Cuir Sacré

The cardamom and saffron is beautifully spicy and the leather here is nothing short of brilliant. The leather is raw and with a very slight animalic tone in the opening, but mostly floral and clean for most of the wear. There is a burnt tire note when smelled directly up close, nose to skin. But not from 2-3cm off the skin. Incense/wood smoke is also nicely detectable through out the wear. A nice clean and earthy vetiver along with a nice cedar note as a nice base. Cypriol is noticeable, but not to the level where it's unpleasant to me. I'm not a big fan of cypriol in more then low concentrations, but used in the right doses, it is an amazing ingredient. And this is the exact right amount. I believe it's juniper berries that gives it s slight lift, making it almost a little airy. But it's faint' so i can't say for sure. At one point, i swear i detected a bit of ginger too. Spicy and giving that ginger kick to the scent. But i believe that could be a trick of the cypress. To me, this smells like a final boss, or a action hero would smell. Like James Bond, or Hans Gruber (from Die Hard 1). Elegant and classy with an alluring reach, but also with a sharp edge and a dangerous side to it. I love it, and will treasure the bottle i have, and buy a new one when it's empty. Speaking of bottle. As most people know, the bottle is an art piece on it's own. Even without the gold flakes in the bottle, the way it's made, the oval shape, the attention to details, materials used, how every piece is part of a complete story that together is the bottle and it's content. I blind bought the bottle, and the juice inside just happened to be as good as the packaging. OK, a bit of an exaggeration. I Did blind buy it, but i researched the fragrance thoroughly. So i knew pretty much what i got. And it far exceeded my expectations. My Only complaint is that i want more projection from a fragrance of this style. It's a "bad boy" scent, but with a "gentleman" projection. As this is a dominant, alluring, dangerous, and powerful scent (in my opinion), i would have liked it to have a strong projection. It's still a moderate projection, A nice 30-40cm of projection (about one foot), which is ok. Sitting still, it will make a scent bobble that is about a full arms length away. But this is one of those few times i'll say i want strong or enormous projection. This fragrance should grab the attention of everyone around you, and be felt for minutes after you leave. It's a statement piece and an extension of self control into the environment around the wearer. I get an easy 7-9 hours with steadily declining projection from hour 5-6. Skin scent for 12+ hours. If i spray in the evening, i still pick it up the morning after. It's been a little while since i sold my bottle of PDM, Haltane. But in the dry-down of "Cuir Sacré" i get a oud like woody scent with that saffron. Reminding me of Haltane, but without the praline. To my nose, it never smells like Encre Noir or Encre Noir Extreme. I wouldn't call it a summer fragrance, but a little heat helps it project. It's not so heavy or choking that it can't be worn all year. Just consider the number of sprays and it'll be fine. Personal score: 9.5/10. I can only take half a point off because i wanted Slightly more projection from this style of fragrance. Otherwise, it's perfection. I can Strongly recommend you sample if you like the note breakdown.

Opens with a spicy/smoky cypress, that will cool down to a beautiful suede note. In the base a beautiful vetiver note will steal the show, supported by woods, and still a hint of leather. The projection is average, but a couple of extra sprays will amp up this one to a strong projection during the first couple of hours, and a longevity of 10/12 hours. That said, a more modest performance might here be a strength, given the bold scent profile. Let's dig into the comparison game: as others have underlined, I can see some similarities with Lalique Encre Noire due to the cypress/vetiver combo, but the absence of a suede note in EN and the difference in quality puts these two on different shelves. As opposed to others, I cannot spot any similarities with Malle VE other than the vetiver note, and thus comparing these two just doesn't make sense. (what's the point of comparing each and every fragrance with a noticeable vetiver note with Malle VE and Hermes TdH, just because of the vetiver note??). That said, the closest I can compare this one to is Initio Divine Attraction (very close, but it's no surprise that AdO CS is made of way better quality ingredients and is dryer), and DS&D Bowmakers (similar level of quality, but again, AdO CS lacks the sweetness of Bowmakers's drydown). Also some (more remote) similarities with Vilhelm Smoke Show, and others like AC Emeraude Agar, Korloff No Ordinary Man and Gucci Guilty Absolute, with the latter 3 standing a step lower in terms of quality (even two steps lower, in the case of Korloff, but that remains a great cheapie). Of all the one I listed, this one is the one that stands out the most for me, and that I would highly recommend to who is looking for a dry woody/suede-ish vetiver-centric fragrance. Should you prefer a hint of sweetness/roundness in the base, Bowmakers might tick the box, or also GGA for whom is on a tighter budget. 5/5 Cum Laude for me, right up my alley! Best in fresh or cold evenings. Leans masculine, 25+

My fragrance for life, the best fragrance in my hole collection! It opens with green spicy touches and transforms into the most beautiful soft Leather Vetiver fragrance I've ever known. Soft and balanced, luxurious and mysterious, Cuir Sacre evokes formality and discretion. I find it super masculine and elegant. Use in the summer, perhaps, with fewer sprays, calling for a milder climate. Medium sillage, people around you will smell your perfume. This fragrance is the purest interpretation of niche perfumery. It doesn't follow trends, it only follows total olfactory elegance. Marie Salamagne (Perfumer - Artist), House - Atelier Des Ors Thank you soooo much!!!!!!!

This is a unique combination of soft leather, gentle spices, evergreens and vetiver. I find it grounding & soothing- evoking nature in soft shades of green and brown. Soft to moderate projection & very long lasting- it has me swooning within my scent bubble all day long. If you're looking for a perfume to announce your arrival this will not be it. If you want people to wonder if you might be mother nature herself when they lean in for a hug then this will suit you just fine. I'm personally not a fan of the gold flake gimmick of this house, or the sky high retail prices, but this can be found at discounters for less than half of retail.

Sexy as hell! Got this in a discovery set and gave it to my husband to try out. Oh man this is sexy, dark, incense, leather, oud magic. I get the medicinal notes others have mentioned but it’s in the background not up front, and honestly I really actually like it! If I’m being honest, I’ll admit this isn’t completely unique. There are many leather incense and oud fragrances out there nowadays but what I will say is this one is done supremely well. If you’re looking for this type of scent profile in your collection this is a must try.