Cuir de Lancome- Another (Sort Of) Lost Perfume

One doesn't need to be a marketing expert to recognize the clumsiness and utter lack of thought in the way Lancome have treated their La Collection fragrances. It was a series of classic perfumes that (unlike their more commercial releases) had actually quite a bit of vision, inspiration and quality put into the juice. But ask the average Lancome customer, someone who frequents their counter to buy her skin care and lipsticks, if she had ever smelled Sikkim, Magie or Cuir. You are most likely to encounter a blank stare.

I'm not sure Cuir de Lancome has ever seen the lights of a department store in the USA. It was a case of "straight to the discounters" even though perfume lovers have waited for the 2007 release with high hopes. After all, it's not every day that a mainstream house comes out with a leather scent.

Cuir de Lancome (2007) carries the name of a 1936 release which was first called Révolte before being repackaged. I have no idea what the original cuir smelled like, but I wouldn't be surprised to discover it was a film noir kind of scent, like the great Carons and Chanels of the time. The new Cuir probably takes its inspiration from that era, but it's decidedly modern and is closer to the recent version of Chanel Cuir de Russie in its whispered leather and smooth flowers than to the daring Bandit by Piguet, a re-issue with its heels deep in the 1940s and in Katharine Hepburn's shoes.

Cuir is soft and elegant. The saffron note gives it a lot of presence and personality which is hard to ignore. I suspect this is the part responsible for any haters this scent might have. I happen to love it and enjoy the rich, buttery feeling the saffron creates. The leather note, while not overly feminine, is definitely more plush handbag than stable and saddles. There is a smoky element, but it's well-behaved and wearable. Cuir is tame and non-animalic, which might explain the lack of enthusiasm for it from many leather lovers. If your expectations were for some avant-garde scent or an innovation level akin to Cuir Ottoman (2006, Parfum d'Empire) or the wonderfully weird Cuir Mauresque (Serge Lutens), then I can see why Cuir de Lancome might not hit the spot.

However, I find it beautiful. The leather eventually melts into a smoky sweetness and I could have sworn I smell vanilla or tonka. I said above that Cuir is a lot more modern than the big leather chypres from the golden age of perfumery, but when I say "modern" I do not mean it in a commercial Sephora way, because it simply isn't. Cuir's concept is too classic, too perfumy to have a mass appeal. It has the appeal of a George Cukor film, not a Judd Apatow, which is might explain why Lancome abandoned this fragrance (with the rest of the line) in favor of the uninspired pink juice you will find front and center on their counters.

Google Cuir de Lancome and you will see all the discounters that still sell it. It can be fond for less than $50, which if you ask me is a bargain. I got a second bottle.

Photo of Norma Shearer: Zivar on flickr.com