Cuirelle Ramón Monegal 2010

Cuirelle suddenly makes me think of oriental nights, of soft silk in vibrant colors, of gold and gemstones, of the opulent elegance of dark-haired, erotic women with olive skin, of profound glances and secret signals with eyes and fans, of delicious wine and sweet dates, of honey and almonds - oh, I’m just getting lost in reverie…

Cuirelle is clearly an oriental fragrance, a finely fruity and dry-herb-sweet oriental with a powderiness that makes me wonder where it comes from. Neither sandalwood nor iris is listed as a building block, yet Cuirelle displays a clear, for me just acceptable powderiness. I find it very difficult to identify the individual scent components and accords in this fragrance, but I will try my best to do so.

Right at the beginning, I smell beeswax, with that typical, sweet, waxy honey note. Once this accord dissipates, I can perceive vetiver, albeit in a soft, muted form, as if the vetiver is wrapped in glacé here. The incense dares not show itself; it knows I don’t like it. It merely adds a very fine, subtle smokiness to Cuirelle. Patchouli shows its most beautiful side in Cuirelle - similar to the patchouli from Micallef that I recently tested. There’s no earthy, musty, or cellar-like note, but rather a dark, deep softness with a certain light sweetness. Cinnamon - which usually has a rather sharp and strong spicy scent - plays a more subordinate role in Cuirelle; it provides warmth and spice but is not explicitly noticeable.

Cuirelle settles on the skin like a light, soft veil, yet still shows a quite remarkable sillage and lasts exceptionally long.
In my opinion, it is a winter fragrance or a scent for the cooler season, and also a fragrance with distinctly feminine traits. Nevertheless, I believe it can also be worn well by a man; it just depends on the occasion.

Cuirelle is not a fragrance you wear to work or to a business meeting. Cuirelle is primarily worn for oneself and for the dearest person, as this fragrance conveys a familiar feeling, similar to coming home after a long journey…