Perfume rating 4.02 out of 5 with 163 votes
Vibrant Leather Intense byZara is a Woody fragrance for men.Vibrant Leather Intense was launched in 2021. The nose behind this fragrance is Jérôme Epinette. Top note is Woody Notes; middle note is Papyrus; base note is Sandalwood.
Read about this perfume in other languages:Deutsch,Español,Français,Čeština,Italiano,Русский,Polski,Português,Ελληνικά,汉语,Nederlands,Srpski,Română,العربية,Українська,Монгол,עברית.
Perfume longevity:3.15 out of5.
Perfume sillage:2.17 out of4.
Become a member of this online perfume community and you will be able to add your own reviews.
Pratyaksh01/25/25 01:00
Good buy, value for money.
If you are starting you fragrance journey for leather perfumes.
Then you can try with this one.
Better to visit zara store and buy if available with them.
oli4db04/27/24 05:42
So ZARA brought this out again, but now it's called Intense Vibrant Leather, with an ombré colored bottle ; my batch ode is 31511, meaning that i's produced on 2023-05-31.
The notes on the box state now : Schinus Molle, Elemi , Patchouli so completely different than the notes on Fragratica here, which state: Top note is Woody Notes; middle note is Papyrus; base note is Sandalwood.
This is a completely other perfume, so Fragrantica should create a new page for this version of the perfume!
Now on to the perfume itself: what a wonderful scent : The mix of pink pepper, elemi and patchouli give off this great and long lasting scent that is one of my favorite ones of all the Vibrant Leather lines that Zara created. It stands on it's one as it has, to my nose, no connection to the other flankers of this line.
The freshness of the pink pepper in the opening, mixed with the elemi is just amazing and so fresh, yet deep. The patchouli in it is not of the chocolaty type but again, more young and fresh. All in all , this is a superb perfume, lasts hours on the skin and even longer on fabric.
This is really one of my favorite versions of Vibrant Leather and if you can still find it, buy it. You won't regret this.
FBtron03/23/24 11:48
Intense vibrant leather
Got me people asking 'what are you wearing'
I think the most compliments i have ever got.
Just to clear i own Sauvage edt, ESL Y edp, bleu d Ch parfum, Leu Dissey Homme, Dunhill London, CDNIM Edt
Do not overspray!! Just the regular sprays will do the job.
Papyrusbo11/12/23 10:23
@seversky glad to know your research, based on the notes i think yeah its quite similar ill definitely try oriflame
And agree i do like more vbl intense before 2022 its more warm and pleasant, for me i do really like the smoky sweetnesses that come from It
Thanks for the recommendation
seversky11/10/23 09:05
@Papyrusbo I have just received a discovery set from vinted with it and my mind went straight to a frag I own - Oriflame Be The Legend. Very similar but less woody, a tad more fruity, leathery and perhaps sweet. It is considered a cheap and more youthful version of La Nuit de l'Homme. You can find it for dirt cheap on vinted if you are in Europe. Good stuff and lasts a bit too.
I despise the 2022 version (fresh, harsh and synthetic) and adore the original (warm and cozy), so different! In their description notes within the tester box, they didn't even hide it that it's the same juice as VL Winter lol. It was introduced as VL Winter (certainly a copy-paste of the old description for VL Winter)
Papyrusbo10/24/23 11:30
Does anybody know, what are similar perfumes or have a clostest scent with vbl intense 2021/ vbl winter? Cause both are discontinued already
pejatibia10/11/23 14:21
For the record, this review focuses on the 2022 iteration with a different bottle, aptly named Zara Intense Vibrant Leather.
It starts off with a quick hit of dry pure alcohol — don't worry, it's not staying long. It soon settles into a sweet grass scent. Don't let the initial extreme harshness throw you off; it's gone before you know it.
The fragrance claims to offer a complex blend, from citrusy bergamot and lemon to more grounded elements like leather and tobacco. In reality, the experience leans towards a basic citrus that veers into woody and grassy territory. The wood is notably sour, adding a twist. A whiff of bamboo and slight spices make an appearance but they're subtle, almost too subtle. Opening has a quick shot of plum.
If you're looking for a scent that stays with you throughout the day, this isn't it. Longevity is almost non-existent and the sillage quickly turns into a skin scent within more or less an hour. Even budget-friendly Middle Eastern options which I'm a hardcore fan of have better staying power.
This fragrance seems best suited for autumn, with its leather notes becoming more dominant over time. However, its quick fade might leave you wishing for more, especially when the intriguing papyrus notes vanish almost as quickly as they appear. Besides that, I don't feel any complexity — maybe a slight mess.
Overall, for €10 on sale what I paid, it's an okay pick among tens or hundreds of other fragrances you have. But if you want something that'll last, you might need to look elsewhere. This has longevity of a summer fragrance being a winter/fall fragance. Not much to tell about it.
Opening note: 4+
Sillage/Projection: 2
Dry down: 6+
Longevity: 4
Blend/Composition: 5
Versatility: 6
Uniqueness: 3+
Value for money: 8
Bottle design/Aesthetics: 5
Overall experience: 4
Blind-buy rating: 7
aizensozuke08/20/23 01:14
The opening smells like very cheap plum moonshine and a sweaty leather chair, after it settles down, it becomes a fantastic and complex fragrance. Do not overspray, I repeat.
jikolpp07/13/23 06:26
I have the 2022/2023 edition.
I didn't like it on paper, it just didn't translate well.
However, on my skin... WOW.
This reminds me of being in a ski chalet with the fireplace on in the evening. No sweetness at all, so when i say fireplace - please do not think of Margiela By The Fireplace. It leaves a very warm and cozy dry deep woody scent. The tobacco, bamboo and papyrus comes through really nicely, much like a niche quality fragrance, you would never expect this type of fragrance from Zara.
Very smooth and well rounded with impressive longevity of around 10+ hours on my skin. In the first 3-4 hours the deep woody notes come through the hardest, then the hours after that the VL DNA comes through more. You might become nose blind to it during the wear but the silage is still strong even to the end of the night. Don't over spray if you're going to the office as people may be able to smell you before you enter the room. Definitely one of the best performers, if not THE BEST performer from all of Zara's fragrances, a hidden gem I hope they don't discontinue it!!
Dr Harder07/11/23 10:47
Dry as a bone. And probably the best performer of all Zara's fragrances. And I tried plenty of them
captainlibra07/01/23 15:06
I am reviewing the 2022 Reformulation:
This fragrance is an essence, more than just a fragrance. It captures an atmosphere, something more out of time.
It’s distinguished, elegant and somewhat rugged. It makes me think of Indiana Jones. There’s a sense of adventure to it, but mature, very masculine.
It’s rather lemon and vetiver dominant, similar to Encre Noire, but there are other things at work. An aged and distinguished leather. A Smoky pipe tobacco. An afterthought of pepper. It’s really nice.
I notice a subtle comparison to Halzton Z-14 as well, but darker.
This is not a young man’s fragrance. If you wear it, be ready to wear a suit, it is meant for more formal events.
Not much to say on performance yet. It’s just strong enough for you to experience it and go along for the ride. Don’t expect a beast in performance though.
All in all, it runs in the vein of Vibrant Leather, but taking the line somewhere a little more rugged and unknown. It feels like getting lost in an old building, and the adventure and meandering sense of discovery that comes with it. Rifling through dusty old parchments, uncovering lost history. Woody, Lemony, Smoky and Somewhat spicy. Dark but with a hint of intriguing adventure. A good pickup.
8/10
Update:
The longevity is pretty great. Sprayed a few on my wrist last night and it’s still on my wrist projecting decently well, that’s around 8-10 hours.
minhoEK306/06/23 22:51
I dont know, this is my second fragrance i regret buying, shouldve bought regular one. I mean its not bad but not my cup of tea.
When i sprayed it the first thing i thought was: wow thats "grassy", idk if it is moss or vetiver or that papyrus. Also i can smell that bergamot similar to regular Vibrant leather which makes it quite fresh.
I would say that it it quite linear and about sillage and perfomance its decent 5-7 hours.
Like i said not strong recommendation , Zara has better offerings maybe even in Vibrant Leather line. §
Youtuber Toilletarian has video on it saying it is mix of Aventus, The Scent ,Toy Boy and Gentleman reserve privee. Dont have those fragrances so i cant compare but if its true you got nice mix i guess?:)
Josati010406/02/23 10:21
I have no idea what was going through my mind when i bought this. I tested it and it was my favorite from Zara. So i instantly bought it. I tested it on paper, however after a few days of wearing it i noticed that it smelled horrible on my skin. Not joking it literally smelled like poo with some woody notes. Its probably on my skin only. However spraying on clothes it can be worn. Got a compliment from a friend once. Its very basic with no complex depth or different notes. A very boring cologne but its got good projection and is long lasting, definetly lasts for entire school days.
Frabra8804/24/23 20:02
Not the same anymore. So sad.
The previous iteration was almost a "conceptual" fragrance. To me it smelled like the fresh vapor that is released in the air when ironing my clothes; had a clean vibe and was woody, similar to some molecule fragrances, a little dry probably from papyrus. Also had some vibe of architect studio, pencil and paper. Unisex, I used to spray my clothes with it.
Now it is a sort of oriental with the Vibrant Leather dna, and more smoked. It is good in his own right so why give it the name and the place of the other?
I wanted to take a huge discounted bottle during sale but then I changed my mind and now I regret it.
Also, they discontinued Warm Vibrant Leather from the line, another Epinette work that was a beatiful skin scent with ambrette (but with scarse performance)..
Invasionbg03/23/23 14:19
Very dearing feagrance 👍
Will rock it at work when I have late shifts 👌
anasshth01/25/23 06:35
The 2022 formulation of the intense vibrant leather is a great cheapie, it smells like a 60€ fragrance easy !
I smelled the original vibrant leather intense which i find a bit screechy with a strong opening, on the other hand the 2022 is different, it smells more refined, more woody and especially long lasting !
It lasts on me for 7 to 8 hours with 2hours of good projection !
enogioroy01/11/23 17:06
I like the 2022 formulation of this flanker. Shifts more eastern and gives decent longevity on skin. I’m picking a lot of elemi ,resins and faint hint of incense. Brings to mind, a watered down version of black afgano with VL dna minus the cañabais . Not a bad pick for orientation perfume lovers 👍🏽
easybaymike12/28/22 20:27
2022 tester bottle at Zara: on skin, one of I've most awful scents ever to make its way up my nostrils. I imagine this is what rotting flesh smells like? I even gave it an hour before my Repulsion was too "Intense"... ON MY OTHER HAND, literally, I had Zara Vibrant Leather EDP, and its watered-down Aventus DNA was at least very pleasant and wearable. MILES away from whatever this is supposed to be. The only occasion for this would be to complete your gruesomely realistic zombie costume on Halloween. But you will be locked in the garage at the party.
AHperfume12/13/22 10:39
Very close to TM Noir Anthracite IMO, the new version I mean
Cobraslater11/25/22 01:49
Please please bring back this version ! The new intense is not the same !!
Please does anyone know if there is something else that smells like this !?!
Thanks
ch03np11/14/22 06:35
The 2022 version of this (“Intense Vibrant Leather”) is a completely different scent with elemi, tobacco, oud, and leather notes to name a few. It should arguably have its own release since the older release was almost undoubtably a papyrus fragrance.
newyork.citi10/15/22 00:17
I love the 2022 version with the Elemi resin and patchouli ....I believe Jérôme Epinette did a great job with this one. even though oak-moss isn't listed as a note , it does give off that vibe so i get the comparisons to Afnan Supremacy Not Only Intense. i haven't been buying Zara frags recently cause they have been underwhelming to me but this one drew me in immediately
Colossalscent10/09/22 14:26
I didn't tried the older version but i tried the new one in stores. To me it has almost the exactly same smell of Afnan Supremacy Not Only Intense, i almost literally can't smell any differences. It's a mature oak moss/pineapple bomb, really nice as Afnan SNOI. A thing that surprised me are the performances!! it's easily the strongest fragrance i have ever tried from Zara (maybe Zara Tone Indeterminee is stronger but this one comes really close to it), it has amazing longevity and sillage, i could easily smell it after 10 hours, not kidding, nice release from Zara!
Waleed6810/05/22 13:18
This is second time I bought this perfume the time between the both was 3 months.
They changed the colour of the bottle. And they reformulated it . It became more woody more strong and more Eastern.
at old one you could smell the papyers and it was soft now you can smell only woody scent. it is nice but more strong.
dabatch09/29/22 04:12
yep, it´s back in zara stores again. new bottle color and 3 euros up the price.
Candyandy09/29/22 03:44
It's back! Zara brought Vibrant Leather Intense back for autumn 2022. It has a new color of the bottle but the note breakdown is the same. I haven't tested it but I don't think they reformulated it.
Gogiciano04/04/22 05:25
I love the majority of VL flankers. I had forgotten about this one, but I had a tester (4 package with VL, oud and cologne)
Now I have tested it for the first time and its really amazing. A nice fresh woody scent. Can't compare it with something I already know. So for me its unique.
I think this could be the best VL flanker yet. So I wanted to order a full bottle. But they discontinued it already. Hope it will return this year. I can't believe I missed out on the two previous versions :(
Ollietine11/26/21 06:12
The best Vibrant Leather version, very potent and more masculine compared to regualar VL. with 4-5 spray good for 8hours with great sillage.. the best part is the dry down.. compliments are keep coming. safe for blind buy.
Dan talks Scents UK 🇬🇧10/28/21 13:38
I think that this is the best smelling flanker of vibrant leather.
I get more ginger in this, with woods and citrus. It seems to go down the aqua di parma route rather than aventus DNA. For the price a solid fragrance for a grab and go but realistically you're getting an hours projection which Is a mighty shame as this smells really good.
Check out my YouTube page Dan talks Scents UK 🇬🇧for more detailed reviews.
Mapache2309/15/21 06:55
It smells like a dirtier version of Zara Vibrant leather. It seems to have some of the components later used in Vibrant Leather Boise. I'd guess it's a bit of Labdanum.
It's really sad that compared to other fragrances of that vibe (Club de Nuit, Aventus, Explorer), it lacks performance and strength. I sprayed it on my hand 60 minutes ago and it already starts to fade into nothingness.
The scent itself is great. I'd guess you have to overspray it a lot.
Candyandy05/12/21 01:15
This is not Vibrant Leather with higher longevity or projection.
I don't have enough experience with this fragrance to be confident in writing a whole review but I just wanted to inform people because the name is a little misleading.
Update: it is btw the same fragrance as Vibrant Leather Winter, just under a new name.
captainlibra07/01/23 15:06
I am reviewing the 2022 Reformulation:
This fragrance is an essence, more than just a fragrance. It captures an atmosphere, something more out of time.
It’s distinguished, elegant and somewhat rugged. It makes me think of Indiana Jones. There’s a sense of adventure to it, but mature, very masculine.
It’s rather lemon and vetiver dominant, similar to Encre Noire, but there are other things at work. An aged and distinguished leather. A Smoky pipe tobacco. An afterthought of pepper. It’s really nice.
I notice a subtle comparison to Halzton Z-14 as well, but darker.
This is not a young man’s fragrance. If you wear it, be ready to wear a suit, it is meant for more formal events.
Not much to say on performance yet. It’s just strong enough for you to experience it and go along for the ride. Don’t expect a beast in performance though.
All in all, it runs in the vein of Vibrant Leather, but taking the line somewhere a little more rugged and unknown. It feels like getting lost in an old building, and the adventure and meandering sense of discovery that comes with it. Rifling through dusty old parchments, uncovering lost history. Woody, Lemony, Smoky and Somewhat spicy. Dark but with a hint of intriguing adventure. A good pickup.
8/10
Update:
The longevity is pretty great. Sprayed a few on my wrist last night and it’s still on my wrist projecting decently well, that’s around 8-10 hours.
ch03np11/14/22 06:35
The 2022 version of this (“Intense Vibrant Leather”) is a completely different scent with elemi, tobacco, oud, and leather notes to name a few. It should arguably have its own release since the older release was almost undoubtably a papyrus fragrance.
Dan talks Scents UK 🇬🇧10/28/21 13:38
I think that this is the best smelling flanker of vibrant leather.
I get more ginger in this, with woods and citrus. It seems to go down the aqua di parma route rather than aventus DNA. For the price a solid fragrance for a grab and go but realistically you're getting an hours projection which Is a mighty shame as this smells really good.
Check out my YouTube page Dan talks Scents UK 🇬🇧for more detailed reviews.
Mapache2309/15/21 06:55
It smells like a dirtier version of Zara Vibrant leather. It seems to have some of the components later used in Vibrant Leather Boise. I'd guess it's a bit of Labdanum.
It's really sad that compared to other fragrances of that vibe (Club de Nuit, Aventus, Explorer), it lacks performance and strength. I sprayed it on my hand 60 minutes ago and it already starts to fade into nothingness.
The scent itself is great. I'd guess you have to overspray it a lot.
enogioroy01/11/23 17:06
I like the 2022 formulation of this flanker. Shifts more eastern and gives decent longevity on skin. I’m picking a lot of elemi ,resins and faint hint of incense. Brings to mind, a watered down version of black afgano with VL dna minus the cañabais . Not a bad pick for orientation perfume lovers 👍🏽
Josati010406/02/23 10:21
I have no idea what was going through my mind when i bought this. I tested it and it was my favorite from Zara. So i instantly bought it. I tested it on paper, however after a few days of wearing it i noticed that it smelled horrible on my skin. Not joking it literally smelled like poo with some woody notes. Its probably on my skin only. However spraying on clothes it can be worn. Got a compliment from a friend once. Its very basic with no complex depth or different notes. A very boring cologne but its got good projection and is long lasting, definetly lasts for entire school days.
Invasionbg03/23/23 14:19
Very dearing feagrance 👍
Will rock it at work when I have late shifts 👌
easybaymike12/28/22 20:27
2022 tester bottle at Zara: on skin, one of I've most awful scents ever to make its way up my nostrils. I imagine this is what rotting flesh smells like? I even gave it an hour before my Repulsion was too "Intense"... ON MY OTHER HAND, literally, I had Zara Vibrant Leather EDP, and its watered-down Aventus DNA was at least very pleasant and wearable. MILES away from whatever this is supposed to be. The only occasion for this would be to complete your gruesomely realistic zombie costume on Halloween. But you will be locked in the garage at the party.
Fragrantica in your language:
|Deutsch |Español |Français |Čeština |Italiano |Русский |Polski |Português |Ελληνικά |汉语 |Nederlands |Srpski |Română |العربية |Українська |Монгол |עברית |
Copyrights © 2006-2025 Fragrantica.com perfumes magazine - All Rights Reserved - do not copy anything without prior written permission. Please read theTerms of Service andPrivacy policy.
Fragrantica® Inc, United States
