Cyllene

My favorite perfume from the house of La Curie, which also seems to be becoming my favorite perfume, period. I'm finding myself reaching for this beautiful fragrance more than anything else on my dresser. The notes are listed as "Leather, Bergamot, Frangipani, Night blooming horse reins, Jasmine, Parisian Gossip," but the blend here is so cohesive, none of them are playing solo. (I'm wondering if they meant to say "Night-blooming Jasmine" or if that was a poetic choice.) The scent reminds me of some of the more unusual roses in the Rose Garden at the Huntington Garden in Pasadena (where there is a vast array of "rose smells" to indulge in.) I don't know if it actually is a rose note, or if it's just that the scent has a similar emotional impact: it evokes melancholy, nostalgia, and loss, in addition to "natural beauty." This is not a sweet and feminine department-store floral. The leather provides an anchoring element of sophistication and uniqueness, and I could see this being worn by people of any gender. My only complaint is that longevity and sillage are somewhat weak compared to my other favorite fragrances. I compensate by overspraying. :)

Mmmm... this smells... antiquated. Ancient, even. Like being in an old library, untouched for ages. Dusty, leather-bound tomes lining the bookshelves, forgotten in time. Elegant, soothing, inviting. I absolutely adore this one. I must have it.

Like driving on vacation in a new rental with leather interior. I love this. This is not a leather for everyone. This isn’t the tired over copied DNA’s of TF. This is a fragheads scent. It’s the newest black leather and I’m here for it.

It has the dreamiest green/white floral top notes but very quickly settles into a lemony leather that isn't as cool as the rest of the composition. I'm testing it from a sample so a full bottle might do better.

I'm new to the world of fragrances and I was very impressed by this scent in an artsy way, but ultimately disliked it as far as wearing it for multiple hours. The perfume indeed opens with leather and slightly sickly but enchanting botanical notes, but dried down into mostly a leather note. I was amazed by the leather -- it truly smelled like I was working with leather all day, and that the lingering scent was just naturally wafting off me. It seems like La Curie has received great praise for their leather note from others. Unfortunately for me, that gave me the frequent urge to wash my hands, as if I was ready to rinse off the work day and move on to something nicer and more relaxing. It's more of an "I work with leather" smell than a "sexy leather" smell. I think the description of "corrupted greenhouse" is conveying an inaccurate impression; if you love a primarily leather fragrance though, this is should be on your list.