Corpus Equus by Naomi Goodsir

Best Corpus Equus by Naomi Goodsir Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Corpus Equus is a leather fragrance defined by rich birch tar and smoky incense, layered with animalic leather and a subtle hint of rose. Its drydown reveals warm sandalwood, musk, amber, cedarwood, and patchouli, creating an intense, smoky, and slightly floral experience. Those seeking a fragrance in this vein should focus on the interplay of leather and smoke, balanced with resinous and woody undertones for depth and complexity.

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1
Corpus Equus

Corpus Equus by Naomi Goodsir £170.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • incense
  • leather
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #animalic
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather

A deep black animalistic composition, with assertive leather notes.
Inspiration - A tribute to a fiery & impetuous horse.

Perfumer : Bertrand Duchaufour (2021)

2
Moonlight Ceremony

Moonlight Ceremony by Mystikum £190.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • black tea
  • gaiac / guaiac wood
  • incense
  • leather
  • saffron
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather
  • woody

Under the luminous moon, smouldering embers glow with the mystery of ancient night rituals. This is a ceremony of smoke upon smoke upon smoke: birch tar, black tea, leather, frankincense. The austerity is softened by notes of amber and labdanum, deepening the mystery of the enveloping darkness.

Perfumer: Alexandre Illan

3
Black

Black by Comme Des Garcons £95.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • black pepper
  • leather
  • smoke
  • vetiver
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #fresh
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather
  • spicy
  • woody

Black in name, black in nature: black pepper, incense, leather, licorice, birch tar. The effect is tough but comforting — a campfire shot through with sparks of nutmeg, and more than a hint of gasoline-infused motorbike saddle.

4
Cuir de Russie

Cuir de Russie by Anna Zworykina £130.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £14.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • castoreum
  • leather
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #animalic
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather
  • vintage/old school
  • woody

With natural perfumes colour may and WILL vary from batch to batch.
For example, the current batch of Cuir de Russie is not as dark in colour as the previous run because the tea extract in the new batch is decolorized. This does NOT affect the aroma/effect at all.

A classic vintage chypre by design and by make Anna's Cuir de Russie is smoky, animalic and true to the early 20th century recipe.

The story of this smoky leather perfume style starts with Russian Cossacks' cavalry entering Paris to make sure the French army definetly got back home. Parisians were very much impressed by the Siberian warriors, their uniforms trimmed with beaver fur, the smoky leather of their boots (treated with tar for waterproof effect) and had a bit of an olfactive cultural shock.

French being French, they noted the whole expereince in a perfume style called Cuir de Russie. Coco Chanel later brought this style back into the spotlight to reflect on her affair with a Russian grand duke  Dmitri Pavlovich (Tsar Nicholas II’s cousin).

Starring

(these fragrant materials reanacted the Cuir de Russie story):

 acacia farnesiana essential oil 
lemon essential oil 
bergamot essential oil 
birch tar essential oil 
yuzu essential oil 
galbanum CO2 extract
orange blossom absolute 
jasmin sambac absolute
rose de May absolute 
ylang-ylang absolute 
jasmin auriculatum absolute 
tuberose absolute 
clove absolute 
castoreum tinctura
black tea absolute 
cognac white essential oil 
tabacco absolute 
Vetiver essential oil 
sandalwood CO2 extract
vanilla CO2 extract
artemisia absinthium essential oil 
Vietnamese agarwood essential oil 
oakmoss absolute 
ambrette CO2 extract
patchouli essential oil 
labdanum absolute 
Vanuatu  sandalwood essential oil 

Please note: 15 ml and 10ml EdPs come with a spray and the 4.5 ml perfume comes in a tiny splash bottle. 

 


Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

5
Honey and Tar

Honey and Tar by Anna Zworykina £95.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £14.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • castoreum
  • honey
  • leather
  • smoke
  • vanilla
  • Tags:
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • edible
  • leather
  • woody

A rich, smoky blend of honey, tar, vanilla and incense.

The perfumer leaves the perfume plot sketchy - to be completed by your imagination. Are you in your autumn apiary watching honey trickle into jars, smoke lingering in the air from bonfires of fallen leaves? Are you on the well-tarred deck of a merchant ship carrying huge barrels of honey? This beautiful, smoky fragrance will definitely take you somewhere.

Starring

(these fragrant materials reanacted the Honey and Tar story):

castoreum tinctura
benzoin absolute
birch tar essential oil
Himalayan cedarwood essential oil
sweet myrrh essential oil
vetiver essential oil
guayak wood
agarwood essential oil
Atlas cedarwood  essential oil
jasmin sambac absolute
hops CO2
lavender absolute
patchouli essential oil
cardamom absolute
tonka bean absolute
vanilla CO2 extract
orris root CO2 extract
Vanuatu sandalwood essential oil
Royal Hawaiian  sandalwood essential oil


Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

6
Oud Imperial Extrait

Oud Imperial Extrait by Perris Monte Carlo £250.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £11.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • incense
  • labdanum
  • oud
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #animalic
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather
  • unconventional
  • woody

Perfumer: Luca Maffei

The EdP option smells drier and more like a damp autumn forest (and has a peculiar mushroom effect). The extrait of Oud Imperial is more ambery (softer) and the smokiness of natural oud is much more pronounced.

Perris are rebalancing each composition for the extrait version. They shift the focus from the top notes to the base raising the amounts of base ingredients to achieve a richer, more opulent and luxurious effect. Pure indulgence in the theme.

7
Vi et Armis

Vi et Armis by Beaufort £125.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • black pepper
  • black tea
  • incense
  • opium
  • oud
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • spicy
  • woody

Formerly known as East India the perfume is back with the new name: Vi et Armis (Latin for 'by force and arms',  the motto of the East India company)

The olfactory references in the perfume are exploring Britain’s complex relationship with other nations and its dominance of international sea trade across the centuries, this heady, narcotic scent challenges as much as it beguiles.

Using imported and exported goods of the East India Company as its key notes, this addictive fragrance recalls the words of George Bernard Shaw: “Emotional excitement reaches men through Tea, Tobacco, Opium, Whisky and religion”

Paradoxical and challenging, we imagine the roots of our island nation steeped in contradictions.

8
Tonnerre

Tonnerre by Beaufort £125.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • blood accord
  • cedarwood
  • fir
  • gun powder
  • sea salt
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • unconventional
  • woody

Tonnerre, originally called 1805 - the year in which Nelson both won the Battle of Trafalgar and lost his life: The year in which Sir Francis Beaufort introduced his ‘wind force scale’.

The scent imagines moments within the battle itself.  Powerful accords of smoke, gunpowder, blood and brandy combine with sea spray and a penetrating citrus note. The fragrance is singularly bold in its composition, yet ultimately refined, provocative and unique.

9
Play Black

Play Black by Comme Des Garcons £95.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.00
  • Key notes:
  • birch tar
  • black pepper
  • black tea
  • incense
  • leather
  • thyme
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • leather
  • spicy

This EdT plays it dark but bright. A spiky black pepper opening commands attention, before being volumised by an ebony chorus of black tea, birch tar and incense. Tree moss and violet lend a perfumed earthiness.

Perfumer Antoine Maisondieu

10
Lovely Problem

Lovely Problem by Space Fluid £190.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £9.00
  • Key notes:
  • beeswax
  • cinnamon
  • leather
  • patchouli
  • sandalwood
  • smoke
  • vanilla
  • ylang-ylang
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • leather

A pile-up of contrasts: cinnamon along with tropical florals frangipani and ylang ylang, against the earthy bitterness of artichoke and leather. This almost-gingerbread, almost-cement perfume confuses the senses with its animal/vegetable/mineral mystery.

About Corpus Equus by Naomi Goodsir

How does Corpus Equus differ from these similar fragrances?
Corpus Equus combines birch tar, incense, leather, and smoke with additional notes of rose, sandalwood, musk, amber, cedarwood, and patchouli for a complex, balanced composition. Many similar fragrances emphasise certain notes differently, such as adding spice, sweetness, or resinous oud, but none replicate its exact blend and layering.
What makes birch tar important in these fragrances?
Birch tar contributes a smoky, tar-like aroma that underpins the leathery character in these scents. It provides a distinctive, slightly medicinal smokiness that defines the leathery fragrance family and adds depth and intensity.
Are these fragrances suitable for both day and evening wear?
Most fragrances sharing notes with Corpus Equus are rich and smoky, typically suited to evening or cooler weather wear due to their intensity. However, some with fresher or sweeter accents may be versatile enough for daytime use depending on personal preference.