Cuir Yves Saint Laurent 2023

I am writing a review because this is one of my favorite frags, and I think it is a shame that no one knows about it! I enjoy this more than Babycat and Tuxedo from the same line, but I have not tried enough of the others to tell how it compares. I find that this wears surprisingly well in all seasons, including summer, because of the fresh violet leaf and overall dryness of the scent. In my opinion, this leans very stereotypically masculine with absolutely no performance issues. I imagine a chic, 25-30 year old, guy wearing this with a long-sleeve button-up, chain, and nice watch while going out at night. I'm sure this would work for older men, but that is what comes to mind for me.

This perfume could easily be summarized by saying that it is a woody, spicy, smoky, leather, with a prominent violet leaf opening. Compared to others in the genre, I would say that it is more intensely leathery and smoky than most, but definitely not on the extreme end of smoke, leather, or animalics. This might sound a bit boring considering the number of other violet leaf leathers, but I haven't found one that I enjoy as much as this. I think I enjoy it more than others because of the light oud, light sandalwood, and a somewhat prominent clove note, which adds intrigue to the composition for me.

Opening is immediately ozonic, watery, and green. Violet leaf and oud dominate. Oud is not particularly animalic, but not completely tame either, with a very light funk (to my nose). There is a light petroleum sort of smell in the background, as well as the feeling of a light, nondistinct, floral. The oud is well done, has a depth to it, and doesn't smell completely synthetic. Shortly after, a distinct orange note becomes stronger, and the perfume becomes a bit sweeter. I sometimes feel like I can detect some light aldehydes and have lately picked up strongly on cloves and/or cinnamon. Over the course of an hour, leather begins to make its way towards the forefront of the composition. This shift also marks the introduction of a creamy texture to the background. I believe sandalwood, vanilla, or Iris could be contributing to this, but I am leaning towards sandalwood. The scent becomes progressively drier and smokier until the late drydown, when leather begins to fade. As the leather fades, a slightly dirty oud/musk, Vanilla/Sandalwood, and a light amber in the background are left.

Performance is excellent, lasting 10 or so hours (on skin) with relative ease. After hour 8 or so, I find that the fragrance becomes a complete skin scent, but it seems to project solidly until then. While I occasionally go nose blind for periods of this fragrance's life, I often receive comments up until the 8-hour mark.

tested in the spring of this year at the spring store on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. I was a little disappointed by the lack of innovation in this creation.

after careful consideration, I tell myself that this perfume is still interesting. so it smells of oud and at no time leather, nevertheless it is a light oud, elegant and accessible to Westerners.

it reminds me of spirit of dubay meydan but lighter. a masculine fragrance favored for fall and winter.

I do not recommend it for under 25s, I do not recommend buying it blindly. the sillage is correct and the hold is also 5 hours

Not particularly exquisite. The profile simply doesn’t justify the price. At this level, you could easily find a better dry leather or woodsy fragrance for much less.

I’m not impressed at all. The use of Assam oud here falls short of expectations since there’s little to no animalic facet. No funk nor skank rather just a linear and boring scent progression.

The velvet leaf adds a green, slightly purple-leaning nuance to the Cuir, pushing it firmly into unisex territory rather than a truly masculine profile. If you already own Tom Ford Black Lacquer, I’d pick that over this without hesitation. Even though the price difference isn’t significant, Black Lacquer is on an entirely different level.

Upon first spray and sniff, one is met with a shimmering violet leaf-tinged sweetness that hurriedly guides you into a darkened alleyway of mild barnyard-like animalics (which I am guessing is the Assam oud) that is married to a suede leather and that may have come in contact with mandarin orange peel essence. The combination of the opening and mid notes can be likened to a more hushed and floral version of what's happening within Rotano by Maison d'Etto. It is kind of reminiscent of the inside of an expensive, soft leather handbag or, to a degree, a tack room. However, in the drydown, the vanilla and patchouli kick in such that they further tame the oud/suede combo and causes them to become linear. This then allows the violet-leaf to take the lead again while being able to detect more of that mandarin orange peel note. Overall, there's a bit of dark romanticism going on with this scent that I am really enjoying and I keep smelling myself to take it in.

If I had to assign a song to this scent, then it would be "Hunter" by Björk

I really enjoyed the opening. It's smooth and spicy, with noticeable cardamom and violet leaf, a slight hint of clove, and a powdery facet that I can't quite put my finger on. I don't see an obvious listed ingredient that would explain it, but this powdery quality is present throughout the fragrance, following it through its different stages. Whatever is causing it, the combination in the opening works beautifully. Unfortunately, this phase lasts only about 15 minutes before the fragrance takes a very different direction.

The next phase is much more medicinal and oud-forward, with a soft suede note sitting in the background. It's not that green, herbal kind of medicinal smell, but more like opening a bottle of vitamin tablets. It's unusual and not necessarily unpleasant, but I can see how some people might find it off-putting. There's also a slight animalic touch, nothing too overpowering. The composition is interesting enough to make you stop and think, even if I wouldn't call it exceptionally well blended.

Performance is genuinely impressive for the first two to three hours. The projection and sillage are strong, and it effortlessly fills the space around you. However, this isn't exactly a crowd-pleaser. You need to appreciate leather-based fragrances to enjoy this, and even then, I'd be careful wearing it around others. The medicinal oud can be a little challenging, so it's not something I'd reach for without considering the setting.

Comparing it side by side with Tom Ford Ombré Leather EDP, the differences are quite noticeable. Ombré Leather combines leather, jasmine and cardamom in a denser, more pronounced composition that feels relatively consistent throughout. It's beautifully done and, to me, a masterpiece. YSL Cuir is airier and changes considerably as it develops, with the medicinal oud taking centre stage.

My biggest issue with YSL Cuir is the drydown. After around three to four hours, it develops a baby-wipe-like quality that I'm not particularly fond of. The powdery facet is still present, but all this doesn't interest me.

Interestingly, it reminds me of Guerlain Cuir Intense. Although the latter is officially positioned as a leather fragrance, I find it leans more towards suede. The two share some similarities in their suede-and-spice character, but I personally prefer the Guerlain. I find it smoother, with better longevity and better value for money.

Overall, YSL Cuir is a good, interesting fragrance with a beautiful opening and excellent initial performance. However, the medicinal oud can be polarising, the drydown isn't particularly satisfying to me, and the asking price is simply too high. I have a sample, and that's probably enough for now. If you're looking for another suede-leaning leather fragrance, I'd choose Guerlain Cuir Intense instead. And if I had to pick just one leather fragrance, I'd take Tom Ford Ombré Leather EDP. That one just does it for me.