Desert Leather by Nabeel

Hi everyone! I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but the bottle isn’t nearly as over-the-top as the perfume itself. In my opinion, it’s like an upgraded version of Tom Ford’s Ombré Leather; personally, I love its opening and longevity even more. The sense of quality doesn’t have anything to envy TF. A huge find from this house. This definitely plays in a different league within Arabic perfumery. The bottle absolutely does not do the juice inside it justice.

Greetings, essence lovers! This fragrance really surprised me. A year ago, on a trip to the USA, I almost accidentally visited a small shop distributing brands I’d never heard of: Swiss Arabian, Nabeel, French Avenue, Dumont Paris, Zimaya, among others. That’s when I realized my Western consumption world was a bit limited… And right this perfume made me rethink my modest collection. Now I have four pieces of Tom Ford, including Ombré Leather Parfum, one of my favorites. The similarity between OLP (and maybe Tuscan, also by TF) and Desert Leather (though with a ‘twist’) left me a bit bewildered. I won’t mention the price, which is well-known. Now, my experience (subjective!) with DL. It opens with a semi-sour red fruit, barely sweet (more of a ‘dry’ fruity aroma), to which thyme (so familiar in many kitchens) integrates, creating an unexpectedly pleasant blend. There’s also a faint vanilla note that provides counterpoint from the start. This accord lasts a while until some clean floral notes appear. Later, the ‘dry’ fruity accord fades to give way to a soft leather base with smoky and woody touches. The thyme remains throughout the life of the perfume, softening and weaving into the base notes. This evolution is well-balanced. It doesn’t seem like a mess of a thousand things fighting to stand out; each has its place. I can distinguish the notes well, which surprises me to this day for a perfume at this price point. Longevity of 10+ hours on skin (knowing it varies per person). My shirt still held this fragrance for a couple of days after, so I recommend wearing it on clothes. It’s not a ‘beast mode’ (the favorite internet catchphrase). But it performs very, very well. Excellent value for money.

A good inspiration of TF Ombré Leather, with a small twist that adds thyme. Longevity of over 10 hours. Compared to Lattafa’s Amber & Leather, this Desert Leather feels a bit more natural, though you have to keep in mind that the central note is iso-butyl quinoline (in both the original TF and all its clones), so mainly the scent of the fragrance will feel very synthetic to us.