Year: 2012
Notes: aldehydes, ambrette seed, ozonic notes, angelica root, cassie, iris, leather, styrax, sandalwood, white musks
Cuir de Nacre is more of an olfactory depiction of the mineralistic frigidity of mother of pearl, with gentle hints of iris and suede. However, there are three fundamental drawbacks about it.
Firstly, the opening is weird and unpleasant, consisting of the ballpoint pen aroma of ambrette seed, aldehydes and the cool coupling of angelica root with an ozonic note. The overall impression is earthy, bizarre and aloof in equal measure. And although this sets the scene for the emerging iris, it fails to competently engage.
Secondly, the iris and leather are rather fleeting. Smelling refined, they are too placid, especially when they are supposed to be integral to the composition. Personally, one can't help concluding that it's more about ambrette seed, styrax and musk than anything else.
Thirdly, for a parfum extrait, its performance is excruciatingly poor. Providing minimal sillage and lasting for less than four hours, it comes across as anything but an extrait. By the time it reaches the drydown, all that's left is a metallic musky aroma that smells woefully like a synthetic department store fragrance.
Composed by Bertrand Duchaufour, it clearly isn't his best work. But the way the iris effortlessly melds into the ambrette seed is the only half-decent thing one can say about it.
Firstly, the opening is weird and unpleasant, consisting of the ballpoint pen aroma of ambrette seed, aldehydes and the cool coupling of angelica root with an ozonic note. The overall impression is earthy, bizarre and aloof in equal measure. And although this sets the scene for the emerging iris, it fails to competently engage.
Secondly, the iris and leather are rather fleeting. Smelling refined, they are too placid, especially when they are supposed to be integral to the composition. Personally, one can't help concluding that it's more about ambrette seed, styrax and musk than anything else.
Thirdly, for a parfum extrait, its performance is excruciatingly poor. Providing minimal sillage and lasting for less than four hours, it comes across as anything but an extrait. By the time it reaches the drydown, all that's left is a metallic musky aroma that smells woefully like a synthetic department store fragrance.
Composed by Bertrand Duchaufour, it clearly isn't his best work. But the way the iris effortlessly melds into the ambrette seed is the only half-decent thing one can say about it.
