline aspect to it that makes Ocean Leather way more interesting in my eyes (in my nose?) Later on elemi joins, which adds something green to the perfume on one hand and balmy-waxy on the other hand. Its resinous, slightly incensy smell blends well with the freshness of mandarin and ocean-dipped sage and vetiver. We keep on sailing.

Basil essence gives Ocean Leather more of a green & herbal tinge but it doesn’t smell like a summer garden at all. Instead it seems that other elements of the fragrance help the preferred aromatics to come out with higher priority. Even though these molecules are green there’s something raspy about them. Smelling this part makes me think of green algae floating on top of the wavy ocean surface. The waves are being beaten up as they hit the shore, naturally forming a foam. At this point of development a faint scent of violet – watery, crisp & floral, reaches my nostrils.

Drydown of this newest addition to the Memo leathers series brings a lot of tranquility & peace. Leather accord finally emerges and while it feels dense and substantial, it is and at the same time it isn’t powerful. It surely isn’t as prominent as in previous positions in the collection. In Ocean Leather this accord feels a bit stiff, a bit cracked – like a sailor’s jacket that has been damaged by a salty water. The perfume seamlessly transitions to a cedarwood note – a smell of wooden boat deck, permeated with the smell of ocean and wax. A hint of nutmeg when its dry. It’s an endless water.

When I first heard that Memo is going to release Ocean Leather I was a bit confused, wondering how leather and marine accord – two different worlds on the first thought, could go together in same fragrance. The result is unexpected – the perfume is not difficult in perception if you ask me, it’s difficult to describe or fit in the frames of one specific olfactive family. Perfumer Alienor Massenet created a scent that perfectly marries these ‘opposite forces’, giving us an exciting thing to smell, given you enjoy leathery and marine notes when they’re separated. Ocean Leather 75 ml bottle has a label-plate that features a big white whale, a perfect representation of this eau de parfum.