Cuir A Corps

To be completely frank, initial impressions of Chambre52 as a new brand on the scene weren't stellar, having been somewhat miffed by their follow-for-follow-then-unfollow strategy on Instagram that I thought was left behind in 2022. I also sampled a few of their other releases which left me with responses ranging from cold to lukewarm (I shared my thoughts on my Substack). The bottles though; I have to say that I am a sucker for the striking design from Jules Dinand, son of iconic bottle designer Pierre Dinand, who was the genius behind the flaçons for Opium, Magie Noire, and so forth. I sought yet more samples, and was really taken with Cuir a Corps. As luck would have it, I found a bottle for a price I couldn't refuse, and in a 50ml, the bottle with proportions which I prefer. What is contained in my bottle, however, is spectacular. A cool and bright sensation from pink pepper and what feels like methyl salicylate are gradually rendered creamy and graceful with a brushed suede. I imagine the suede to be grey, like a pair of Clarks Desert Treks I once owned. It has that glow of autumn sunlight, evoking elongated shadows, leaves rustling and chilly morning air. There is just the slightest human quality element in the periphery, as if said air is hitting warm skin—while this is not dominant, it is enticing in its elusiveness, I love it. The sweetness here is measured so carefully, much like the 'animal accord', a soft benzoin and vanilla that is more effervescent than sticky. Overall, there is a keen delicacy and even a hint of cinematic mystery so seldom found in modern perfume.

Like creamy, supple, lovingly-worn italian leather boots crunching over fallen leaves on a crisp autumn day. A unique earthy leather scent that’s not too heavy. Slightly too masculine for myself so I force my man to wear it instead.

It's been a while since I smelled BDK Creme de Cuir, but this one does not smell all that similar to me apart from some superficial aspects during the opening phase. From what I remember Creme de Cuir smelled like a soft, creamy white suede with mildly sweet fruity nuances; but not something decidedly vanillic. In the end I got a vivid image of a luxurious new car interior from it. However, while in Cuir a Corps the suede is still elegant, it's not fruity or creamy at all. Rather, the creaminess sits on top of a distinct suede accord as part of a more prominent semi-gourmand accord that smells like a lightly spiced crème brûlee. This accord is very vanillic, sweet, creamy, powdery, and decidedly lactonic. There's hints of pepper and saffron blended in, and maybe a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg. It's very strong too. This leathery crème brûlee fragrance easily fills up a small room and I could still (strongly) smell the fragrance on my skin the day after. For this reason maybe a comparison with JF Schwarzlose Leder 6 is more relevant, although that one leans even more into sweetness and vanilla. .

The opening is very traditionally masculine to me. After the blast of masculinity, it comes the animalic rough leather scent, which also lingers somewhat masculine, wild, really textured but in a rough way. I was ready to hate this scent. But then in the dry down it becomes softer, more refined, more elegant and more mellow. If someone says that this smells like bdk creme de cuir, this person is just nuts!!! They are nothing alike. Creme de cuir is smooth and towards the feminine side, while this is rough and towards the masculine side. Creme de cuir is an office scent, respectful and well behaved. But Cuir à Corps is a really sensual fragrance, sexy, alluring (but with this masculine energy). Perhaps it works for a night out, date night, or when you intentionally want to seduce someone. From this brand, I’d rather wear Tobacco Memories (the warm, sweet, smoky cherry is more my personal taste), but I’d feel more attracted to someone wearing Cuir à Corps.

That’s so fantastic and comforting suede-leather. Here, fragrantica hasn’t listed every notes, actually. It has a mandarin orange and an orange blossom on the top note. Both are performing brightly with a pink pepper. Slightly it comes gourmand side from vanilla and benzoin. Incredibly cozy, it has an unexpected sophistication and gives me kind of nostalgic feelings. This is my recommendation.