Cuir de Lancome (La Collection Fragrances) Lancome for women

It is strong stuff. And it smells only alright after 10 mins, not a bad sense but I cant say people who smell it will like it immediately. You gotta let it grow on your skin and I think it is more for your personal devour than for gaining praises or comments from other people. I would spray it when I feel that day is my day and dun wanna care whatever others' think at work or on the streets.

Opens with the strong medicinal blast like a freshly opened box of band aids, not unlike Shalimar, which I love. Fades in to soft cloud of floral suede oriental. This is not a dirty old motorcycle jacket type of leather; this is the leather of luxurious cashmere-lined calfskin gloves. Very pleasant and easy to wear and I mean that in the best possible way, definitely not boring.

I also think that fans of Shalimar would like this alot, although this is more subtle

very close to the skin, doesn't project on me. It's been on me for a 2 hours now, and all I smell is citrus and a vanilla type smell - although vanilla is not listed in the notes. Not getting the leather or any woodiness, but rather a citrus-y furniture polish kind of scent w/ a warm, close to the skin vanilla (btw I hate vanilla). Wondering if this bottle has turned, or if it's my chemistry? Azuree was my first leather scent, and I will always compare every other leather to it. So Azuree wins for being bold, bright, dirty,and very leathery. Cuir de Lancome to me, is very quiet, innocent, and can't see over the steering wheel.

FANTASTIC!
It has a great longevity on me.
After a lot of hours I still smell it from time to time.
Spicy, woody and aristocratic. Sexy in a mature way, sophisticated,elegant and unique, aristocratic and noble! I like it very much!
I suspect that styrax is an element that I like very very much in perfumes (I have another perfume with styrax and I am able to distinguish it very clearly).

the first reaction after i sprayed it was: omg Shalimar (the original) and i am not a fan of shalimar, but then it started to cool down and after about 4 hours came the most beautiful dry down its woody misty and i detect amber as well even though it's not listed in the notes, if i wanna describe it i would definitely say: imagine someone wearing amber is having sex on vintage leather sofa and after they leave the ambery sweat dries off on the sofa and here you come to sniff the leather sofa... that's how Cuir de Lancome smells <3

Birch, patchouli, styrax creates nice dry suede scent on my skin.Very wearable powdery leather plus whiskey accord. And nothing about chypre floral. Reminds me of Armani prive cuir amethyste just not so sweet. Only medium sillage, stays close to the skin. Longevity is very good.

I find Cuir to be definitively leather, but so unlike most of the other leathers I know. There is not a trace of scratchiness that I usually associate with leather scents such as Bandit, Aramis or Rien. In fact it’s hard for me to consider Cuir and Rien in the same category. Cuir is a sweet, smoky floral leather (I get a lot of iris.) I can’t quite point to the source of the smoothness. Perhaps it is simply its well-considered moderation. Cuir has the nose feel of an emollient, viscous but not sticky. It makes me prick up my ears waiting for that roughness that the composition tells me is coming. But then, no, it’s more like a low-pitched vibration. The growl is implied, but what I hear is a purr, with all the sly contentment that a lounging cat suggests.

Overall, I find Cuir very sophisticated. I tend to love rough and angular fragrances. Cuir is certainly not one of them. That said, Cuir does make me sniff my own wrist more often than any other perfume I can think of. I suppose I’m always listening for the growl. If Cuir is a bit of a tease, I’ve fallen for him.

Fragrantica's note pyramid is incomplete. Cuir de Lancome has vanilla, a lot of vanilla, and maybe some tonka. I think it's miscategorized too. Chypre without oakmoss?! Neither is it particularly floral.

It opens with a weird discordance that probably involves the mandarin orange. When I tested by spraying directly on my skin, the noise lasted about half an hour. When I applied it by spritzing the air and walking into the mist, the discordant accord only lasted a moment. Then it segues into vanilla and a dry, fleshy wood (birch? styrax?) that is reminiscent of leather. From this point, the fragrance is happily linear. It's soft, warm, slightly sweet, woody, leathery, and quite lovely.

Sillage is good and the scent's lasting power is impressive. I'm talking days: one spritz on a wrist lasted all day, all night and through the next morning's shower (including a soapy scrub and vinegar rinse). Even after the shower it was still at about 75%. By the morning of day 3 it was a skin scent that finally came off in the shower.

You know, if I had tried this one before I tested Serge Lutens's Cuir Mauresque, I would have still ended up with the both of them. :-P

Ok, I stated the above to say that Cuir De Lancome reminds me of Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque in general. But this is a bit more powdery, less oily and more unisex, IMO.
Longevity seems to be on par with CM, the sillage seems to be closer to the skin than CM and seems to be more versatile than CM. I could pull this off in the early Spring. I can wear this one with brighter colors. It's the daylight Cuir Mauresque.

That makes Cuir De Lancome a winner in my book.

Update (10 OCT 2011): Serge Lutens' Cuir Mauresque still tops this one...

longevity is very impressionable,I detect a lot of woody+marmelade of apricot......

...very-very-very sophisticated scent!...Not for a all-day-round :)
...there is much of a woman in the aroma. I don`t smell leather,but smoke like in a good, old bottle of whisky :)
Take a deep breath in and you will feel warmth and sweetness of some flowers. It is a perfect scent for winter to get you warm :)

I get pure buttery, leather.. like I just stuck my nose inside a new pair of high-end, tall (past the elbow) gloves. The longer it stays on, the more it feels like a very sophisticated, wealthy woman who is always dressed impeccably and goes to the Plaza for tea would wear. She gets her hair and nails done regularly, and doesn't do her own laundry or clean her own house. I love it, but wouldn't wear it unless really dressed for it's formality. Bandit may be similarly leather-y but in a less formal way. Haven't tried Knize 10 yet to compare.

At first it smells a little musty, a little citrusy and floral, and a little soapy. As the flowers die down, the smoky birch tar scent comes through, along with some other odd notes that I’m not so crazy about, sort of like an old pair of cloth and rubber gardening gloves that have never been washed. I think it must be an odd variation on isobutyl quinoline.

I was expecting something a lot stronger and more leather-like, so this must be an EdT concentration. Having said that, just when I thought it was about to disappear, it comes back in gentle, sweet floral currents, barely there, but distinct. It seems to take a half hour or so for the odd opening notes to settle down and the true character of the perfume to establish itself.

I wouldn’t characterize this as a leather scent so much as a soft, understated, suede-tinged, lightly vanilla-flavored floral. It’s one of those translucent fragrances that’s perfect as a no-brainer default scent to put on before going to work, a lovely, soft and fuzzy pastel sort of perfume that radiates an aura of simple, subtle, sweetness. I think it would even be safe to spray it. The bottom line is that this is a beautiful, low-profile perfume that I’d like to have in my workday rotation if I didn’t have too many already.

I wasn't on the hunt for a new leather perfume as I found the one that hits the spot for me in Etienne Aigner Black. But when I was one of the winners of lovely janudy's giveaway, my curiosity got the better of me and I chose a sample of Cuir de Lancome based on its great reviews.

And a beautiful perfume this is indeed. At first on dry skin it's a rather bold leather accord. But as it warms, it softens and fuses with my skin--yes, sensual, leather 'skin' on skin.

The flowers give this a lot of dimension and heart; I think soft citrus plays so well with leather too.

The drydown is wonderful--complex, sultry yet distantly laid back. Orris and woods give this an aloof facade, yet the touch of vanilla-like styrax/benzoin make this so seductive. I embarassingly feel myself making Bette Davis eyes when I wear Cuir.

Personally I couldn't wear this everyday and Etienne Aigner seems to suit my personality better with it falling into the citrus aromatic category (yes, a citrus aromatic leather perfume!). But I do appreciate Lancome's masterful execution of this leather fragrance immensely.

Cuir de Lancome was a blind buy for me and a good one indeed.
I've been looking for an every day scent for autumn and winter for over a year now and based on the reviews, Cuir sounded like the one to try. I've never even considered wearing leather, but was too curious to resist buying it.
It's very wearable chypre leather, that has history and soul. It makes me feel sophisticated and chic, would wear it to boardroom or to a lounge at night. It's very versatile and definitely the best of Lancome.
Out of my humble collection of perfumes and all the samples I have, Cuir smells most like "me", I'm positive it's gonna be my "to go" fragrance. The lasting power is great, sillage is soft, it doesn't scream "here I am", it doesn't just sit on your skin, it becomes you. It's gorgeous. Totally worth checking out.

I like that it's not widely available and will leave some (jealous) people wondering what is that gorgeous smell... I'll never tell ;)

It is like they really went through all the old closets in the world and dug up old purses to captivate in a bottle that exact smell!
Smells just like my grandmother's suede purse.
Old school charm re-invented! It still maintains the retro vibe but adapted for now!
A creamy boozy spicy impression! It's like spiced bourbon!Very smooth and velvety -close to the skin but clothing it at the same time.
Quite alcoholic form the top to middle only to end up citrusy, but just a impression of citrus of no substance for its' starting the heat up - warming woods and creamy suede!

More suited for fall-winter season don't know why I can't see this on myself I thought it would smell like dry wood just with a hint of spice! It's more creamy liquor than anything I've ever smelled -it's not sweet but I get a nectar sweet note in the base along the overall scent!If this scent had a color it would be tan suede !

Awesomeness nailed it! A floral leather chypre...I had read much about Lancome's La Collection and have had my eye on Sagamore for quite sometime now. I was fortunate enough to be gifted a vial of this by MsMaryO (Thanks, My dear!!) and am totally in love with it...

This is almost like someone took all the notes and shuffled them like cards. Patchouli in the heart-not the base, saffron in the top (not the heart), and no moss and only light florals...but it works! This opens with the leathery note immediately apparent, but also the citruses and the saffron's warm floral spicy/pollen-like scent. The beauty in the heart of hawthorn, jasmine and ylang is just wonderful. Sultry, rich and slightly sweet when combined with the patchouli it has an earthy sexiness. Mmmm! The drydown is where I get the best reaction on my skin: styrax (and its mysterious aged scent), birch tar (smoky leather) and cold iris root makes for a dry very chypre-like finish without moss or too much powderiness. A very elegant scent for a woman; but I wear it myself, due to the stunning drydown rich in orris, styrax and birch tar-three of my favorite basenotes! This has a feel of aged and distressed leather, but is elegant and crisp at the same time. My admiration of Lancome in general has grown greatly. And, if this is how they define leather, I cannot wait to see how they define sycamore!!

Sillage: better close, but detectable
Longevity: good
Overall: 4/5

I am amzed more and more at how many "women's" scents smell better on men, and sometimes vice versa...I find this to be a great scent on my skin, and say damn the classifications! The more I sniff real quality scents, no matter what their "gender". This has a lot of flowers, sure, but is very nice on a man and also (I'd imagine) on a woman. Hey! Why not just let the wearer decide-people are gonna wear what they want anyway...

I know there's no leather listed, but something is giving me an impression of leather---buttery soft leather the color of this perfume. This perfume goes on smooth as silk. Whereas Bvlgari Black makes me feel like I should zip up my leather jacket and take my man's motorcycle for a joyride, this makes me feel like I should sit up straight with my ankles crossed, hair in a bun, but with my blouse unbuttoned a bit more than proper.

I think that this is slightly on the feminine side of unisex, but a man could definitely wear it.

CUIR DE LANCOME is a very styrax-rich quasi-leather fragrance with a strong, dark demeanor which really reminds me of a livery, although leather is not listed as a note.

This is a heavy composition best suited for winter, although the drydown is quite a bit milder than the heavyhanded rawhide opening, so it is possible to wear CUIR in warmer weather, if applied lightly.

I find CUIR to be rather masculine, but it mixes well with rose perfumes to create a more floral leather fragrance with a bit more feminine appeal.

na mne sploshnaya koja, zveti vilezaut v samom konze i ne samie priyatnie.... nichego zvetochno-shiprovogo net...

I have worn Cuir de Lancome on occasions in different seasons and it keeps changing. It is more of a cool weather perfume as it comes over a bit sweet and strong in the heat. I don't detect the citrus at all on me. The floral is background. It is a bit spicy or maybe smoky and the patchouli and other baser notes mature very nicely, yet never in a masculine way. A very classy perfume as one comes to expect from Lancome.

Cuir De Lancome is my latest purchase.
and from the moment I sprayed it ...
I really was taken by its... yes,
Woody, Smoky and Leathery fragrance ....

Its an "Everyday-Leather" scent and luckily for me not too feminine.
Although my fave still remains
Chanel- Cuir Russie as a definitive
"LEATHER SCENT"

they do share similar notes...

Chanel Cuir de Russie:
aldehydes, orange blossom, bergamot, mandarin, clary sage; iris, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, vetiver; styrax, leather, amber, vanilla.

Lancôme Cuir: bergamot, mandarin, saffron, Jasmine, ylang-ylang, hawthorn, patchouli, Iris, birch, orris root, styrax.

The difference I found is that there is a grassy green note as it settles on my skin
to CUIR DE LANCOME..
not sure what produces this ...
but it works for me ... in a strange way

A male friend said it smelled like
"Expensive Men's Shaving Soap"

I think its another great find!!!

I received my Cuir de Lancome today. OMG, I think it is THE MOST sophisticated fragrance I own. The image I get with this fragrance is metropolitan/svelte/assertively feminine. I love this one. Totally different than SR Woman...more refined and mature than the SR. I only own the one other leather scent, so that is why I am comparing the 2...

a very elegant and soft leather scent. The citrus and ? orris cut through it and make it ladylike rather than really sexy. It's a lovely wearable day-leather.
I must note that this perfume smells like Shalimar without the Vanilla, so Shalimar fans give this a sniff!

I did not like it on paper, too strong and rather masculine, but on my own wrist was another story. Warm and sexy, yet very elegant and subtle. The perfect scent for a cool night with someone special. A great feminine leather scent.

Cuir de Lancôme intoxicates me by its strong almost masculine leather scent. It fills me with comfort, confidence and feeling of security. It is perfectly suitable for men as well in my opinion.
This fragrance is a beautiful blend of masculine strength and feminine elegance.

P.S. it is strong and long lasting, shouldn't be oversprayed.

Cuir de Lancome is a great classic with retro chic, an excellent example of feminine leather fragrances. Everything is so well combined: flowers, woody, smoky, leathery tones.