Aromascope

Cuir Beluga by Guerlain

Today I’m wearing Cuir Beluga by Guerlain. Cuir Beluga is one of the recent additions created by perfumer Olivier Polge. Marina at Perfume-Smellin’ Things has already done an excellent review here, and, while she and I usually love the same perfumes, Cuir Beluga is an exception. Contrary to her, I happen to adore it. It features the notes of mandarine, aldehydes, immortelle, leather, heliotrope, amber, and vanilla. To my nose, this is not a predominantly leather scent. There’s no sharpness and austerity typically associated with leather. I get more suede softened by vanilla and amber. It also possesses a slightly bitter quality, a combination of immortelle and mandarine, I presume. Immortelle is known for its strong straw-like, fruity smell, with a honey and tea undertone, and I definitely detect a tea note. Cuir Beluga isn’t particularly aldehydic. Overall, it’s simultaneously honey-like soft and straw-like bitter, and I feel inexplicably drawn to it. It’s not by any means a comforting scent. It’s enigmatic and mysterious, with somewhat cold, detached beauty.

Cuir Beluga can be purchased directly from the Guerlain shop in Paris (phone orders - 33 145 62 52 57) or at Bergdorf Goodman in New York (212-872-2734).

Image source: www.osmoz.com

21 comments June 21st, 2006

Perfume Review: Untitled #2 by Tristan Brando

Untitled #2 is a creation of Tristan Brando, the nose behind Monyette Paris. It was created specifically for Luckyscent as part of their exclusive Untitled series - a collaborative effort with well-known perfumers to create unique scents that are limited in number. It’s said to have the notes of black coconut milk, green coconut, Tahitian vanilla, Madagascar vanilla, heliotrope, light driftwood musk, and Sicilian tangelo zest. In spite of such a mouthwatering combination of notes, I must say I’m slightly disappointed. It has such a promising beginning of creamy, milky coconut mixed with vanilla, and I wait in anticipation for heliotrope, driftwood musk, and Sicilian tangelo zest to enter in and sweep me off my feet but all I get is a rather bland, characterless vanilla with a much dreaded doughy drydown. It seems underdeveloped and short-sighted. For a scent that’s described as “vacation in a bottle”, it certainly doesn’t seem to transport me anywhere, and I’m left wondering what the intended destination is.

Image source: www.luckyscent.com

6 comments June 21st, 2006