Fragrance Reviews by parfymerad

If I can convince myself this is appropriate for summer wear, it will officially become my HG. I could write on and on about this but the basic message is: elegant and comforting at the same time; smelling it always makes me feel better. Smooth without being in the slightest bit bland, it goes through myriad changes on the skin, and seems to show different facets at every wear. A totally Chanel patchouli segues gradually, playfully into soft powdery benzoin.

A beautiful perfume, ideal for summer wear - the bergamot top notes are reminiscent of Eau D'orange Verte and are beautifully refreshing, and hot weather seems to bring out the richness of the fig heart notes, sustaining the whole mediterranean fantasy. The dry down is a subtle sweet green wood, but like most Ellenas it doesn't last very long once in this final phase.

Great for all ages too - my younger sister (20s) regularly borrows it off me (30s), and my mother (50s) wears it too.

I don't know whether it's just that I rarely wear leather fragrances and so notice even the faintest trace, but I certainly don't have a problem with Cuir's staying power. It lasts much longer than Chanel's Cuir de Russie, and although its development is a little unsubtle at times, trying too hard for a vintage leather effect it can't live up to, it's generally a pleasure to wear.

For me the top notes are nothing special, and can be discounted as soon as smelled , but then I'm not that into citrus anyway. The saffron actually appears a bit later on I think, along with the florals, and though I can't really pick out the individual heart notes listed in the pyramid, they're elegantly blended and combine with the saffron (one of my favourite notes!) to give an overall effect of golden-warm dusty flowers with a soft suede texture (the dust being a good thing, I might add). Once the base kicks Cuir moves away from the gentility of suede and becomes rougher and tarrier, still mellow but somehow more masculine - bbBD's descripton of the drydown as 'old comfy smoking chair' captures it exactly.

Overall, I think I prefer this to Daim Blond because of the darker drydown, but for those who like Cuir for the suede element maybe the Lutens is better.