Right, full disclosure straight away: this was one of my very first niche picks, and yeah, I’m definitely biased here. For me it’s the absolute crown jewel of Memo’s Cuirs Nomades collection, no question. Launched back in 2013, it was made to capture exactly that feeling of a crisp frosty morning out in the Irish countryside – the faint smell of a stable, damp grass underfoot, and that raw, open-air ruggedness. It was crafted by Aliénor Massenet, easily my favourite perfumer, and the person behind almost all of Memo’s most iconic releases. And for anyone who doesn’t know: Memo was set up by husband-and-wife team John and Clara Molloy, and Irish Leather is actually a loving nod to Johns Irish roots. Unlike the thick, smoky, old-school leather scents that hit you like a brick, this one’s got this bright, aromatic green heart running all the way through it. First spray hits you with pink pepper, clary sage and juniper berry – and it’s that juniper and sage that take over immediately. It’s sharp, bracing, and instantly gives you that gin-like herbal crispness, exactly like stepping out into cold morning air and taking a deep breath. As it settles, the green maté absolute, iris and flouve come forward, and that maté becomes the star: it’s grassy, slightly bitter, with just a hint of smoke that ties the fresh opening to the deeper base perfectly. The iris adds this subtle, silvery powdery edge too, just enough to keep it feeling polished and elegant, rather than just rough and rustic. The dry-down brings in the leather accord, birch, amber and tonka bean – and forget raw, animal hide, this is the clean, rich smell of a well-oiled premium saddle. The birch adds a soft woody smoke, while the tonka smooths everything out just enough so it never feels harsh or sharp. Performance is honestly brilliant. I get a solid 6 hours on skin, with strong projection that wraps around you in a proper noticeable bubble – never cloying or suffocating, but that aromatic edge means it cuts straight through cold air no problem. It’s incredibly unique too; there’s barely any other “green leather” out there that pulls off this level of realism and balance. It’s not just another nice scent. Its so good, I got another bottle on the way.

All I can say is wow. This is nothing like what I expected – totally different from the rest of the collection, and such a pleasant surprise. It’s built to capture that exact feeling of a slow, lazy stroll along the shore on a warm summer’s day: salt hanging in the air, skin glowing from hours in the sun, and that faint, familiar scent of good sunscreen lingering everywhere you go. Launched back in 2012, it’s the work of Jacques Cavallier Belletrud and Marie Salamagne, the pair behind modern classics like Afternoon Swim and By The Fireplace, so you know you’re in safe hands here. First spray hits you with this bright, breezy mix of bergamot, sharp pink pepper and fresh lemon. It’s an instant burst of freshness that feels exactly like stepping out from shelter and breathing in that crisp coastal breeze – but the citrus never gets harsh, sharp or overpowering. It stays light, airy and genuinely uplifting. Give it ten minutes or so, and the real heart of the scent comes through: soft ylang-ylang tangled up with a smooth coconut milk accord. The ylang-ylang brings this gentle, creamy tropical floral edge, and the coconut adds that rich, rounded sweetness – this is exactly what people mean when they say it smells like expensive, high-quality sunscreen, and it pulls it off perfectly without ever feeling cheap or cloying. By the time it fully settles, you’re left with soft musk, clean cedarwood and a whisper of benzoin. The musk gives it this natural, “this is just how I smell” warmth that feels like sun-kissed, slightly salty skin; the cedar adds a tiny touch of dry, woody depth, and the benzoin brings just enough soft resinous sweetness to tie the whole thing together and stop it feeling too thin. Now for the real talk on performance: As an edt it’s never going to be a beast. I get about 4 hours on skin, with noticeable projection out to arm’s length for the first 90m before it tucks in close as a skin scent. But honestly? I don’t even mind, because the vibe here makes up for every drop of it. This doesn’t just smell nice – it feels like a holiday. Pure sun, sea, sand, sunscreen and nothing but good vibes. It’s the kind of scent that lifts your mood the second you spray it, and that’s worth more to me than all-day loud projection. If you want to bring a little bit of that summer getaway feeling to your everyday life, this is an absolute must-try.

I will continue reviewing clone, designer, niche, and artisan fragrance houses so newer brothers—and even some of our older brothers—can get a better understanding of what each house offers. The goal is not to shame anyone for what they buy. It is to help the brotherhood make better-informed decisions and separate genuine quality from hype. Montagne Parfums is an American-inspired fragrance house based in New York City. Out of the clone houses I have tried, I consider Montagne one of the better-quality options. Their fragrances are freshly compounded to order, and they generally come across as smoother, cleaner, and more refined than many inexpensive Middle Eastern clones. The openings are usually not as loud, harsh, or overly synthetic. They also tend to do a better job of maintaining the original fragrance’s structure throughout wear. With many cheaper clones, the opening may slightly capture the original, but the fragrance eventually falls into the same generic sweet, woody, amber, or musky closing. Montagne usually gives you better transitions and a more complete wearing experience. I also think Montagne deserves credit for attempting fragrances that are difficult to duplicate. Some of their interpretations get surprisingly close to the scent profile of the original, especially in the air. The materials often smell better than what you normally find in cheaper clone houses, and many of the fragrances do not have that rough opening that needs 20 or 30 minutes before becoming wearable. However, I still would not automatically say that Montagne replaces the original fragrance. Capturing the recognizable scent profile is not the same as reproducing the exact quality, texture, depth, and transitions. Sometimes Montagne captures the opening well but becomes flatter in the dry down. Other times, it gets the overall smell right but comes across as denser, sweeter, sharper, or less transparent than the original. And sometimes it captures everything. Performance can also be inconsistent. Some Montagne fragrances last extremely well, while others are much softer or shorter-lasting than the online hype suggests. Citrus-heavy fragrances can still disappear faster, regardless of how closely they resemble the original. This is why every release should be judged individually instead of assuming everything from the house is automatically excellent.