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Le Labo presents their leather fragrance as "Easy Rider without the sweat and gasoline — blending leather, wood and animal notes to give it a very powerful, dark and memorable personality" Specifically they mention natural vanilla absolute, leather notes (a synthetic base), woods (vetiver), animal notes (ambrox), and musks (muscenone).
Although the opening is jolting for anyone who considers the modern representatives of the "cuir" genre being cuddly and purring kittens like Guerlain Cuir Beluga or other suede fragrances (indeed these lean more to oriental than true leather scents), or spoiled by the plush iris note of Chanel Cuir de Russie, Cuir 28 is an exercise in illusion, an unusual and intriguing composition. Much like Tubereuse Criminelle before it, it hides beneath the shocking prelude a sensitive ballad. In Cuir 28 that ballad is played on the wooden wind instruments: a vanilla oboe and a vetiver clarinet, filling its other's phrases with a bridge in legato. The perfume's opening, smoky, tar-like, phenolic smelling with a touch of that cult Goutal, Eau du Fier and Band Aid worthy (oudh) pungency, isn't particularly animalic smelling, nor is it especially musky scented, but it can be a bit masculine and butch all the same. Wait about 15 minutes though (applying on the skin) and the rest of the composition in Cuir 28 becomes a sweetened vetiver scent, clean and comfortable and really fetching with its very perceptible vanilla. (Possibly there are more synthetic wood notes, like sandalwood, which provide some plush after the thrash.)
The comforting part has been a recent favorite for Le Labo judging from their Moscow exclusive, the extremely hard to come by Benjoin 19. Which beckons the question: Is the East succumbing to a Western taste?
Nevertheless, as is not uncommon with fragrances in the upper echelons of the pricing range, especially when they require a concentrated effort to get hold of as well, the dedicated perfumista might find that the effect is not worth the asking price in the end. Although I have been known to deem at least two of the Le Labo city exclusives, Poivre 23 and Gaiac 10, as worth the jumping through hoops (and have Mastercard-in-hand capitulated to one), I realize this also has to do with personal preferences, and if you're delirious about leather or vetiver, Cuir 28 is still very worth sampling and I'm glad I tested it; my sample saw good use indeed. Among the city exclusives -and the regular line as well- Cuir 28 is certainly NOT amongst the worst (Limette 27 is probably the dullest), yet it leaves me with a feeling of a missed opportunity. I'd like it turned up a notch.
Fragrance notes for Le Labo Cuir 28: leather, vanilla absolute, woody notes, vetiver and musk.
Le Labo Cuir 28 is exclusively available at Dubai as a city exclusive according to the brand, only the place that was supposed to stock it there (Paris Galley in the Dubai Mall) is closed and until something else opens (which Le Labo informs us it shall), the perfume is nowhere to be found. Fate has no doubt been harsh to Cuir 28...
Related reading on PerfumeShrine: The Leather Fragrance Series, Le Labo Fragrance Reviews & News
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Wonderful description, as usual!
ReplyDeleteFortunately, and uncharacteristically for my skin (which tends to eat perfume) the Hell's angel platicky leather wardrobe survives for quite a long time on me (though not in its full phenolic glory). The smell retains something quite sharp and rubbery.
But perhaps it's just the way in which I perceive the vetiver. Interesting how a material could smell so refreshingly natural (Sycomore), or so compellingly synthetic (this one).
Fully agree on the overpriced exclusive gimmick - as if the regular line wasn't expensive enough.
cacio
M,
ReplyDeletethanks! I expected to post with your own take on this, as I know it intrigued you a lot.
It's an unusual and interesting fragrance for sure; in fact it made me sit up and concentrate and I prefer that to just having it travel along for a few hours with nothing above a nice sounding humming (though that might be fetching). It seemed disjointed, as if two perfumes were stuck together. I wonder whether that was intentional. The vetiver is loud and clear on me, as is the vanilla. It reminds me of sweetened vetivers, but as you say there is a synth quality about it (which is not in itself bad, it's just weird in this particular case).
Funny how your skin retains the leather and rubber so long. Mine sweetened it considerably. I did not test on fabric or paper this time; I considered that with the high percentage of essence in the Le Labo frags it would be wasted and would perform better on skin. Never had any problem with longevity with the brand. But I do not have considerable problems with most brands either (and when I do I just put it on my clothes or hair).
The rising prices (or the raised prices, according to how we view it and how optimistic we are) are dispiriting. I feel like we matter less and less. Then again new reports from the Far East suggest that with the fall of the currencies there the buying power will drop and therefore the luxury market will not see such a steep growth marker in 2014. That would mean a welcome break in the sprint to who's got the costliest product. I hope... :-)
Omitted a word: "I expected YOU to post with your own take on this"
ReplyDeleteSorry!
I keep hoping someone will solve the mystery of when this city exclusive will be available in the city it is supposed to be for! As you say, the Le Labo boutique in Paris Galleries has been closed for sometime and nobody is saying where a new one might be opening. I keep hoping for a stand alone store! Patiently, I am waiting to try this one although the Moscow exclusive sounds more up my alley. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteDubaiscents (cute serendipity),
ReplyDeletethanks for commenting and for your compliment.
To be honest, I'm waiting feedback from official lips myself. When there's anything concrete I will update the post to include the info.