Cuir

The most difficult perfume I've come across so far, is Cuir. It took me almost two years to finally fall in love, and at least 2 dozen tries. But once you get it, it is one of the most beautifully brutal leathers. Cuir has a few notes and a lot of twists and turns. It's, in a nutshell, the most animalic smoky leather around in contemporary form*. If you've ever smelled Gauloises this is the opening; disgusting to many, the smell of cigarette smoke dominates the first half hour. It's a smoke curtain that doesn't allow you to see through, you have to walk past it in order to get through the development of the heart notes. There, you get punched by castoreum and leather done in the old fashioned way. This ain't your average soft leather bag, or smooth suede. This is worn leather, left in the sun to cure, steeped in spices and animal fat. Isobutyl quinolene to the max. This is what Germaine Cellier would have liked, had she been around today in this sanitized environment with IFRA restricting everything. This is what Marlene would be wearing, maybe layered with a heady floral. As unpleasant it may sound, or not depending on your mileage, Cuir is a true interpretation of a badass leather. It could have been called Bandit and it wouldn't feel wrong. If and when you get past the opening smoke screen, the rest of the path is full of animalics, leather, and some opoponax to cut through the brutalism. There's an underlying sweetness after the first couple of hours that softens the scent and makes it much more inviting. It lasts linearly in this stage until the drydown after a good 10 hours, still projecting quite well. Mona had a lot of talent, unfortunately many were late to the party. A real stunner! *Having tested old and new 75 ml bottles, Cuir has been toned down quite a bit. While the perfume smells identical, all of them actually not just Cuir, the boldness of the original release is missing. Still amazing, but just like Mona, there's something missing. Review based on original formulation/bottle.

Oh my. This one packs a WALLOP. A huge and completely bewitching gust of smoke (delicious woodsmoke for me, none of the ashtray note some people detect and hate), twists of spice, and then a thorough pummelling with some serious, aged, animalesque leather. I too fell in love at first sniff. A beast, in all the best ways - but weirdly, not a beast-mode perfume, see below.. Like taking a motorbike ride in a beloved leather jacket you've had forever, with the inside of your helmet laced with exquisite spices. Only much more pleasurable and less dangerous than that. The intensity of the woodsmoke and the rawness of the leather will probably make this too weird and spiky for many, but it's seriously beautiful. To my nose it's never rank or bitter - or overpowering; while the scent is concentrated and full of character, it doesn't choke you, and the projection is discreet. You could wear it to the office and be thought edgy, but not obnoxious. Absolute adoration from me. I only wish it weren't so dear and the longevity was just a bit stronger - when the whole concept and execution is this bold you don't want to have to keep reapplying 2-3 times over a day, which I had to do with a tester. Perhaps a proper spray or on clothes it's more durable.I hope so - and hope I get the chance to find out. PS - agree with earlier reviewers saying that it's at the rougher tougher end of leather - it's definitely more Bandit than Daim Blond - and that if you like Lonestar Memories you'd like this. (though for the record I find the Mona on a totally different, more sophisticated and classy planet than Knize Ten, eurgh.) fwiw - I'm female and like masculine-skewing niche stuff but not outright manly man man man smells, and to me this one is beyond gender - it's all about character. Either you will fall for its smoky, reeky, delicious charms or you won't.

This was my beloved leather based fragrance... First time I've sniffed Cuir in late 2013. Love from the first sniff. Let me invite you to my journey... Bold, raw, animalistic leather, so bold, that you can almost feel that it was alive few moments ago, with all its secretions... It opened up with dirty castoreum, suddenly the leather came in and started to play with it. Animalic, realistic combo - not for the faint hearted. For men only? Well, I would argue with that. A "tough", firm woman could surely pull it off. Almost one day longevity and very big (on me over 8 hours easily) sillage. That was a masterpiece written with capital M. A jewell. Few months back I saw a 75 ml (2,5 fl oz) bottle. I took a sample. Damn, it's not the same fragrance anymore. It seems to be very herbaceous, toned down on animalistic notes and leather and not in your face anymore. If 1 spray of previous version was more than enough, with this one you could pull the trigger 3 times easy and you wouldn't kill anyone. Of course, every single note is there, so I wouldn't suggest spraying this more than 5 times, because either you would choke out or you could make choke out someone standing near you. However, it's not worth the price anymore. So sad. Mona di Orio passed away in 2011. Cuir died in 2016 - at least for me.

I added "Cuir" by Mona di Orio to my collection a couple of weeks ago and it was love at first sniff. Evocative, warm, enveloping, seductive and very masculine. The beginning is represented by a strange marriage between the cardamom and wormwood. After this very special debut of spicy and green notes, in the heart appears the true protagonist of the fragrance, Cade, which is the wood of a particular species of wild juniper that grows in Provence, that gives to this fragrance its aromatic, rough, burnt, but at the same time comforting and poetic character. This note can be perceived at every phase of the fragrance. We find in the heart notes also leather, which strengthens the character of this rough and masculine fragrance without getting dirty too. The base notes are the opoponax, which refines a little bit the fragrance, but don't makes it sweet, and castoreum, used to fix the fragrance, because although "Cuir" is an Eau de Toilette has an incredible persistence. I'm using "Cuir" in this hot period of summer but I'm sure that it will gives the best of itself during the cold seasons.

This fragrance is very difficult to digest and thus play first smell and can smell you a dirty ashtray if you look without giving a margin of days of use, and in addition to proper interpretation. Cuir has nothing to do with a simple smell of smoked leather, develops as a whole and makes it a much more interesting and unusual fragrance. Cuir is a tremendous job, so complicated that is clear and walks straddling a dark green moss path tonal smoke input from the beautiful wood Cade and the brink of an animal leather for the powerful contribution that Castoreum It feels very wild in true retro style of some eighties mythical fragrances, this duality is not defined well but it is certainly beautiful, giving a stroke of different, unusual and postmodern effect leathers we are used to smell, and this makes in a unique aroma, and incredibly refined masterpiece. Tops drydown opopanax the important contribution of rounding, balances and modulates animal smoked more pleasant feeling especially vital, tender and pleasant, like a story with a happy ending. Cuir is Brutal !! Rating: 9

So past this winter my discovery has been Mona Di orio Cuir . This is such a masculine raw leather based fragrance and it will cut through winter cold like hot knife does to butter. As you spray this fragrance you smell leather with Anise and cardamom is the background and with in few minutes you can smell animalic which i think is castoreum . I have been told this has been reformulated and i think that's good for these kind of fragrance as that makes them more wearable as older formulation was suppose to be a bomb with projection and very hard to wear. I will recommend this fragrance if you love leather and you are looking for something masculine . I think its ideally suited for winter with around 8-10 hours longevity and with decent projection .I also think this fragrance if for people who have tried lot of niche fragrance and have developed nose as it may be too raw for "Normal people ". 9.5/10

At the opening I feel a smoky nuance, green, dense and bitter, as if a tobacco plantation, with the leaves still green were on fire. After half an hour add this bitter tone, and starts to develop into a resinous tone, leathery, animalic, medium hot. As the hours go by the smell Animalic will soften, and what remains is an aroma of warm leather slightly sweet, yet smoky. In this part, I can only think of a glove made with a freshly tanned leather, scented with incense and resins to minimize the stench of the animal, but even then you can still smell characteristic of freshly tanned leather. Who used this glove, smoked a pipe, lit a smoke with the best possible quality. In a few words, exotic, potent, delicious. Monster in fixing and projection.

Mona di Orio Cuir is an intense and attention grabbing scent. It opens with the most beautiful blend of cardamom and anise before the powerful, smoky leather dominates. This is not your sweet Tuscan leather! This is a raw and wild leather dry-roasted under the prairie sky. The animalic dryness is tempered gently with juniper and the smoky tobacco-like accord drifts by like a gentle hot summer’s breeze. Cuir is desert dry, loamy and clay-like. A myrrh like sweetness adds to the depth and character of this unique fragrance. Cuir is a powerful performer lasting over 12 hours on my skin with an arm’s length projection. While alluring and feral Mona di Orio Cuir is completely bewitching and splendiferous.

Starts off with a hefty dose of absinthe. This opening act sets up the rest of the composition which soon becomes spicy, smoky, resinous and woodsy. To me this is Noir Anthracite done better, with all the edges sanded down. No harshness, no annoying dusty projection, and no cloying peppery woods. It’s much classier, tamer, and rounded. As others have noticed, there is also greenish tobacco leaf smoke, that surrounds the overall composition along with a distinct smell of ash, that I love a lot in the dry down. The name is a bit misleading as absinthe, galbanum, woods, and smoke are the main players. All in all, a very masculine scent.

I absolutely adore this fragrance. It is a mix between different notes of cuir, incense and a hint of vetiver. The smell is unique and even if you feel the smokey notes it's not too heavy but still fresh. I'm really impressed about this creation: when you spray for the first 30 minutes you smell so classy. After 1 hour the parfum calms down: you can feel also a delicate note of cardamom and rose (they don't mention this note) . It reminds me a little beat Chanel Antaeus but Cuir is more modern and is evolving in a different way. You should try this underrated gem.

one of the most powerful perfumes i've ever witnessed, i didn't like it for days or maybe even weeks, but then i got it. it's very masculine and quite unique. although it's called cuir but i didn't sense the leather in it. and it doesn't fit all tastes so you better test it before so you either will love it or hate it. i sprayed it once on my anti's wrest (her type of perfumes are frutti and candies sometime - thierry mugler angel the original, prescriptive calyx, etc..) so she almost threw up on me :D so again, test it and NEVER blind buy it.

I was lucky enough to find the vintage version of this heavenly scent and I am VERY glad I did. This is hand down one of the best leather scents ever produced. A rich, warm, slightly dirty, slightly sweet, slightly smoky leather that just screams masculine to my nose. I get great projection and longevity on my skin. I can wear this in trendy casual or formal, but not ultra-casual. I see this is much more of a masculine scent than a unisex scent. If you like strong, rich leather scents you should try a sample of the vintage version of this.

Bloody Hell! What a macabre scent this is. Lots of burned stuff. Very realistically done. Only sexy if you imagine a dirty, sweaty fireman who is just done extinguishing fires at cedar woods, old churches and a whore house.. No there's no resisting then but otherwise :-/ I don't know whenever you would wear it. If you're looking for a scent like this you might want to try Epic Man by Amouage which goes in the same direction but seems more wearable.

This is from smelling the older wired cap version, not sure if the new bottle version is the same but if it is this is simply stunning. A really beautiful blend of smoky slightly green cade and partly animalic leather with an exquisite spicy cardamom note. If I had to pick one leather fragrance forever, it would be tough to not pick Roja Fetish but ultimately I would pick this. Superb.

I tried this one today and fell instantly in love! I was so sure that there was tobacco in it though. On me it is a sharp herbal leather together with what smells like dry tobacco. The drydown is more spicy and the leather/tobacco fades in favor of smooth woody herbals. I can't really smell any castoreum or opoponax on me. This one goes on my full bottle want list!

I wanted to try some mona di orio creations after I had known of her sudden death. So today I tried oud and cuir. What a great nose she was. Rich original classy. In particular I appreciate cuir. I think it's the cardamon that intrigues me so much. A cold cuir at the beginning that gets warmer during the day. Wanderful.

Decadent and delightful in its novel use of the notes listed above, it is hard to adapt to daily life because of its resemblance to an ashtray that has had thousands of cigarettes crushed into its center. It comes across as a more legible rendition of leather than Knize Ten, taking its character and improving on it.

Reminds me of a richer Bel Ami mixed with Yatagan. Subtract the celery note of the latter and it's a perfect mix of the two. I can dig it. :) Edit: Just noticed I posted the exact same review about two years ago. The nose doesn't lie!

sadly the smell in this new 75ml bottle is very lighter than the previous one and a lot more smokier, still good but not as it was in the 100ml bottle before. Before it was ok but now it's overpriced.

Leather, leather, leather and a bit of smoke at the beginning. Something in here that is a bit sharp in the nose, perhaps the wormwood. And animalic too. One of the best leathers out there.

un très beau cuir sec, viril fumé il ne laisse pas indifférent une odeur brut brulée qui vous porte dans un univers chic et luxueux.

if you smoke this will blend nicely with you natural sent. I actually hated it in the bottle, but I like it on my skin. 8/10

This one is a bit of a shape-shifter on my skin. Yesterday it was Yatagan, today burned Bel Ami. RIP to one of the greats.

No difference between vintage and new version. Best cuir fragrance!

Smells like Yatagan after being thrown into a fireplace

Okay so I remember wearing this one years ago and being very impressed, much like the rest of this brand/perfumers output, Cuir is a triumph of bold perfumery and truly a pioneering blueprint for modern 'niche' whatever that means anymore. Wearing it again today and it's still good (perhaps even great) and I definitely don't want to sound like one of those vintage, size queens, saying 'The new formulations are a shadow of their former self!!!' or any of that guff! (which is obviously sometimes true) I actually think it's much more likely that my perception of it has changed, even in the short period of time I've had this modern sample. It's a brisk opener which definitely smells of a uniquely artisan combination of absinthe and mild fennel tops, but then an inky black almost tar like, smoky, body of leather. It's a real hearkening back to Russian/birch tar leather accords, animalic and woodsy, but with the rounding medicinal effect of resin. Says opoponax here and (only in hindsight after looking) I'm like oh yeah, it's definitely opoponax! I knew that! (such is the humble nose I am) no actually I thought it might be a touch of Myrrh, giving this tacky, concentrate effect. The top notes transitioning into the leathery base reminds me a bit of these Eastern european, Christmas cookies, that are kinda ginger bread ish, but soft, tacky to bite and often have more spices like cloves and such in them. I think there's quite a few artisan brands doing stuff like this now but minus the depth and polish of Mona, this is truly layered and has subtlety, as much as it was a big shake up for the industry in 2010. I'm not, NOT enjoying wearing it, but I always thought this was my favourite from the brand and it might actually not be? I'm still not sure? Just because I'm not quite as taken with it as I once was, It's still great, worth checking out, worth loving. Don't listen to me.

This is perfume not cologne. It has a depth and richness, and OMG is it potent. A little dab'll do you. The first time I wore it, it wore me. The 'bubble' and sillage was overwhelming. I had just used too much. One spray or maybe two half sprays will be enough for most people. It is definitely at the more masculine end of the spectrum, although I am sure some women could wear it. A woman who likes wearing Andy Tauer's Lonestar Memories could wear this. There's 'something' deep in the base, which I guess in this fragrance is the castoreum. It's not obviously and overtly animalic but there is a little funk that contibutes to the base accord It is about an accord of sweet strong cardamon, maybe sharpened by wormwood yet softened by opopinax, and on top of a very powerful accord of smokey cade oil and juniper with castoreum. It is at the stronger end of the range of 'leather' fragrances like Lonestar Memories or Knize Ten, not the softer 'suede' end or floral leathers. I don't get the 'ashtray' or cigarettes feel about it that some have mentioned. Others have mentioned tobacco, but the tobacco based fragrances I have experienced have always been much more honeyed than this. But it does have that whole smokey thing going on from the cade oil It is better suited to cooler weather, I would not try it in high heat. It will be polarisng and it's definitely a try before you buy. However, the more times I have worn it, the more I have grown to appreciate it

- This perfume smells like Sarah Conner in Terminator II: lean, sinewy, have gun, will kill. In short: Weird. I don’t get much leather, what I get is savory("umami") cardamom and smokey ash , then...wait for it... weed. More details: It begins with a spicy note I don’t recognize, most likely anise. But savory ("umami") cardamom soon takes absolute control, accompanied by a refined ashy smoke. Juniper flashes under the smoke for a few seconds. Maybe the castoreum-leather only manifest its presence by providing depth to the perfume, or by enhancing the savory ("umami") aspect of cardamom, so I don’t pick it out as a prominent note. Later the cardamom dies down, the smokey notes, unfortunately, turns to a gunmetal-like weedy scum note, probably a thin layer of isobutyl quinoline.

Leather+ smoke+ woods= LOVE, for me anyway! Cuir has all these things and more. It's a strong one but indeed unisex, it's silage and longevity are excellent. Its quite a sexy scent and I kind of feel like the cowgirl to Tauer's Lonestar memories cowboy! I smell the funkiness of the horse, the thick, leathery smell of the saddle and the smoky campfire as I'm cocooned in my cowboy's arms that still carry a waft of cigarettes. It's different and not for the faint hearted but one hell of a ride :)

On my nose it is mainly opoponax and beaver. Bitter and smoky in the opening it becomes sweet with time. I get more of a kind of product for polishing leather than the leather itself. Of all the Mona di Orio that I have tried so far this is the most shady ¿and masculine but still very wearable. Good anise, cardamom, opoponax, but to my nose they are rather pointed at a short distance, but on the other hand they help create an interesting trail. Not bad.Elegant. Rather simple and sober.

So I guess this used to be amazing and powerful, but now all I get is a smooth "leather" based off of opoponox (similar to Amouage Interlude, Royal Leather by Killian, and many other modern masculine leathers); the castoreum only peaks out later making it a little more interesting than first appears, then eventually morphs into something closer to Clive C for Men, which is quite sexy, but never reaching its true potential.

I suspect I had been a leather tanner or a shepherd in my past life! Because despite most of you, nothing harsh to my nose exists in this composition. Cuir is an aromatic leathery fragrance that is very soft, clean and wearable for me. I don't get smoky notes, only a hint of ash. Sweet myrrh and cardamom make this tame animalic juice a soapy clean scent. This isn't so wild and dirty, but not for the beginners at all.

Vintage version review. For me is smells smoky. Also a lot of woods and vetiver. Leather is like from the wet, almost rotten leather boots. I never tried castoreum and oppoponax, therefore I may be confusing notes.

From the notes, I thought I would like this. I get smoky leather and juniper. It's too smoky, even for me, but that dries down OK. Still, it's not quite a success.

Definitely a mature scent for a man over 35. A soft, spiced, leather scent. Very likeable, if the wearer loves leather dominant fragrances.

More 'épicée' than 'cuir' as others noticed before, this one to my nose is mostly about cardamom, cumin, cade oil (smoky juniper) and opoponax (here I link it to Interlude Man by Amouage), and finally a leathery base possibly made out of the prevoiusly mentioned cade, castoreum and some resins (styrax maybe?). Smells quite natural and not as daring and dark as I was expecting but good nontheless. Average performance. ----- Más especiado que 'acuerado' propiamente dicho como otros lo han notado también, ésta fragancia a mi impresión se basa mas sobre cardamomo, comino, aceite de enebro (el toque ahumado) y opoponax (aquí lo relaciono al Interlude Man de Amouage), y por último una base de cuero posiblemente hecha en base al ya mencionado enebro, castóreo y algunas resinas (styrax quizás?). De aroma bastante natural y no tan desafiante u oscuro como esperaba pero buena composición de todas formas. Performance media. 7,5/10

unisex smell. a bit subdued and stays close to the skin. average longevity. none of the notes really stand out for me. i wore it 5 times.

Oh boy, some people are really going to hate me for this lol i will try my best to be postive and give my personal opinion or "review on this Well a niche is a niche right ? i mean its all about pure quality right ? well this is pure all right so pure i will tell you how it smells like. Get a sweaty monkey who smokes a marlboro red and get a cardamom, shove that cardamom up that monkey's @$$, then grab his butt cheeks, pull it close to your nose and SNIFFFFFF IT !!! thats what i get out of mona do orio cuir a smokin monkey @$$ who have a thing for cardamom. Is it quality ? yes ofcourse its mona di orio i still love mona di orio but not cuir thank god i got a sample next time im going to the zoo im going to give that sample to a monkey im sure its going to remind him about his good ol kinky days messing around with a cardamom

MdO has pulled off something hugely bold, dense and complex with CUIR. CUIR opens with a complex hit of very strong castoreum and smoky bitter green notes. Soon the castoreum fades and a smoky burnt ash comes to the front; this is not tobacco or incense, this is burnt leather and it’s pronounced. This smoky, burnt leather hangs as spices (cardamom and juniper) join the mix and CUIR settles quite animalistic and resinously. The leather note in CUIR is of working leather to my nose; a blacksmith’s singed leather apron. Given that my cuir of choice is Chanel’s Cuir de Russie, MdO’s CUIR is confronting - very in your face and dirty. CUIR is polarizing. Potent, very masculine and suited solely to cool weather. It is a longevity and sillage monster. 4/10

Kinda harsh, definitely leather scent with little or no sweetness-- nothing suede. The juniper and castoreum are predominate on my skin, and the cardamom--one of my favorite notes in perfume goes more peppery here than sweet, spicy or lemony. The little bit of a lemon note there is from it, provides a brief lift-off before the leather hits. There is a slight whiff of bitter body odor here, not sexy cumin, but as one reviewer said, reminiscent of "dirty bong water" added to a bit of bitter dried armpit/sweat. It's a pass for me, but might work for someone. This leather is austere the way a Chanel might be, not a sexy leather, but a buttressed up, legs-crossed leather, despite that bitter sweat note.

The top is spices (anise), galbanum, woods and a hint of animalics (vaguely) reminding me of TF Noir Anthracite and Amouage Opus VII (a compliment in my book). Unfortunately, the base shifts into a synthetic smoky sweet raspberry leather mess, a-la Mac My Heroine / TF Tuscan Leather (an insult in my book), and ruins it for me. Surprising for the house of MdO, but I guess that even the most niche/indie houses have to make commercial compromises to please the masses. Glad I haven't blind bought it.

In searching for a great leather scent I thought this might really be a big contender...I was wrong. This takes the dirty dark leather thing into a land of charred wood. I have nothing against charred wood, I used to use cade oil when I was doing my own natural perfume but I didn't want to smell it in this perfume. Too bad. Complex and long lasting but very "burnt" smelling.

This is more spicy than leathery to me, a big blast of harsh spice from the opening all the way. Cumin is all I can think off all the time. If this perfume had another name I might have liked it better, I was expecting a full on leather fragrance. Expectations aside, did not enjoy this scent, not for me!

It's a solid like. It's smokey and has a beautiful cardamom note blended with the juniper that is just stunning. I did not expect to like this one at all, as I'm not really into leather or animalic perfumes, but this is a beautiful perfume. It's just not my style, but I respect it. -

Who is looking for Leather,pheraps should search elsewhere. I think the pyramid listed here is incomplete or wrong. What I get is hay,vetiver and an impression of leather,but a faint one and a lot of Castoreum. Maybe someone could be charmed,but not me. Not really Cuir.

Call me unrefined, but this perfume immediately reeks of bongwater. I can see the leather in there somewhere, but I can't get past that awful weed resin smell. Cuir probably makes much more sense in winter, but I don't think it's for me.

In a word, potent :S For those planning to sample this on a test-strip, keep it (far) away from your other strips! All those stored in close proximity to Cuir are likely to be overpowered... Several of mine were no longer recognizable :D

Scrubber. At first I thought maybe it would work for my partner, but it's not nice for anybody. I agree with the reviewer who called this an ashtray scent. Not me, and I hope not anyone around me. Sorry, but I can't sugar coat it.

Cigarette Ashtray, with a sweet note. I did not liked it, But my wife for some reason liked it. ))

Smells like smoke from a burning wood, like ashtray. I'll pass