WHAT I SMELL:  Black No. 1 opens with a boot strap leather with hints of green cedar and fir.  The leather feels strong, thick and stiff, like the boot leather that would be worn by a lineman needed for protection from the rugged elements.  After a short time, a petroleum sheen rises above the leather which is rather metallic and sharp.  But soon enough, that metallic edge disappears and once again the perfume becomes full on leather.  After 30 minutes or so, the perfume moves from the strong leather, to a softer and lusher wooded and slightly sugared leather.  At this point, the perfume is very comforting and it feels at ease.  The best of Black No. 1 is reserved for the drydown.  In the end, the leather is soft and rather green, slightly sweetened lightly creamy and it hugs the skin…which means you’ll have to get close up to really feel it’s magic.

From the House of Matriarch website:

Recently named “SEXIEST SCENT” at the International Artisan Fragrance Awards, TOP MEN’S FRAGRANCE by Men’s Journal Magazine and BEST OF THE WEST by Sunset Magazine. This worldly and penetrating perfume contains hundreds of exotic natural essences. An unforgettable, brooding, complex, swirling kaleidoscope of a perfume which, given its notes and general dark aesthetic, is surprisingly warm and encompassing. This fragrance captivates the wearer to a deep and enchanting mystique.

Black No. 1 notes:

Top: Northwest conifers, Puget Sound seaweed, white sage

Middle: oud, cannabis, amber

Base: black leather, ambergris, hyraceum

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  The Wichita Lineman…very masculine, solitary and graceful in his strength.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BLACK NO. 1:  secure, confident, understated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BLACK NO. 1: Perfume do Dio, Fragrance Daily

BOTTOM LINE:  Formerly branded as Blackbird, Black No. 1 really is a sexy scent in that it’s masculine without being over the top full on beast.  Instead, it has a quiet strength that would fit any wearing scenario.  I’m not a huge fan of leather perfumes, but I think I finally found one that could break my thinking on that front.

• Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent:  Leather
• Nose: Christi Meshell
• Classification: Masculine, but could easily be worn by a woman
• Expense: $330 for 50 ml.  Available exclusively at Nordstrom or via the House of Matriarch website.

Sample courtesy of House of Matriarch.  Opinion my own.