The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Arabian Leather arrived in 2015 from the laboratory of independent natural perfumer JoAnne Bassett. By the time this composition came together, her work had become closely associated with botanical materials and a clear point of view. Arabian Leather reads as the meeting point between that material focus and a distinct approach to fragrance: frankincense, oud, Palo Santo, cedar, and the warm spice of cassia are treated as the central language of the composition. The result is a leather fragrance built less around a single leather accord than around the textures that surround it, from resinous incense to polished wood and soft acacia sweetness.
What sets the composition apart is its frankincense strategy. Arabian Leather brings together African and Somali frankincense, allowing the two resins to shape both the heart and the base. Palo Santo adds a dry, woody incense character, while Cambodian oud gives the mid-palette a deeper, darker register. Cassia contributes warmth and spice, and sweet acacia absolute adds a rounded honeyed accent. Together, these materials create an aromatic architecture in which resins, woods, spice, and sweetness remain clearly present rather than collapsing into a single generalized leather effect.
The evolution
The opening reads warm and almost food-adjacent, with cassia and acacia briefly suggesting spiced sweetness before the resins take the lead. Within the first twenty minutes, African frankincense and Palo Santo establish a slow, church-like drift, with smoke appearing structured and woody rather than burnt. An hour in, Cambodian oud surfaces with a darker wood character, almost leather-like in effect, reinforcing the composition's title without relying on suede or saffron as obvious leather shortcuts. The drydown is where Somali frankincense becomes more prominent, settling into a low, resinous presence alongside the remaining wood notes. There is no abrupt top-note crash here and no sudden gap between phases. Instead, the transitions create a measured arc, moving from warm spice and honeyed sweetness into dry incense, dark wood, and a close, quietly resinous finish.
Cultural impact
Arabian Leather draws together several materials associated with aromatic traditions of incense, woods, resins, and spice. Its use of African and Somali frankincense gives the composition a prominent place for frankincense, while Cambodian oud and Palo Santo deepen the woody, incense-like character. Cassia introduces warmth and a familiar sweet-spice dimension, and sweet acacia absolute softens the structure with a honeyed accent. Together, these materials create a fragrance that explores the sensory overlap between incense, leather, and polished wood.
The House
JoAnne BassettJoAnne Bassett is an independent natural perfumer who has built a niche following since the early 1990s. Based in San Diego, she creates small‑batch fragrances that rely on real essential oils, absolutes and botanicals rather than synthetic aroma chemicals. Her line includes scents such as Timeless (2011), Intimacy (2012) and Sacred 333 Elixir (2016). The brand positions itself as a laboratory for botanical discovery, offering both ready‑to‑wear perfumes and a DIY kit that lets customers blend their own natural fragrance at home.
The Creator
JoAnne BassettBassett favors all‑natural essential oils, absolutes, and tinctures harvested from farms she trusts. She writes each composition on a digital ledger, treating the recipe like a piece of code that can be refined and personalized.
