Cuir Mauresque

Intrigue may not be on the menu for the average perfume wearer, and Cuir Mauresque has a ton of it, in manner that may make some recoil but for an adventurous few, would have them swooning. Others who've reviewed it have asserted their associations with urinal pucks and antiseptic laboratories, wafting with a jarring pungency, warning others to gird their loins for its sweet, spicy skank. They all mention this as if they were all bad things—honestly! Besides, my associations aren't quite as uncouth and I let my imagination run free. I don't get locked in "presentism" and approach something that is "Moorish" with context clues—wandering La Alhambra, imagining the alchemy of its time, ancient Andalusian culture, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the perfumed leather of the age. Myrrh drives the core of the composition here, its bittersweet, complex scent profile, with its earthy licorice-root facets and spiciness. This, combined with an orange blossom accord, and a slurry of spices, could account for the medicinal, cough syrup quality that others detect. I think it's bewitching and delectable. Then there is the cumin: need I say more? The leather shares similarity with Knize Ten in that it shares the quinolines and certain hot rubberiness, but distinctly spicy, floral elements, reminding me somewhat of the heliotrope and violet of L'Heure Bleue, come into relief in its heart. Then there is Sheldrake's Musc Koublai Khan animalic base here, but here it seems more fleshed out and interlaced into the other elements that to me, surpasses the former (it seems that CM was released two years prior?). I am even reminded of the ghostly dry down of Caron Tabac Blond, with a certain creamy, buttery smooth texture late in its development, reminiscent of "aroma of the body after sex" quality of civet. Overall, Cuir Mauresque appears so divisive in its reception, some think its not enough, others think its too much. I think its the Goldilocks of its kind, never veering too far into a grubby place as some skank monsters do, yet it surely isn't a modern yawn from which there are many out there to choose. It's juuuust right...and perfect in the cool autumn temps.

i wasn't impressed by the opening as it was a bit drawback, but when i gave it a good time to dry down it gave me quite an acceptable new italian leather moreschi shoes smell combined with an expensive rich & thick night anti-aging face cream essence but in a soft creamy way, so you can smell the leather only and you can smell both with the cream essence - it depends on your decision. it is quite a bit softy dark, now it's 17 and half hours since i sprayed it on this piece of paper, so i guess it lasts long but it is soft now. a good perfume in my opinion with a reasonable price (around 130$ for 50 ml) i do feel that it is the smell of a raw rice before being cooked or even washed! just a raw essence of raw Indian rice. Edit (30th Jan 2016) one of my Friends bought this from their main shop in Paris, they told him this will be discontinued once the stock is finished, is it true? or they are saying this to sell more as other sellers does?! Edit (26th July 2024) I am very impressed that the current black tall 100ml bottle has the same juice as my 50ml vintage bottle! The only different is that the vintage is kind of smoother rounded leather spices, while the new versions is stronger boosted leather spices 50/50. I do prefer the vintage but the new version is around 90% similar to the original.

I got it in the sleek black bottle part of the Gratte Ciel collection, which is more expensive, got it for €305. Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens is a mesmerizing interplay of leather, myrrh & spices, with an unexpected medicinal (the key word here is Medicinal, as it's very medicinal!) 🌟 twist that sets it apart. The opening greets you with a sharp, menthol-like quality—reminiscent of antique apothecaries—layered over a supple, smoky animalic leather base. As it evolves, hints of amber, civet, and resins emerge, softening the medicinal sharpness while retaining its exotic edge. This balance of dark, animalic leather with its cool, herbal undertones creates an aura that’s both mysterious and alluring. Perfect for those who appreciate a bold, unconventional take on leather, Cuir Mauresque is as intriguing as it is unforgettable. A true Middle Eastern olfactory journey! 🐫 🏜️ 🌙 By the way this is the only fragrance Mr Serge Lutens wears himself! That should tell you something! 😎 The performance is simply immortal! 💪🏻 🦁 I mean just for the performance I should have bought 3 backups! This lasts forever and longer than the regular beast mode big boys like Interlude 53 & DHP 👑 A video review is also available on my YT ▶️

This starts off smelling of artist studio. Thick with linseed oil and natural resins. That opening lasts quite a while, and during that time I find myself admiring and even loving it, but I have a scent from a little no-name house (probably doesn't even exist anymore) up in Minnesota which scratches that itch. But then the drydown. And here is where Serge Lutens always seems to get us. I struggle with SL scents. Somehow, in their complexity, they become a bit bipolar and unpredictable. But so far, this one is just lovely. For me, civet never comes through (a shame), but the spices and slight sweetness shine, along with lovely incense. At this point the leather scent (or our aforementioned artist's studio) has mellowed and become sort of a part of the overall experience. Maybe we've gone from the artist's studio into their home for spiced tea, with a bit of incense burning somewhere in our proximity? But alas, I'm not completely happy with the longevity. I seem to get a couple of hours and then this one fades to a light skin scent. Oh Serge, why must you always break my heart so?

Dreamy. The most bewitching, sophisticated, sexy, spicy leather fragrance I have ever smelled (and I've smelled a few dozen). GLORIOUS opulent spectrum of spiciness surrounding a strong but refined true-leather heart. My dreams smell of this. And even at the terrifying prices of the SL stopper bottles, it costs only 2/3ds as much as Tom Ford Tuscan Leather. In my view Tuscan Leather is the cheaper, simpler (though slighly more long lasting) wannabe which aspires to be THIS, this wonderful wonderful stuff. I fantasised about an FB of this for a couple of years - one of the few lasting perfume obsessions I ever formed, after just a few tiny drops from an 0.5ml tester a long long time ago. ETA: And now I have one, thanks be to the fragrance gods! A Facebook group yielded up an honest & generous person who wanted to shift their partial bottle. The first and maybe only SL bell jar in my collection and it was worth every precious penny and more. In real life it's even more wonderful. A dream fulfilled and a lifelong love affair in full swing. Oooh. Simply the best.