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Cuir Esteban 2008

7.3 / 10 32 Ratings

A perfume by Esteban for women and men, released in 2008. The scent is spicy-leathery. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Spicy

Leathery

Woody

Sweet

Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Cardamom

Lavender

Mint

Heart Notes

Clove

Pink pepper Violet

Violet

Base Notes

Amber

Leather

Patchouli

Vetiver

Ratings

Scent

7.332 Ratings

Longevity

7.524 Ratings

Sillage

6.024 Ratings

Bottle

7.428 Ratings

Submitted by Lobelia · last update on 10/18/2024.

Source-backed & verified

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Reviews

3 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/05/2013

9Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Chanelle
750 Reviews

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Chanelle

Top Review 13

Clove + glove equals Love

Leather is just like the excretions of whales, not necessarily something I enjoy smelling in excess. However, there are a few perfumes I know that belong to the leathery direction without offending my nose or evoking associations of S/M parties: cuddly soft suede in Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan or in Violet Blonde by Tom Ford, or spicy clean leather like Russian Leather by Farina Gegenüber. I have always found Imperial Leather by Cussons to be very dramatically beautiful, and wonderfully un-leathery. Cuir by Lancôme is also not as leather-heavy as its name suggests, but rather a disguised Chypre. So, now it's out. But Esteban's Cuir... mmmhh! A dream of a scent! And although I do perceive a leather note at its heart, it is the most exquisite little fragrance I have smelled in a long time. Even the top note is so pleasantly fresh-spicy that one believes they are wandering in an Indian spice garden at sunrise. Dove-netted cardamom, virgin cloves on a bed of peppermint. As mentioned, the heart note offers a glimpse into a soft leathery fantasy, carried by violets and lavender. Gentle, slightly sweet, cuddly. The pepper in the base keeps the freshness alive for a long time without becoming really sharp. Glove-soft, spicy leather dream!

06/19/2012

8Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Aava
50 Reviews

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Aava

Top Review 12

Black Cab

A high heel from Manolo Blahnik or handmade men's shoes made of the finest English leather? A cognac-colored leather sofa, crumpled and dearly loved? A worn and sweaty horse saddle, on which a cowboy chases after a herd of cattle? A black leather jacket adorned with all sorts of buttons, pins, and patches? None of this is Cuir by Esteban. Cuir is neither a leather scent that reminds one of new shoes nor of well-worn cozy leather furniture, nor of well-used leather items or crackling leather clothing. Cuir does not paint an unnaturally pointed leather note but tells the story of leather in a fine and understated manner.

Cuir takes us on a joyride in a Black Cab to London. I sit in the back seat facing forward, the polished black leather of the back seat sparkles and tells stories of all the passengers who have already sat in my spot. Sad, funny, touching, banal stories of minute-long rides through the everyday lives of countless people on their journey through the loud and fascinating London.

I look out the window and see the great London buildings passing by. Big Ben strikes 11 o'clock, the Tower Bridge is as always overcrowded, tourists stand in the streets searching their city maps for the right way, everything is busy, bustling, and lively. We are wedged between other cars in traffic. My attention is drawn from the outside to the inside, and I look around the interior of the Black Cab. The driver, separated from me by a glass partition, whistles a soft tune and drums his fingers on the steering wheel.

I run my flat hand over the leather back seat. The leather is completely smooth and exudes a warm and slightly bitter scent aura. A pleasantly understated spiciness of cardamom and pepper wafts over it, reminding me of distant lands. In the air lingers a tiny bit of the perfume of the older, elegantly dressed lady who got out of the taxi in front of me. A classic fine mix of a little lavender and a few flowers in the interior of the Black Cab completes the image I briefly caught of her as she slowly disappeared from my view, leaning on her silver-tipped cane over the sidewalk. The lightly sweetened iced tea in my hand sloshes with a bit of fresh mint and sweet grass, making me happy. Ah, how wonderfully one can endure an unpleasant traffic jam and a few wasted minutes, and I sink comfortably a little deeper into the polished black leather of the back seat.

Cuir is a truly pleasing leather scent that, precisely because of its classic understatement, will also reach those who usually steer clear of leather fragrances. HOWEVER, Cuir is not THE leather scent for me, although it is a pleasantly understated companion on a wonderful ride in a Black Cab through London.

But now I really have to get out...

11/27/2011

8Scent 7.5Longevity

Ergoproxy
1130 Reviews

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Ergoproxy

Top Review 4

Finely Crafted Leather

Leather notes have a similar effect to oud or incense. They divide the camps! One part surrenders to these notes with a sigh, while the other part seeks to escape faster than a soul pursued by the devil himself. But even among leather fans, there are still gradations.

One thing to mention upfront, the fragrance pyramid listed above is incomplete. The following is listed on Esteban's website:

Top notes: Cardamom, Lavender, Mint
Heart notes: Violet, Pink Pepper, Clove
Base notes: Patchouli, Leather, Vetiver, Amber

I think Esteban has really crafted this leather fragrance finely. The perfume is idiosyncratic, yet without being too angular or animalistic, and the scent progression is linear without becoming arbitrary.

Cuir starts with an aromatically accented lavender note. Here, the scent still feels a bit strict and is most masculine.

In the heart, the strictness diminishes, giving way to a subtly peppered, cool floral note that lends a milder effect to the masculine presence. The leather note is already quite noticeable.

The base presents a very soft, earthy-balsamic leather note with a hint of vetiver.

Those expecting the penetrating animalistic scent of leather from Cuir will be disappointed. Rather, lovers of well-scented leather will find their pleasure here. Nothing jabs or leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth.

Cuir is indeed a classic perfume, but by no means a boring one.