Is anyone else following the World Cup? I won’t spoil the results of today’s matches for those who are, but it got me thinking: If we had a World Cup of fragrances? Who would you put in the Grouo matches to represent your country / team? For me: USA: Polo Blue England: Penhaligons Endymion or Sartorial Brazil: City Rhythm 2654 Argentina: Le Labo Santal 33 Spain: Carner Barcelona Costa East Mexico: Xerjoff Naxos France: Guerlain Habit Rouge Italy: Acqua Di Parma Colonia Croatia: Hermes Un Jardin en la Mediteranee Netherlands: Bois 1920 Imperiale Iraq: Amouage Reflection Man Germany: Mercedes Benz Club Black EDP Belgium: Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille Canada: Mancera Cedrat Boise Japan: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Flora Cherrysia I’m missing a bunch. Would love to hear talks takes and fills

Eau d’Ombré is the newest addition to the Ombré Leather line, launched in 2024 under the work of perfumer Sonia Constant, who continued her development of the collection after earlier entries. It’s a bit of an odd release order: the original EDP and stronger Parfum versions came first, with this EDT arriving later. If you imagine the original Ombré Leather crossed with something like Spicebomb and softened by a warm amber backbone, you’ll get a good sense of where this sits. While the original is famous for that bold “new leather jacket meets fresh interior” vibe, Eau d’Ombré shifts direction—trading much of the raw, gritty intensity for a warmer, spicier, and clearly vanilla-focused profile. It moves away from the animalic and jasmine-laced leather of its predecessors, instead offering what the brand calls “Radiant Leather.” The opening hits brighter and fizzier than anything else in the line. You get a sharp, energizing burst of fresh ginger, coriander, and cardamom; for the first few minutes it feels airy and just a touch medicinal. As it settles into the heart, the spices calm down and the signature leather accord finally appears—but here it feels glowing rather than heavy. Gone is that smoky, almost gasoline-like edge of the EDP, making this version far smoother, with a subtle thread of saffron adding depth. Where it really stands apart is the base: this is where Eau d’Ombré shines. It unfolds into a rich vanilla tincture supported by ambrofix, turning into a creamy, gently sweet, lightly woody skin scent. Amber and honeyed woods wrap it all up, giving it a cozy feel rather than anything loud or aggressive. Being labeled an EDT, you’d expect lighter performance—but it actually holds its own surprisingly well, especially in cooler weather. It lasts a solid 6–8 hours on skin, though it softens into a close skin scent faster than the original EDP. Projection stays moderate: it creates a pleasant, noticeable “scent bubble” around you for the first two hours, but never shouts or fills a whole room. That makes it ideal for offices, everyday wear, or dates where you don’t want to overwhelm anyone. If you like leather fragrances but find the original too harsh or intense, this is a perfect entry point—and it’s also the most affordable option in the entire Ombré Leather lineup.

So as you know social media tends to hype up the newest dupe fragrances out there, saying it’s the closest “1:1 i’ve ever smelled” and whatnot, and this month’s edition is the indonesian house: Velixir. Now i can’t deny presentation looks spectacular. Attractive designs and packaging, but as we all know the most important is the juice. So asking all of you, if any of you have had the opportunity to try these, what do you think? Is it truly as good as they say it is? Or just another marketing gag and a sham?