Memo Paris African Leather Review: For Cardamom Lovers

It never fails to impress me, African Leather, that is. If you are someone who adores everything cardamom, then this is a fragrance that you absolutely must try.

The niche house behind African Leather is Memo Paris, founded by John and Clara Molloy in 2007. Fragrances offered by Memo are inspired by Clara’s journeys to various corners of the world, with African Leather debuting in 2015. The two primary redolent components behind African Leather are listed as geranium and cardamom, both naturals featuring heavily in African culture, particular that of Egypt. Both ingredients have a marked verdant quality that pair quite well together.

The initial stage of African Leather on skin is highlighted by the presence of succulent, yet effervescent bergamot, intense sweet saffron, and a slightly carnal, enigmatic use of cumin. Underneath these spicy, citric aspects is the fragrance’s foundation grounded in oud, patchouli, and vetiver. The oud here is quite smooth and polished without any of the funkier qualities it is sometimes infamous for.

But the spiciness of African Leather is made sublime through the previously mentioned combo of cardamom and geranium. It is green, it is wild, and yet exotically alluring at this point. Although geranium is a floral note, I don’t really detect anything overtly floral throughout the development of African Leather. It really acts as a bridge linking the spices and the woodier tones in the base.

Due to the cumin, African Leather continues to exhibit a wild, somewhat dirty quality as it gets woodier and earthier in the dry down. Cardamom also sometimes has a slightly dusty vibe which could be contributing to this effect. Initially more on the balsamic spectrum, the patchouli further melds with the woody oud presence, as the delightful warm earthiness of the vetiver becomes more pronounced. Even though the fragrance is called African Leather, surprisingly leather isn’t all that noticeable here. From the middle stage to the dry down, all I perceive is a subtle presence, a suggestion of soft, supple suede wrapping the spices and woods together, accented by a touch of musk.

Longevity is excellent with 3-4 sprays being sufficient for an entire day. Leaning more to the masculine side, it would make a great accessory for a formal evening or even just for a casual night out with friends. Because of its heavier profile, it would seem that African Leather is more suited to cooler seasons, but I’ve found that it shines in the heat as well. If you love cardamom in fragrances, African Leather should be at the top of your list for sure. It will continue to be one of my most favorite perfumes in my collection for years to come.