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Cuiron 2014

Version from 2014
8.0 / 10 95 Ratings
A popular perfume by Helmut Lang for women and men, released in 2014. The scent is leathery-woody. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Leathery
Woody
Spicy
Fresh
Resinous

Fragrance Notes

SuedeSuede WoodsWoods LeatherLeather BergamotBergamot Mandarin orangeMandarin orange Pink pepperPink pepper ResinsResins CassiaCassia
Ratings
Scent
8.095 Ratings
Longevity
6.683 Ratings
Sillage
6.087 Ratings
Bottle
7.892 Ratings
Value for money
6.918 Ratings
Submitted by Moenti, last update on 09/26/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Cuiron pour Homme (2002) (Eau de Cologne) by Helmut Lang
Cuiron pour Homme (2002) Eau de Cologne
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Cedarstorm
Noir Premier - Terres Aromatiques 1905 by Lalique
Noir Premier - Terres Aromatiques 1905

Reviews

9 in-depth fragrance descriptions
jtd

484 Reviews
jtd
jtd
Very helpful Review 5  
leather, revised
I don’t know the original Cuiron, but the consensus is that the new version is very close to the original. Not 100%, but the shape and the intent are the same. Cuiron’s reissue was hotly awaited but following the curse-of-threes in perfume releases it was somewhat overshadowed by its siblings Helmut Lang EDP and EDC.

The timing of the reissue was awkward. As a 2014 version of a 2002 perfume, it’s neither new nor vintage, so it arrives with two strikes against it. One, it’s a reformulation and, two, even if the restoration is flawless, it’s not old enough to be retro, just out of fashion.

I imagine that even when it was first released Cuiron was neither fish nor fowl. Ostensibly leather but actually more woody than anything else. Largely synthetic but not unapologetically so like many other millennial niche perfumes (eg. Comme des Garçons, l’Artisan Parfumeurs, Etat Libre d’Orange). Minimal but a little fussy. From the perspective of 2014 the neither/nor bit is magnified, giving Cuiron a house-of-mirrors quality that makes it seem endlessly referential.

To wit: Cuiron shares the hissy, gasoline topnotes of a few power-masculines that preceded it, namely Hermès Bel Ami and Dior Fahrenheit. Even Chanel Antaeus for that matter. It manages to find the neutral territory between the plush of Knize Ten and the starkness of ELDO Rien. Cuiron’s synth-woodiness narrowly misses the over-reliance on Iso-E Super that many of the era fell prey to, yet it hints at the freeze-dried hollowness of the norlimbanol beasts that would follow. Cuiron’s shiny, metallic topnotes are oddly reminiscent of Guerlain Coriolan, linking it to the generation of lost masculines like Paco Rabanne Ténéré, Givenchy Insensé and Jacomo Anthracite. It’s freaky how many other perfumes Cuiron brings to mind.

It’s arguable that Cuiron lacks individuality or identity. It’s not as specific as some other leather perfumes but it fits the straightforwardness of the Lang aesthetic. For those attuned to the quiet detail of the brand’s signature minimalism Cuiron was probably fairly loud but it was less bombastic than the power-fragrances and brassy fougères that preceded it.

The reissued Cuiron doesn’t suffer from reformulation, but expectation gets the better of it. The original edition gathered a cult following, especially after it was discontinued. In 2002 Cuiron would have been the star of a rising niche wave. In 2014 Cuiron faced more competition and a more informed perfume consumer. It will be interesting to see how Cuiron survives in this new setting.

from scenthurdle.com
0 Comments
ScentFan

336 Reviews
ScentFan
ScentFan
Helpful Review 6  
Art for a Nose
Helmut Lang makes art, in both clothes and fragrance. Almost every photograph on the website could hang in a museum. The clothes are funky gorgeousness. So is this perfume. Brought back this year with two others originally introduced in the early 2000's, Cuiron immediately delighted my nose and went onto my wish list, where it won't linger. I suppose I smell its leather and suede notes, the mandarin, too, but soon the notes combine to just say, "Wear me, I am beautiful." It's the kind of fragrance I imagine the fashion icon Marlene Dietrich would have worn. She was art, too, in both speech and appearance. Maybe Marlene, a staunchly anti-Nazi German, inspired neighboring Austrian Lang about how to make art out of a life. I wouldn't be surprised. She was a movie star and cabaret artist, who privately engaged in both short and long-terms affairs with the famous of her day while happily maintaining her husband and his mistress. All this behind a mask of alluring, inscrutable femininity. Life as art, perfume as art. Lang sold 51% of his company to Prada, retired from fashion in 2005 and (no surprise) had his first solo art exhibition in 2008. The sillage isn't super strong, but inscrutability doesn't demand it. Get close, though, and you're sunk.
2 Comments
Pepdal

238 Reviews
Pepdal
Pepdal
1  
Cuiron (2014)
My final review for the current line of Helmut Lang fragrances. Cuiron appears to get a bit more talk than the other two, so I was excited the first time I ever got to test this one. As i mention in the video, I have not smelled the original as a comparison. Enjoy
2 Comments
OcD

6 Reviews
OcD
OcD
0  
What's All, The Hub Bub ?
I have heard good things about this, and for the likes of me, I cannot see why . I am currently wearing HELMUT LANG'S CUIRON , and it does not smell natural, or special in any way . I don't really get any leather either . This smells like the typical synthetic fragrance You can pick up at Macy's .
1 Comment
Parma

276 Reviews
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Parma
Parma
Top Review 22  
Bauhaus Sideboard
Intro:
You enter a room where only a sideboard stands. Your gaze is immediately captured by its clarity, its simple yet profound elegance, and its perfected functional beauty. A Bauhaus sideboard made of untreated teak wood. You let this image sink in and realize that you become completely calm, nothing distracts you. At the same time, you miss nothing. This sideboard stands there and has an effect. It fills the space….
After a while, however, you do wish for at least a chair or a lamp to go with it ;)

This fragrance is like such a sideboard. Minimalistic, but precisely because of that, it has an impact. Concentrated, yet spacious and simultaneously captivating without being overwhelming. It is present and offers its beauty, clarity, and elegance, but does not pander. If not, then not. If yes, then you are stylishly, discreetly, and naturally accompanied. However, I miss an additional nuance in the long run that would lighten the fragrance or make it more complex.

Fragrance Development:
Cuiron opens very briefly with a hesperidic character, featuring a blend of fresh-bitter citrus notes and a rounded, mandarin-like note. This is a fresh, interesting, and fine opening that almost completely disappears after about half a minute, making way for a dry spice-wood mixture (pepper-wood), which, along with the remnants of the hesperidic nuance and a slightly tart sweetness (cinnamon), briefly reminds me of the fascinating note in Jil Sanders Man Pure. Unfortunately, this beginning does not last long, and the fragrance quickly becomes quite one-dimensional, although it is fine and of high quality. As it develops further, a very subtle, fine, and permeable wild leather note gradually joins in, which is then underlaid with a similarly very restrained resinous-bitter nuance, giving the fragrance a dry warmth and intimacy, but it cannot add any additional tension. The dry wood-spice note remains dominant.
The overall impression at the end is fine-woody-dry with a slight wild leather touch, neither hard nor soft, neither light nor dark, and it appears timeless, noble, puristic, naturally elegant, pleasantly restrained, and somewhat humorless, yet without being overly strict.

Longevity and Sillage:
On my skin, the fragrance is perceptible for about 4-5 hours, which is acceptable for an EdC. I assume it is an EdC, at least the original was classified as such. The projection is solid in the first hour and then quickly retreats to skin level.

Bottle:
I really like the simplicity of both the glass and the print, which correlates with the character of the fragrance as well as with Helmut Lang's fashion under his aegis*.

Conclusion:
Cuiron is a clear, Bauhaus-inspired wood-leather fragrance with an incredibly beautiful, complex-fine opening that develops into a rather one-dimensional, but very high-quality, translucent dry wood-wild leather scent. Well-groomed, elegant, understated, without frills, intimate, concentrated. Only the rather weak longevity slightly dampens the impression. Wearable through its understatement all year round. For me, it is a purely masculine fragrance. Just like the Eau de Cologne from the same house, it has rightly been reissued.

Background Info:
I wrote in more detail about Helmut Lang's biography in my previous comment on the Eau de Cologne.
This fragrance was originally the last of only five Helmut Lang fragrances released. It was launched in 2002 under the name "Cuiron pour Homme" as an EdC and was discontinued in 2005 after Helmut Lang voluntarily left his company. Due to pressure from his fans, it was reissued in 2014. The ingredients largely match those of the original fragrance, which is why the fragrance character is said to be similar. This can also be read in the previous comments.
This fragrance was created by the French perfumer Francoise Caron, who was also responsible for the design of the original. She is known, for example, for creating one of my favorite fragrances, the "Eau de Cologne" by Hermes, the predecessor of "Eau d'Orange Verte." That was also the reason I had Cuiron on my watchlist.

*The current collection running under the name Helmut Lang has, in principle, nothing to do with the fundamental idea of purism and minimalism of Lang's fashion until 2005.
14 Comments
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Statements

23 short views on the fragrance
14
3
Very stylish leather, refined citrus, and elegant woods embrace the prominent yet not overpowering leather. A very charming scent.
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3 Comments
13
2
A subtle leather scent, minimalist in its execution. The motto here: Less is more. Fresh-elegant-quality .. simply great!!
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2 Comments
11
4
Minimalist, clear, dry-spicy wood scent with a hint of wild leather. Reduced, yet impressive. Typical Helmut Lang.
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4 Comments
9
6
Minimalist leather understatement, restraint is a plus. Compared to the Vintage 2002, maybe a bit smokier. Discontinued, unfortunately.
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6 Comments
7
4
Hardly better than the older version, ultimately synthetic, balancing fruity-citrusy, synthetic leather, and spicy-powdery.
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4 Comments
6
2
Woody suede & leather meet light citrus and resins, an absolutely creamy and velvety symbiosis! Too bad it's been discontinued.
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2 Comments
7 years ago
6
subtle, yet very elegantly crafted. A true gentleman
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0 Comments
8 years ago
6
5
A nice average men's fragrance with a classic three-part structure. Lots of citrus fruit, a bitter spice, and a leathery-woody finish.
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5 Comments
6
The scent of success. Quiet elegance. Subtle, yet superior. A fragrance for mature understatement. Great, even for women.
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5 years ago
5
1
Citrusy, floral (yet not too floral and not sweet) Spicy on a soft molecular wood base.
No leather! General Spring + "Autoportrait"!
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1 Comment
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