The smell of leather can represent so much in Italian culture, from a couture jacket to ancient Roman armor. But for the Italian edition of their Cuirs Nomades series, MEMO and Alienor Massenet chose the ultimate depiction of the quintessentially Italian la bella vita- the leather-wrapped steering wheel of a top-down cabriolet hugging the curves on a coastal highway, young lovers tucked into the seats, hair whipping in the countryside-scented wind, a sumptuous picnic packed into a basket in the backseat.
The first impressions of Italian Leather are fresh and green: tomato leaf and soft, lightly herbal vanilla, accompanied by a sharp, young leather that invigorates. As the leather matures and mixes with orris root and resinous galbanum, the warm, spicy outdoorsy qualities give off a hint of motor oil and coastal air, leaving us relaxed and excited all at once. Italians, as they say, are the French in a good mood- and one sniff of Italian Leather is bound to put you in a good mood all your own.