Reviews of Cuir Beluga (2005)
by Guerlain

MANY MONTHS AFTER FIRST REVIEW:
Oh. I'm getting it now. Yes, it's subtle. And because it's structured around a "simple, raw material" it smells more like just the heart or base notes of a fragrance. And that's fine, because often one prefers just one phase of a perfume. Pretty and comfortable, a whispering vanilla.

OLD REVIEW:
Nope. Un-uh. Negativo.

If you like, you can say I have pedestrian tastes and limited olfactory powers. Fine.

Leather is one of my favorite notes, and I'll continue to get my fix from Jicky, Dzing!, VIP Room, Cabochard, and Miss Balmain. By comparison, CB was cafeteria white bread.

Where's the leather? I get lots of vanilla-ish, almond-y notes here, but cannot detect the leather. The offerings I've sampled thus far from "L'Art et la Matiere" by Guerlain are so very similar...I don't see the point in owning more than one. Angelique Noire is the vanilla/almond I've chosen, and can therefore easily due without Cuir Beluga and Bois d'Armenie. Smell them all folks, then choose the one closest to your liking. Really, one will suffice. Thumbs up - for quality.

too mild for a leather hints. All I can get is sweet-vanilic tone. Yes, It is a round of creamy warm syrup covered with slight leather. I found vanilla overpowering the real character burden somewhere in the heart notes.

Cuir Beluga in adj:
Level 1: purse
Level 2: puppies
Level 3: barking vanilla

Oooh - this is just gorgeous - so soft, sensual, enveloping. It doesn't smell like leather to me, so don't be put off if you think leather scents are not for you. The vanilla, heliotrope and I think the immortelle just blend so perfectly that it is reminiscent of the feel of a beautiful, soft suede against the skin rather than the smell. So luxurious and comforting - I want a big bottle (or two)!

Starts out as a creamy vanilla/mandarin scent, very edible and softly lovely. I get no leather at all until the end, then it's so subtle that you almost can't call this a leather scent. Very nice, but on some days all I get is sweet vanilla, front to end, so the expense is not merited.

When I see the name, all I can think of is Leather Fish Eggs...so it's no wonder it took me so long to try this. Actually, trying it wasn't even my idea. A friend gave me a generous decant after I sniffed from her bottle and nearly fainted. This fragrance is absolutely stunning! The prominent notes for me are amber, aldehydes, vanilla, and what I think of as a "cashmere" accord. Cuir Beluga has a vintage feel, calling to mind classic, womanly aldehyde scents like No. 5, Shalimar, Emeraude, Arpège, Bois des Iles, etc. Cuir Beluga is a soft, gentle, airy scent even though it's so warm. I don't smell a bit of leather in this, and the most prominent note on me is "burnt sugar", not unlike the burnt sugar note I get from Flowerbomb. Cuir Beluga is romantic, gentle, and almost snuggly. I sniff myself and swoon.

I very generous blogger who goes by the name of "Ched" (Tangled up in L'Heure Bleue), a gifted writer, traveler, and devoted perfumista, sent me at least an ounce of this gorgeous, hard to get fume from Guerlain. I was completely smitten with its take on a soft, high-end luxury leather. The delightful drydown left me treasuring this ounce of sensually pleasing juice. I was so taken by its softness.

Does anyone know where I can order a LARGE bottle? Oh, please?

I completely agree with Vibert on this. The immortelle (everlasting flower) and almondy heliotrope are the perfect foils for the soft leather of CB. The creamy character is due to these two elements, I believe. Immortelle is used to round out florals, chypres, and ambers. It possesses a syrupy, honeyed, and slightly nutty aspect with hints of tobacco and red berries. Not overly fruity, it piques the nose just enough to give the impression of a fruity richness while hardy revealing the fruit on a conscious level. Heliotrope's almond touch reinforces the nuttiness and adds a soupçon of cherry pie (again, subtly and just under the radar).

Amber and vanilla in the base, of course. Would this be Guerlain without them?

I was surprised and delighted at once at how deeply Cuir Beluga satisfied my nose. Very rarely will I inhale a scent and know immediately that I’m going to love it. It happened with Dia, with Carnal Flower, and with Musc Ravageur, and now I can add Cuir Beluga to the list.

Cuir Beluga is the softest, smoothest, and most soothing leather I can remember smelling. It is in roughly the same comforting mold as Luntens’s Daim Blond, Armani’s Prive Cuir Amethyste, and Parfum d’Empire’s Cuir Ottoman, but I find Cuir Beluga more creamy and refined in structure than any of these. Most of the sweet, mild leathers that I’ve worn domesticate their inner animal with sweet fruit: dried apricot, plum, raspberry, or cherries. Cuir Beluga adopts a different strategy. It marries its buttery leather accord to an almost impossibly plush and voluptuous vanilla. (This is, after all, Guerlain!) Like so many strokes of genius, it appears obvious once accomplished, yet also so utterly “right” that it seems both inevitable and unassailable.

That the simple conceit works so well must be credited in part to Guerlain’s unparalleled treatment of vanilla. I’m not so sure that any other house could have pulled it off with such success. At any rate, the result is glorious, even if it is uncomplicated. The kind of poise and balance found in Cuir Beluga requires no extra adornment, and the scent’s construction represents what I think of as “classical” in the art of perfumery.

Wearing Cuir Beluga is like being gently wrapped in the most supple suede you can imagine. Myself, I prefer my leathers on the wild side - provocative or animalic brews like Knize Ten, Aoud Cuir d’Arabie, Eau d’Hermes, or Parfum d’Habit – but Cuir Beluga is a touchstone for that other, more civilized leather experience. I purchased a bottle on the assumption that it’s the only leather scent I could convince my wife to wear. ;-)

Marvelous . Very very fresh very very sexy--this one is pure genius.


5 gold stars

I appreciate the vanilla that tones down the leather. The mandarin note adds a little pizazz to the scent. It is long-lasting, too. It is a different leather than in Dzing or VIP, softer, more suede-like.

I have to agree, though I've never personally had the pleasure of smelling this particular one. Leather? For women? Ick. Why not add some whiskey and cigars into the mix? As much as I love Amber and Vanilla...I'll pass.

Boy, do I hate to rain on this parade, but at least I can say that leather is not for me, because I've tried the very best and it does nothing for me.

This one is marvelous. The best leathery scent created ever. There is nothing to make you think about animal skin or to cause resistance but pure and powdery aroma of leather that softly envelop you with shimmering and subtle hint of vanilla, which reminds me greatly of Shalimar.
I have never found leathery note could be so intriguing untile I met Cuir Beluga. Though it is too expansive to own, I am glad that Guerlain has had a modern/new masterpiece like this in their product line. It is an avant-garde yet elegant scent that retains the beauties of complex in Guerlain’s tradition; truly a class!

Waouh...the only one exclusive guerlain that deserves its price!A white leather,lots of vanilla,amber,very powdery,sweet and gentle,as beautiful as SHALIMAR and l'HEURE BLEUE reunited,much more better than the poor "PLUS QUE JAMAIS GUERLAIN",and the others exclusives(ROSE BARBARE is a Honey Rose,the same honey we know from l'INSTANT,and less disappointing than ANGELIQUE NOIRE wich is a kind of NARCISSE NOIR OF CARON with less sensuality),it creates a wonderful aura around you,so pure yet sensual...
A true masterpiece...what a pity,it is so expansive and maybe the last true olfactive piece of art from guerlain(LVMH didn't help...).
Try it in the instant...:)