Cuiron (2014) Helmut Lang for women and men

Cuiron (2014) Helmut Lang for women and men

main accords
musky
citrus
woody
powdery
amber
aromatic
leather
fresh spicy
soft spicy
floral

Perfume rating 4.02 out of 5 with 149 votes

Cuiron (2014) by Helmut Lang is a Leather fragrance for women and men. Cuiron (2014) was launched in 2014. The nose behind this fragrance is Francoise Caron.

Cuiron (2014) by Helmut Lang is a Leather fragrance for women and men. First launched in 2002, Cuiron (2014) is a reissue of the original fragrance, released in 2014. The nose behind this fragrance is Francoise Caron. The fragrance features bergamot, mandarin orange, pink pepper, cassia, suede, carrot seeds, olibanum, labdanum, ambrette (musk mallow) and cedar.

Read about this perfume in other languages: Deutsch, Español, Français, Čeština, Italiano, Русский, Polski, Português, Ελληνικά, 汉语, Nederlands, Srpski, Română, العربية, Українська, Монгол, עברית.

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Fragrance Notes


Suede
Bergamot
Cedar
Olibanum
Ambrette (Musk Mallow)
Mandarin Orange
Carrot Seeds
Cassia
Pink Pepper
Labdanum

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All Reviews By Date

hanginglimbs

A great lighter leather that can be worn in warm weather. A good rival of Ombre Leather. Sparkly suede with an earthy base. Not the best scent for up close and personal sniffing, but smells marvelous in the air

JoLeenS80

Eww. This is listed as unisex but it certainly isn't feminine and I don't think it would smell good on a man either.

leatherorrisviolet

The way the notes come together in this is a perfect symphony of classy, retro masculinity that never feels dated. Citrus, woods, resins. I don’t really consider it a leather fragrance because I don’t sense any leather here, but that’s ok. It doesn’t need leather, it is perfect as-is. Sometimes simple things are the best things. I just wish this was still made, because I could wear it every day to the office

LMBelvi

Leathery and dry. Quickly fades I'm afraid, at least on me. I will finish my sample but don't especially recommend. For leather, my go to is Byzantium Saffron, which I adore.

ScentManJojo

This is a light suede citrus scent with 4 hours of longevity and maybe 1 hour of projection before turning to a skin scent. The dry down overall is a very basic men's fragrance. Overall I give this a neutral due the juice being nice it just doesn't last very long. Nice for the office or casual wear due to not being offensive to my nose. Try before you buy due to pricing...

freewheelingvagabond

Note: Review is of the reissue.

Cuiron is a straightforward suede fragrance (my guess is suederal) with some plummy notes in the beginning, and a very soft, subtle touch of spices that are finely meshed with the suede. It is largely linear, moderately long-longasting, and has understated, discreet sillage.

What I like here is the 'personality' of the scent. It is refined, contemporary (in a good way), versatile and androgynous. It retained my interest, grew on me after wearing it a few times, and lingered on in memory space.

Sort of half-way between Daim Blond and something like Chanel's Cuir de Russie.


3.5/5 (thumbs up)

houstcs

I agree this is very classy. Smells very good as well. Like bubbles of cleanliness, somehow. However it lacks excitement. I smell good, but I like a fragrance to take control of my mood, my emotions, my mind.

myjebo2012

Its a man's scent and not for me at all. I am definitely sweet smelling woman. Its appealing for a man that's all. The similarity is reminiscent of the 80's my father's aftershave called BRUT but refined better for a man

artemiss

First of all, I find it incredibly masculine. Even many men's fragrances I sniff these days are heavy on the florals or are aquatics. This is cool, dusty leather and wood. There is a touch of lime in the opening, but the drydown seems to lack it.

I agree it has a 'cool' feeling to it, even the spice notes it is tinged with are not your warm baking spices, but sharp and bitter medicinal ones.

It feels almost like something out of a foreign art film shot in Europe in the 70's to me, so perhaps it comes across as 'dated' to some as well.

In conclusion, this seems to be getting more hate than I feel it is due. No, it isn't something I would personally wear, but I can appreciate why someone would, and on the right person, I suspect it is unique, sexy and irresistible. The fact the only thing listed in the 'smells like' box is a version of itself, and that so many people seem to not know what to make of it, tells me that if someone chose it for their signature scent, they would likely stand out in crowd as memorable and not smell like anyone else.

jtd

I don’t know the original Cuiron, but the consensus is that the new version is very close to the original. Not 100%, but the shape and the intent are the same. Cuiron’s reissue was hotly awaited but following the curse-of-threes in perfume releases it was somewhat overshadowed by its siblings Helmut Lang EDP and EDC.

The timing of the reissue was awkward. As a 2014 version of a 2002 perfume, it’s neither new nor vintage, so it arrives with two strikes against it. One, it’s a reformulation and, two, even if the restoration is flawless, it’s not old enough to be retro, just out of fashion.

I imagine that even when it was first released Cuiron was neither fish nor fowl. Ostensibly leather but actually more woody than anything else. Largely synthetic but not unapologetically so like many other millennial niche perfumes (eg. Comme des Garçons, l’Artisan Parfumeurs, Etat Libre d’Orange). Minimal but a little fussy. From the perspective of 2014 the neither/nor bit is magnified, giving Cuiron a house-of-mirrors quality that makes it seem endlessly referential.

To wit: Cuiron shares the hissy, gasoline topnotes of a few power-masculines that preceded it, namely Hermès Bel Ami and Dior Fahrenheit. Even Chanel Antaeus for that matter. It manages to find the neutral territory between the plush of Knize Ten and the starkness of ELDO Rien. Cuiron’s synth-woodiness narrowly misses the over-reliance on Iso-E Super that many of the era fell prey to, yet it hints at the freeze-dried hollowness of the norlimbanol beasts that would follow. Cuiron’s shiny, metallic topnotes are oddly reminiscent of Guerlain Coriolan, linking it to the generation of lost masculines like Paco Rabanne Ténéré, Givenchy Insensé and Jacomo Anthracite. It’s freaky how many other perfumes Cuiron brings to mind.

It’s arguable that Cuiron lacks individuality or identity. It’s not as specific as some other leather perfumes but it fits the straightforwardness of the Lang aesthetic. For those attuned to the quiet detail of the brand’s signature minimalism Cuiron was probably fairly loud but it was less bombastic than the power-fragrances and brassy fougères that preceded it.

The reissued Cuiron doesn’t suffer from reformulation, but expectation gets the better of it. The original edition gathered a cult following, especially after it was discontinued. In 2002 Cuiron would have been the star of a rising niche wave. In 2014 Cuiron faced more competition and a more informed perfume consumer. It will be interesting to see how Cuiron survives in this new setting.

from scenthurdle.com

cytherian

I'd gotten a sample of vintage Cuiron and then blind bought the 2014 release based on the glowing reviews.

This is one of those fragrances where you will shake your head in befuddlement upon first spray... "so THIS is what all the fuss has been about, to bring back Cuiron after being discontinued?"

This is a very understated fragrance. Far from bold.

Leather? No rich emollient saturated high grade leather aroma as you might get from a brand new Aston Martin. No lived in, aged, and roughly maintained leather jacket. This is a suede jacket made of the finest thin leather tailored to look like a matte tuxedo... and you wouldn't notice it wasn't wool/cloth unless you looked closely.

Underneath that suede is a freshly laundered shirt, light on the starch and fabric softener. Just a tinge of scent from carefully selected florals, herbs, and resins.

So am I disappointed? Well, not really. I can tell it's not the vintage version, but I feel it still works well on its own. It's classy. It will be what I reach for when dressing up in a suit (which is seldom these days, unfortunately).

Fragrance: 8/10.

NickZee

Very classy stuff. Reminds me of Azzaro Pour Homme, they both seem to share the same approach to leather. Behaves like it has no top notes because from the moment you spray there is not the usual blast. Rather, it settles quite quickly and Projects steadily for a few hours.

Yourhumblenarrator

That's leather alright. Cuiron puts me right back inside the little, red Honda my mom bought twenty years ago, almost to the point of being uncanny. If you can brave the opening, potent, new car smell, it softens a bit and gives way to unripe citrus. This is a weird one. Personally I find it almost sinister. It makes me think of leather furniture in 90s department stores and some sales guy who probably just did a quick bump of coke in the break room. Remember Matthew McConaughey's character in The Wolf of Wall Street? He was definitely wearing this shit. Cuiron lingers in avant garde territory but doesn't quite settle down there. A 'sketchy' fragrance if there ever was one. I can see the appeal but it's not for me.

HanamiTsukimi

Leans more towards masculine. Smells like a new car. Nice smell. I like the smell of new cars. Would I want to smell like one? Nah.

Angela Agiannidou

This is soft and elegant, on application I detect bergamot, pepper, a soft gentle touch of olibanum and suede. This is a very refined scent, all the notes are there but subdued, ethereal, this is an excellent scent for the workplace, persistent yet inoffensive, chic, with nuances of spicy, yet fresh elements. Mandarin orange mixes beautifully with the rest of the notes and the result is sublimely delicate and modern. This is a great everyday scent with depth and personality. Worth trying.

Eutopist

Yes, it reminds the original version but unfortunately as much as diet bacon (turkey or whatever technologies can produce nowadays) reminds you natural one -- something is missing and you know - it's a fat. It is an ingredient, a taste of which you can't describe but it definitely makes the whole composition juicy and full of flavour. After all, this is still a Cuiron, but in a diet version.

bchavi

On cool, transitional spring days such as today, I find myself going to this. I'm not one for fragrances that shout or announce my presence before entering the room (with the exception of my beloved original 1980's Macassar), so the quiet, close-to -the-skin and oh so subtle leather of this one is perfect for me.

cdresz

This is a warm, relaxing and inviting skin scent. Really good longevity. Mediocre sprayer, my bottle requires a very "fast" plunge in order to atomize correctly. An average plunge seems to spurt? This reminds me a little bit of Euphoria.

Erok32

I get heavy suede and pepper at the top with an accord which resembles violet leaves to my nose. It's somewhat odd in that it's leathery yet fresh. I love the scent but find it too fleeting to warrant a purchase.

sweet piglet of smoke

Never smelled the original Cuiron, and so can’t judge the 2014 reformulation in relation to its illustrious predecessor. I am choosing to assume, though, that the original Cuiron was doing something much more, and much better, than the new version. The only other alternative is to suggest that the legend of the original Cuiron was so much sound and fury, hype built up into mythology, because I wore Cuiron yesterday and there was nothing there that anyone, not under the sway of the Cuiron legend, could find compelling. If you want a longlasting and deeply rich leather Knize Ten is superior on every level. If you want some smoky sweetness stick with Bvlgari Black, and save your money.

If, however, it’s important to you to smell like Keanu Reeves, then, by all means, Cuiron is your boy.

glitterlust

Part of this is me, I don't like it like I used to (in either format).

It is a fair copycat to Cuiron. The opening notes are heavier, not so poignant nor aromatic. The composition is laced with a dry/flat wood note which removes some of the texture of the first leaving it less like leather and more masculine.

vtrash

Great scent with NO longevity.
From what I can figure the original had some life to it.

deborahmorais

For men AND women? Are you kidding me? I never regreted something so much as I did after applying this. It's disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!! It smells like a house full of mold!!!!!!!

mabelcruet

Gosh, this was good! I found a tester sample in my dressing table-no idea where from, although I assume it was a freebie, and the only thing that came to mind when I saw 'Helmut Lang' was bondage....

Anyhoo-the first spritz was citrus, more lime than lemon, but that lasted only momentarily. About 10 minutes in it became intensely chalky, it took me right back to school days cleaning blackboards. I don't have a very trained or discerning nose so I don't know what was causing this at all. There was also a brittleness to it, like a metallic note. After about an hour it faded a little to a lovely rounded musk-insense with a slight floral edge to it. It was a cold, watery scent to me-there was no real spice at all. The dry down was far nicer than the initial hour, and it lasted for ages. Its been 14 hours since I sprayed and I can still catch it from my wrist. I found this hard to categorise-its neither feminine or masculine, day or evening, or summer or winter to me. I liked it-not sure why as its very unlike most of my usual favourites. I don't know what the original formulation was like, but this version is excellent, and definitely not a run of the mill generic musk.

AveParfum

"There's something about Cuiron". I admit, a bit sheepishly, that I initially wrote this perfume off as crap, but I have changed my opinion and I rather like it! There is a note in it that reminds me of the ink of a pen, and it keeps me coming back for more. I have voluntarily chosen to wear Cuiron 4 times in the past 2 weeks. That is a BIG DEAL for someone who changes her perfume daily. The more I wear it, the more I understand it, the more its subtleties unfold. Isn't that what art is? It's a quiet little masterpiece, like the Mona Lisa. Kind of small and unexciting when you see it in person, but it keeps you thinking for a long time after.

At first it smells like crisp seltzer water on ice, with a twist. Then a watery smoky scent joins it, like a leather jacket splashed with a glass of water in which someone had put out their cigarette butts. Subtle, extremely synthetic, but thought-provoking.

At times I believe I catch some jasmine, but I can't be sure. I love the musky drydown.

Cuiron is not unisex--it is void of sex entirely. Think Annie Lenox in a gray pant suit. Cold, reserved, distant, perhaps a tad snobbish. Definitely confident. Minimalistic. Very futuristic.

I am captured by Cuiron for the 12+ hours it lasts on my skin. There are a lot of watery expensive perfumes out there (Byredo's Gypsy Water springs to mind), but for some reason this is the one watery perfume I may actually fork over $165 for. I typically love woods, resins, moss, all things natural. This is as synthetic as it gets, yet I am surprised that absolutely love it.

Edit: For some reason, being void of all sexuality, Cuiron ironically makes me feel very sexy. When my receptionist smelled it on me (I let her sniff my daily perfume choice), she said it is the kind of perfume where a man sniffs your wrist, then sniffs further and further up your arm. "THAT kind of perfume," she said. Briget Jones would say: This is Hot Stuff in style of Donna Summer.

deadidol

I must admit that I’ve been hesitant to talk about this scent as, when I first tried it, I suspect that my expectations got the better of me. Therefore, I’ve been wearing and smelling it off and on since the day of the re-release to try and form somewhat of a measured response. But to make a long story short, I’m seriously underwhelmed by Cuiron.

Obviously, this is a nostalgic scent for many. It signifies a specific time and place, and it’s a scent that many fragrance fans connect with on a level that goes far beyond scent alone—I totally, completely get that. In addition, as has been noted by Alfarom and others, Cuiron was indeed forward-thinking for its particular moment, pushing back against dominant trends. Today, it doesn’t smell quite as futuristic, and I think this is because many of the aromachemicals that seem to make up the scent have been hideously, violently abused in mass-market trash and so our perception of their use differs today from when Cuiron was first introduced.

But as far as how original it felt at the time of its release, I can only imagine as I don’t have that context (I was mainly wearing hippie oils at that time), nor do I have the emotional connection that others have as this is was my first time smelling it. But even with that in mind, I find it truly difficult to understand what all the fuss was about and why it garnered such a cult following after its demise. I can’t speak to how the reissue compares to the original in any way (and reports have been conflicting so far) but given how unapologetically synthetic Cuiron is, I can’t imagine anything would need to be altered for cost/IFRA concerns as it seems to be made from rudimentary and off-the-rack chemicals. Therefore, I doubt much has changed.

It wears linear and exceptionally light, and the impression that comes through is cold, anonymous, and devoid any emotion or passion. It’s a lanky, severe cocktail of norlimbanol (cardboard), iso e (dry cedar), linalool (a citrusy effect), and a mercifully faint isobutyl quinoline (“leather”) all mixed at a low concentration. There’s a shiny, metallic facet to it that stems from a large dose of benzyl salicylate—a sort of fake jasmine molecule that lends a green shimmer to a blend. The overall effect of Cuiron is really just the sum of its parts—a dry, cold, cardboard-y chemical smell that’s vaguely suede-like. I personally wouldn’t consider this to be a leather scent at all—it’s more of an abrasive and industrial smell. It wears a tad oily (hedione), but overall it feels, to me, like being splashed by water that contains flecks of silver and grey naugahyde. It lasts a ridiculously long time (because it’s almost entirely aromachemicals with insane shelf-lives), but it sits extremely low on the skin, working in wafts at best. I’d liken the way it wears to something like Molecule 01, Nu_Be’s Oxygen, or Odeur 53—which isn’t a bad thing at all, but just don’t expect more than an occasional glimpse. It might be summed up as something like getting your skin subtly tinted with a hue of grey, shiny chemicals.

And while it feels like it’d slot in well with the likes of CdG or Nu_Be, it somehow manages to feel dated to a point prior its own time of release. There’s something about it that makes it seem like it belonged in either the 1970s or the 1980s. It might be the steel/leather combination reminding me of bad ‘80s aesthetics, and I’d imagine that it’s the kind of scent that Max Headroom might wear. At moments it somehow feels like you’re wearing a vintage masculine scent, but it doesn’t smell much like any of them.

Again, I’m concerned about how measured and reasonable I’m being with my response given that I don’t have ties to the original, but considering the cult status and the praise that this stuff has received (as well as the high prices the vintage now pulls in), I’m left scratching my head. Cuiron, to me, is not a good leather scent in any way. It’s a highly synthetic affair that has none of the redeeming qualities that even the most abrasive aromachemicals can produce. It’s cold, flat, and dreary. I hope the reissue is faithful and I hope it makes many people happy, but to me, it’s a lousy fragrance.

bchavi

Blind bought a full bottle of this based on my curiosity around the original which I was never privileged to sample. Very nice, inoffensive citrusy-leather. Authentic - not artificial. I like this a lot. Definitely uni, but I agree it pushes masculine (as compared to say, Tom Ford's White Suede, which to me definitely tends toward the feminine side).

Vegas Pauli

Very fresh and green. The suede and citrus are about even here, a nice balance. Not a far cry from Sisley's Eau de Campagne but the leathery note in this makes it different in a nice way. Starts off very fresh and citrusy then it calms down to a slightly flowery suede. This would smell nice on a man or a woman, but it slightly veers masculine for me. Elegant and refined, it's a good one. Light sillage, you need to spray a bit heavy. Thumbs up.

alfarom

After being discontinued for almost ten years and after reaching mythical levels of appreciation amongst perfumisti who paid literally hundred bucks to get a bottle that sporadically showed up on the internet, the infamous Cuiron has been re-launched.

A lot of things have already been said on the fact if this current 2014 iteration is faithful to the original and, in my opinion, it completely is. I think most of the differences people perceived between the two versions of Cuiron are mainly due to the aging process of the juice which felt in the original formulation a bit sharper during the opening (some top notes might have turned a little bit). For the remaining aspects, the fragrance is still 100% the old infamous Cuiron.

A little disappointment came with the fact the fragrance seems a bit (and unnecessarily) overpriced today. When originally launched, it went for average designer price vs its current average niche tag. Well, I guess that's still better than the astronomic amount of bucks we all had to theoretically splurge to get a bottle of the vintage.

Rating: 9/10

golinka

Clever, masculine, and quite urban, but there is nothing concrete or GRAY about it. What's sweet about it? pepper, it is. Very layering and polishing perfume, quite interesting and definitely out of ordinary, but as a woman, I doubt I can put it on, wearing skirts or dresses. Straight to business perfume, mature and overall very pornographic. 8/10

Alejandrocalvani

This new formula smells similar to Nobile's Ponte Vechio for Men, though the notes are far alike. No shade on Ponte Vecchio (it's a favorite) but this new formulation is an insult to the original Cuiron.

andregooren

A burst of citrus (primarily bergamot) is quickly overtaken by isobutyl quinoline, a tenacious little molecule (according to Givaudan the molecule lasts five days on a blotter) with a long history of use in fine fragrances (Tabac Blond, 1919; Habanita, 1921; Nuit de Noël, 1922; Knize Ten, 1924; Bandit, 1944; Cabochard, 1959). Isobutyl quinoline has historically been used in combination with other materials—forming but one part of a larger accord (e.g. the Mousse de Saxe base).

At this point I want to make it very clear that I have no issue with this material and I love each and every one of the fragrances mentioned above. The new Cuiron is essentially a study on isobutyl quinoline with a flourish here and there. I have not smelled the original Cuiron, but based on the unending admiration that it receives, I have a very hard time believing it smelled anything close to this.

The reformulation of Cuiron joins an ever-growing group of fragrances in which isobutyl quinoline is front and center. In the last year I have come across two other examples: Rancé’s L'Aigle de la Victoire and Vintage Leather by West Third Brand. Of course, both of these fragrances owe a debt to Complex by Boadicea The Victorious (2009), which (as far as I know) is the earliest example of the current isobutyl quinoline overdose trend.

I assume this is good for business as people seem to be very enthusiastic about these fragrances but I find them a bit gauche. The systematic deconstruction of complex fragrances into their constituent parts seems to be the order of the day as minimalist fragrances gain wider acceptance. I suppose this is also convenient for perfumers with ever-shrinking palettes and budgets. I suppose I just pine for the days of stormy, complicated fragrances that take their time to get where they’re going and wait hours to reveal their true intentions.

In any case, I was disappointed by Cuiron. I found it unimaginative and uninspired and yet another case of a resurrected fragrance that was better off dead.

Pinnacos

I've got a bottle of the vintage that has 96 - 97% of the original volume. I've only worn it a few times. It's beautiful stuff, but I've got a dozen other leathers I'm just as happy with. It wasn't cheap, but rare vintage frags usually aren't. Let me know if you're interested.

 
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