Cuir Rustique Paul Emilien 2016

Attentive and regular readers will remember that Paul found Emiliens' "Orchidée Charnelle" to be somewhat mismatched with the name of the fleshy orchid. While there was indeed a good amount of orchid present, the fragrance had hardly anything to do with fleshiness in terms of being massive, rich, abundant, or even sensual.

The same applies to "Cuir Rustique." As my predecessor noted, this Eau de Parfum is anything but rustic. In this sense, it doesn't even have to be a downside, as this fragrance unfolds quite complexly with a wonderfully soft suede note.

The really interesting part: alongside the mentioned suede, subtle hints of orange, citrus, lightly floral, spicy, and resinous or balsamic notes occasionally flash through the entire development from the initial spray to the drydown. This makes "Cuir Rustique" relatively complex, but not chaotic; rather, it feels somehow organized. At times, it does remind one a bit of "Tuscan Leather," although more restrained with a hint of orange. At least at first, because in the unfortunately too early drydown, one gets the feeling that there might still be one or two raspberries hiding under the leather... whatever.

Ultimately, "Cuir Rustique" is a remarkable leather fragrance with many facets ranging from slightly herbaceous to lightly sweet, which is hardly on anyone's radar. Perhaps the rustic name misleads one too much, just like the fact that one searches in vain for the red thyme. However, I think hardly anyone would miss it.