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Cuir Mandarine David Jourquin 2011

7.7 / 10 102 Ratings

A popular perfume by David Jourquin for men, released in 2011. The scent is leathery-earthy. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Leathery

Earthy

Spicy

Fruity

Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Lavender

Heart Notes

Virginia tobacco Leather

Leather

Mandarin orange

Black pepper

Base Notes

Patchouli

Ratings

Scent

7.7102 Ratings

Longevity

7.782 Ratings

Sillage

7.278 Ratings

Bottle

8.075 Ratings

Value for money

6.317 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro · last update on 01/18/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Zino Eau de Toilette

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/27/2015

ColinM
516 Reviews

ColinM

Cheap barbershop

Cuir Mandarin opens with a bitter, herbal patchouli paired with something silky-dusty and slightly sweet (I thought of some synthetic, “cashmerish” wood, but it must be rather ambroxan as it’s more ambery than woody), then cloves, a citric note, and something metallic, pungent, slightly dirty, a bit salty-sweaty, and overall not really that pleasant to smell on yourself. I get the lavender (just a barbershop soapy feel) and the tobacco note, which will emerge better after some 30/40 minutes, and it’s a really conventional, a bit unsubstantial synthetic tobacco note with that sweetness you find in many (way) cheaper tobacco scents. Nothing “cuir” really, except for the cloves perhaps, but it does indeed remind me of several ‘90s fougères – the cheaper ones; I get the attempt to look “dignified” and refined, but honestly this smells all... too low-mainstream quality to succeed. On the drydown Cuir Mandarin becomes basically a tobacco-lavender “barbershop” scent with herbs, dusty patchouli and spices on amber. Something like a sort of cheaper, thinner, more boring Guerlain’s Héritage. Pathetic price.

5/10

04/01/2016

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Yatagan
416 Reviews

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Yatagan

Top Review 39

Love and Hate Are Close Together: A Plea for a Second Chance

I am now cautious when I seem to have significant problems with a fragrance from the very first moment. It is not uncommon for me to later integrate these very fragrances into my collection.

What is not meant here by the shift from antipathy to sympathy is the aversion to certain smells and ingredients. That usually remains with us.
I do not like jasmine. Jasmine almost always smells like carrion to me. I do not like tonka bean. It reminds me of a certain generation of fragrances that I have never liked and that seem too sweet and overloaded to me. I actually do not like oud anymore. I have smelled it so often in recent years that I can no longer count the oud-rose combinations and I react with boredom.

What is meant here instead is a total composition that does not appeal to me at first glance (bad metaphor here, I know), but develops more and more charm during subsequent tests and longer wear. By now, I have a specific, warning feeling when such a change might occur. I felt the same way about Cuir Mandarine.

It started with me receiving a sample, spraying the fragrance with anticipation, and immediately turning away in irritation: a bit too much patchouli, the bitter-fruity mandarin in a peculiar tension with the earthy base, and the tobacco-leather note reminded me, to my chagrin, of a pipe tobacco I used as a young man and that did not agree with me at all. Nevertheless: I would like to smoke a pipe (again) sometime, but I find it aesthetically inappropriate, unhealthy, and unsuitable for my age. That is only acceptable after 50. After all, I will be there soon.

Thoughtfully, I set Cuir Mandarine aside, without integrating it into my sample collection (it would have been lost among 1400 other samples) and without putting it in my reject pile. Instead, I stored it separately in a cabinet where I keep samples that need retesting and to which I feel ambivalent.

In the case of Cuir Mandarine, by the way, tests No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 followed. The second-to-last test run then brought new results. Suddenly, I liked the fragrance. It was upgraded from a poor rating to 8.0 and now to 9.0. It has since landed on my wish list; a purchase is planned.

It would be interesting to analyze why the impressions described above (too much patchouli in the base, etc.) did not hold but instead merged into a new, larger whole, almost in the sense of a dialectic of fragrance, where the thesis and antithesis of the first and subsequent impressions connect to form a synthesis.

My hypotheses on this are as follows:

Actually (deep down inside), I like patchouli, as I have always had an affinity for the hippie and festival culture of the 70s (I grew up in the 70s). Why not a little more of it?

I like to eat mandarins, I like their smell, and I like their color (childhood, Christmas). Why shouldn’t I enjoy the contrast of bitter-sweet fruit (thesis) and the darkness of patchouli and tobacco (antithesis) (synthesis)?

I have always wanted to smoke a pipe, like its smell, but forbid myself to use it. Why not step out of my comfort zone and pull out my father-in-law's pipe set and light a pipe in the summer along with a glass of whiskey?

All these suppressed desires connect here to form a new, larger whole that I want.

Perhaps it is what I mentioned above: Cuir Mandarine did not repel me, but rather irritated me. Irritation is an occasion for confrontation. A learning process can begin.

The plea for a second chance promised in the headline is therefore directed not only at me but also at all those who tend to make quick judgments. Reconsider your opinion at the end of the day. Perhaps it won’t matter to you tomorrow.

02/08/2015

6Scent 5Longevity 5Sillage

Meggi
1018 Reviews

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Meggi

Top Review 23

Villabamandarino

Right from the start, there is indeed a proper surge of mandarin, unmistakably from a can. The fruit quickly recedes but remains present in the background for several hours, still dosy, although not as offensively as at the beginning. The lavender, which often comes off musty to me, is not perfect here (which is undoubtedly my fault), but comparatively fresh, ethereal, even opening with a minty note. Not everyone can achieve that. Good.

The resemblance between the Jourquin brothers Cuir Tabac and Cuir Mandarine seems undeniable. Both share - unsurprisingly - the same leather note at their core, a strong used leather. Coarse and uncolored; my parents had a light brown, thick-walled, roughly stitched, well-worn old dice cup. That’s what it reminds me of. My old leather school bag would also be a good choice.

Neither of the two boys, however, is a rough draft; my comparison refers to the character of the leather, not the volume. Cuir Mandarine actually tones down its note even more than its brother. Perhaps a bit too much.

For after about an hour and a half, vanilla nudges the leather note aside a bit, simultaneously moving it more into the light; the lavender has become a floating veil, spreading less scent and more lightness now. Vanilla and mandarin together occasionally convey the impression of a piece of fresh, correspondingly filled cheesecake, in which too much vanilla flavor has crept in. There’s a small part-time gourmand behind our candidate; however, that rather irritates me.

Overall, the character leans towards the creamy-soft; I therefore align myself with the previously expressed opinion and declare the scent to be definitely unisex. Yes, yes, I know you don’t care about that anyway, but it’s just a formality. The end of the scent progression arrives towards the end of the seventh hour. An amber-vanilla cheesecake note has taken over.

And while one still enjoys a blend of leather, tobacco, and now sandy-colored wood in Villarritabaco, Villabamandarino has been creamed by a classic base product. Not bad at all, but clearly inferior in direct comparison.

Many thanks to MisterE for the sample!

03/21/2018

8Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Taurus
1190 Reviews

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Taurus

Top Review 9

Mandarin Juice on the Leather Vest

... could be the sober conclusion of this Eau de Parfum from the Vendôme Collection by David Jourquin. However, it is not - that would be too simple. What really lies behind Cuir Mandarine is a bit more complex, yet relatively contrasting.

In the first few seconds, the scent seems a bit chaotic, as one perceives both dark, bitter-earthy and sweet-fruity notes simultaneously. A hint of leather also comes through, along with an almost stable, slightly fecal component that initially suggests Oud but quickly fades away.

Once Cuir Mandarine has somewhat sorted itself out, the composition becomes recognizable in its fundamental idea. The main role here is actually taken by the patchouli, as if freshly pulled from the ground. The tobacco also leaves its olfactory stamp on the whole. Not too strong, but pleasantly warm with a welcome hint of sweetness.

Although they are part of the name, leather and mandarin take more of a back seat, yet are present enough. The leather here feels a bit rough, while the mandarin has become more like canned fruit, thus less sweet and anything but squeaky.

A healthy pinch of pepper gives the scent a bit of spicy drive among all the other cuddly ingredients. A colleague of mine thought it was mint, which I don’t find too far-fetched.

Did I forget something? I didn’t, but anyone expecting a hefty dose of lavender will likely be disappointed and think it’s missing. It is indeed included, but wafts deep in the background. I wouldn’t be surprised if a bit of amber and benzoin actually shines through at the end, even if it’s not officially listed.

All in all, Cuir Mandarine is appealing and exceptionally crafted, almost linear. If we’re being precise, it should actually be called Patchouli Mandarine, but with Cuir or leather in the name, it’s probably more sales-oriented.

03/03/2020

10Scent 7Longevity 7Sillage

Eisbaer
9 Reviews

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Eisbaer

"What a sight to see - are you there to guide me?"

I started longing for the time when I was still a child very early on. This happened already at the age of twelve to thirteen, and it occurred with a sense of melancholy, as I struggled greatly to cope with the world after the turn of the millennium during my adolescence. Today, as a rather boring office worker in my thirties, I manage to reflect on that time with a little less melancholy. I have no problem being somewhat nostalgic. Of course, the 90s were far removed from much that earlier generations knew. But even today, I enjoy correcting various prejudices in conversations: We experienced the time before the internet. The reunification was still fresh for us. We grew up with vinyl records and cassettes, just like our older siblings and parents. We used rotary phones and wrote thank-you letters (for the ten marks on our birthdays) by hand to our relatives. We cried when Mufasa died and were comforted by people close to us. We were at home.

I have only been consciously dealing with scents and the world of perfume since 2014. At that time, I was in the middle of my studies on the way to becoming a state-certified librarian. Until then (if at all), I was only familiar with the most well-known standard fragrances, so I decided to bring the world of niche fragrances closer to myself and had a number of samples made, somewhat randomly (I was primarily drawn to the beauty of the bottles). A completely new world revealed itself to me. Niche fragrances have never replaced my collection of standard fragrances but have excellently complemented it. Among the samples was also David Jourquin's "Cuir Mandarine." And even though I have since explored the world of fragrances a bit more intensively: So far, no other scent has managed to transport me back to my childhood as profoundly as "Cuir Mandarine" can. Since 2014, this perfume has been my signature scent every Christmas. Only for that time, as I couldn't afford a bottle as a student and had a sample made each year. Now, as we have entered 2020, my dream has come true. David Jourquin's "Cuir Mandarine" from the Opera Collection will finally accompany me as a bottle on my journey.

I spray a puff of "Cuir Mandarine" on my skin, take a deep breath, and close my eyes. I see myself again as a little boy on a snowy December evening, sitting at a desk with my siblings and cousins in dim light, drawing pictures with colored pencils while loved ones around me talk and laugh joyfully, giving me a sense of security. The scene is accompanied by contemplative music. In a quiet corner of the room near the fireplace, someone is smoking a pipe. My favorite aunt, sitting next to me, wears a sweet lavender scent that envelops me comfortably. Peeled mandarins lie on the table, and the old single-family house, built beyond the 1930s, embraces all its inhabitants pleasantly with soft wooden scents. The front door opens, and my uncle, who had just been shoveling snow outside, enters the room and takes off his leather coat. I put down the pencil; my picture is finished. I am at home.

I open my eyes and find myself back in the present. A brief feeling of sadness overcomes me. The charming houses of our small town are gradually being torn down and replaced by sterile new buildings. My favorite aunt is now divorced. People are annoyed by contemplative music at Christmas. The December days have become rainy and gray. But: I realize that I have found a fragrance that reminds me of my joyful childhood days and that will accompany me into the future from now on. Today, I am the one smoking a pipe and wearing a leather jacket. Today, it is my task to give others a sense of security. And who knows: Perhaps one day I will be the one who gets to spend time with my own children on a snowy December day, painting and crafting together, and being there for them. I will wear "Cuir Mandarine." And I will realize: I am at home.

If "Cuir Mandarine" were music:

"The Last Unicorn" by America
"Everyday" by Phil Collins
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Siedah Garrett and Michael Jackson
"Christmas Star" by John Williams

Updated on 03/08/2020