Ombre Leather

Tom Ford's Ombre Leather (relaunched in 2018) built its cult following on a bold cardamom-and-black-leather opening that reads warm and slightly smoky rather than harsh or animalic, settling into a jasmine-tinged, patchouli-amber base that has made it one of the house's most talked-about unisex releases. Clean Shaven's dupe opens promisingly, with a recognisable spiced-leather burst that nods clearly at the original in the first few minutes. The difference shows as it develops: Tom Ford's leather accord is dense and long-wearing, holding its rugged character for hours, while this version's leather note fades to something softer and sweeter fairly quickly, losing the smokiness that gives the real thing its edge. It is a fun, wallet-friendly way to try the cardamom-leather combination that made the original so popular, and works well layered over a plain base for a night out, but do not expect it to project through a whole evening the way the genuine Ombre Leather does.