What does Suede smell like?
Suede smells of brushed leather, soft to the touch: warm skin, slightly powdery, with hints of dried apricot, iris and musk. It has almost none of the smoky bitterness of birch tar found in darker leathers. On skin the suede accord melts into a velvety, almost tactile texture that extends the warmth of the base. It is a comfort note, sensual but never aggressive.
Origin and production
Suede is not a raw material but a synthetic accord built by the perfumer. It usually combines musks, iris and violet notes, molecules with saffron-like accents and, in tiny doses, compounds that recall tanned hide. It developed alongside the rise of musks and soft leathers, as a counterpoint to more traditional smoky leathers, and is highly popular in contemporary perfumery.
How perfumers use it
Suede sits in the base, where it softens and wraps the composition. It pairs with iris, peony, saffron, raspberry, vanilla and tobacco. Tom Ford Tuscan Leather combines it with leather and raspberry, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille sets it beneath tobacco and vanilla, and Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede pairs it with peony and red apple for a tender floral.
How to wear it
Suede suits autumn and winter and appeals to anyone who loves soft, enveloping and sensual fragrances.
