Cuir Fetiche by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier

Mandarin, Bergamot, Lemon, Geranium.
Leather, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Iris, Rose, Vanilla,
Musk, Ambergris, Patchouli, Cedar, Sandalwood.

It's always nice to wear a release by this house. Even the ones I don't care for manage to gain my respect in some fashion. Cuir Fetiche is a leathery floral that, in reality, is suitable for either gender. The opening leans a bit feminine for me, but it evolves within minutes to appease my need for a more obvious and masculine character.

The citric top is bright, almost sparkly with an immediate contribution from jasmine. This salutation is very good and a testament to the excellent blending that manifests in the remainder of the fragrance. Within 5 minutes, Cuir Fetiche has shed its initial greeting of citrus and morphs into leathery-floral mode. This stage is androgynous and smells dense without the usual heaviness.

The entire floral array contributes and by the heart accord, the result is a realization of all the listed notes you see above. Cuir Fetiche is a floral that's leathery as opposed to a straight up leather scent.

The jasmine note is one I detected first, yet manages to stand its ground when the others arrive. This is an intelligently tuned accord and am quite certain some thought went into this to get it just right. The iris and vanilla sand down any edges with a slowly emerging rose further embellishing the jasmine. The addition of resin in the base really accentuate its character.

The overall feel of Cuir Fetiche is actually traditional. The marketing leads one to assume that this may be risque, but it is very conventional to my nose. Naturally, this genre has been done before by very capable others. That however doesn't take away from how well this is constructed and how good it wears.

While Cuir Fetiche isn't breaking new ground, it has done justice to where others have already tread. Especially comfortable is the woody musk in the base and drydown with hints of earth and resin. The leathery quality is ever present, yet never dominates any of the transitions on my skin.

Sillage is good and longevity is approximately 5 hours. May I suggest trying Cuir Fetiche to those who have walked away from other notable leathers a bit disappointed. Thumbs up from Aromi for MPG's Cuir Fetiche.

Comments

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

Teatro Alla Scala - Krizia

I tried Comete by Chanel today and wanted to write about how Chanel is going by the way of Roger Dove - copying old masterpieces. I did not know where to post that and then I realized I have been neglecting this blog. When I logged in I saw an unfinished post I wrote a year ago about Teatro Alla Scala by Krizia. Teatro is the best full bodied floral - better than any Chanel or Patou. Even better than Gucci L'Arte. A brief background: Teatro Alla Scala is an Opera theatre in Milan. The bottle's design is an homage to the theatre and the perfume an homage to its sophisticated patrons. I wanted to write a symphony for it. Maybe some day. For now here are few notes I wrote comparing EDT vs EDP. And if you don't have Teatro, your wardrobe is incomplete Rose, Jasmine, Tuberose. Jammy berries (more in EDP) . Honey note listed is probably the jammy part Vetiver & moss - more in EDT Rose and carnation is more than jasmine and that is what separates it from other florals like J...

Il Mondo di Odore

Search This Blog