Cuiron Pour Homme (2002)
by Helmut Lang

The scent that inspired Odori's Cuoio imho. In fact, CUIRON is probably how Cuoio would feel like after a couple of tranquilizers and I mean this in a good way for Helmut Lang's rendition is undeniably a calmer, more sure-footed performer. The top notes stay fresh without resorting to the customary tartness of citruses or the zing of pepper and the development remains dry with nary a hint of powder. Nothing truly extraordinary. But when the leather finally emerges it serves yet another reminder why it deserves all the accolades it has garnered since its 2002 release. And if you think 'sensual leather' sounds utterly bogus, wait till your woman smell this on you; she may very well start finding reasons to nuzzle up against you.

GROUP.Woody-Chypre.GENDER.Strictly for Men .CREATIVITY. Just open your closet (or your dad’s) and bring to your nose your old tan leather jacket (yes, the one you have from your college days). What do you smell? Definitely Cuiron. So close to its name, describes the smell of leather in a perfect way. Not many fragrances ever did that so successfully. DAY or NIGHT? Although you can wear it day or night it is not a good choice for a sport/casual outfit. Give it a 3-piece suit and it can do miracles for you. LONGEVITY. Just great. COMMENTS. Orange blossom and bergamot top notes soon give their place to the velvety leather accord (pepper, cinnamon , cedar, oak). Mid notes simply fade to unveil a smoother interpretation of the same accord (woods –sandalwood and cedar- and subtle leather). Except the opening, the rest appears a bit linear to me but that’s fine, anyway, It is obvious that the main concern of the creator from the beginning to the end was to stay close to the name of the creation. Just leather. My only reason to review a discontinued fragrance is the hope of a re-launch. Until then, if you like Cuiron you may try Banana Republic’s Cordovan and Dirty English.

it's not Hype. this scent is revered for a reason. the reason being, it was released as a definitive leather based scent and that’s what it is!. it not leather hidden under heaps of accords, No. it's a direct accord.
The opening accord is pretty surprising, Lemon! beautiful note of citrus. i guess the perfumer wanted to play around, tease a bit into having customers say - ohh wtf! where’s the leather and BAM! it hits you with the finest accord of finished, black leather with hints of suede like powderiness. and there, that’s what it offers. a no nonsense, straight ahead, leather based scent. longevity is pretty decent and the experience of wearing this one is simply, elegant.

Like Scentsibility, I have to award Cuiron a neutral rating, although I completely agree with the majority that it’s an amazing modern leather scent. Usually, leather scents and my skin chemistry (or is it my nose?) tend not to get on very well – as a result, newly discovered leather scents fail to ignite my enthusiasm and curiosity. With Cuiron, this has been a very pleasant exception to the rule (thanks to the addition of the dark plum note) – but only just.

While its longevity is excellent (12 hours easily) not much can be said for its sillage. Within 20-30 minutes, the only way to detect it on your skin is to bring your nose extremely close to the applied area (not always physically possible or convenient but…). Personally, I found Cuiron too quiet, too subtle and slightly boring in its performance – I needed more oomph in its projection (which, let’s face it, is almost non-existent).

At the moment, this discontinued gem is becoming increasingly harder to find (even on ebay). When I bought my bottle, I could have easily purchased another half a dozen bottles from the same source (and believe me, I was briefly tempted). Unfortunately, its almost silent nature left me terribly underwhelmed. After testing it out over several months, I eventually gave up and sold my bottle for a very nice profit.

If it’s ever re-released, I would really like it to be available in a much stronger concentration (ideally EDP form) – maybe only then I would consider re-investigating it. But for now, Cuiron’s simplicity is not only its main strength but also its Achilles heel.

[Original submission date: 20 May 2008]

This dries down to a subtle, somewhat "playful" fragrance, but I just can't find anything special about it. I wouldn't call myself a big fan of leather scents, so that may be part of it. I dislike the harsh or animalic ones intensely. The only one I like is Everlast Original 1910, probably because the leather note there is part of a real "group effort." This does have a subdued "zing" to it, but there's just not enough going on, at least the kinds of things I enjoy. You really need to know what you're looking for in a leather fragrance before buying this one, and if you like this one, you might like Nicole Miller for men even more, so try that one too.

Who put citrus in my leather? And more to the point, WHY? Ok, it's unusual.
But buttery and smooth? Try R.E.L. by Creed. Straight up leather with a slight twist? Well, there's Acqua di Cuba, Gomma, V.I.P. etc. Want REALLY unusual leather? SMN's Peau D'Espagna. Only a hint of leather with dates and figs? Go with the (dirty word comng up) common John Varvatos. Won't even get into all the Cuir de Rus--oh, never mind. If citrus in one corner vs leather in the other feels good to your nose, this Bud's for you.

I promise if I hit all the lotto numbers to buy a bottle of Cuir d''Oranger by Miller Harris for every one who has posted here.
It's what Cuiron aspires to be.