Hermessence Cuir d'Ange Hermès for women and men

MASTERPIECE WITHOUT DOUBT

legendary.

this is the best leather fragrance i have ever smelled after decades of collecting perfume.

nothing smells better than a nicely done hermessence by ellena, nothing comes even close to his work in hermessence. I'm saying this after years of thinking that its propably just another over-hyped thing on the internet (like the crazy chanel exclusive cult following lol) after trying the collection it completely changed my mind.

this shit just works, some mind-blowing stuff.

Somehow it does remind me of the original habit rouge by Guerlain👍

Hmm I like the actual fragrance but to describe it as extremely weak is an understatement. Like in a couple minutes it’s gone. Similar scent to Galop d’Hermes (which is strong and long lasting) but when I attempted to compare, of course I could smell nothing from this scent at all. Only upon first spray is the scent discernible. I could see people whose professions prohibit perfumes being able to spray this from head to toe, undoubtedly. I own perfumes that are cheap- rhianna rogue, for instance. And I own super expensive ones- valiant by Boadicea being the most expensive (BR extrait is up there as well as Clive Christian’s blonde amber.) I say that to say this- If quality, longevity or uniqueness is there, I don’t mind spending the money. This is not worth the price in any way. This is to quality perfume what kids’ nail polish is to OPI.

This is by far one of the most stunningly gorgeous fragrances I have ever encountered, and of all of my Hermes fragrance collection, my absolute favourite. It would be my signature fragrance, however I have had either no feedback when I wear it, or the odd negative feedback. ‘It’s too leathery’ or ‘all I smell is leather’…’the leather smell is quite strong’ in the comments here are baffling to me. Maybe don’t review or test a perfume with the word ‘Cuir’ in the name. And for those of you who smell paper or CARDBOARD…please move on…this treasure is wasted on you. This IS a unisex fragrance and easily worn by a man…think George Clooney or Bad Bunny! Elegant men. Classy men. Sophisticated men. Really one of a kind perfume and not to be compared to anything else leather. Another Ellena masterpiece. 9.5/10 darlings.

Epitome of understated beauty and elegance. So freaking classy. Sorry if it's over used but this is ACTUALLY quiet luxury. Layer it with Ballerina from Moresque, tears of iris by Gucci, Celine black tie, something with iris and vanilla and you get something super seductive but refined. Perfection. Amazing.

EpicureOrHedonist?08/24/23 08:50

Wet cardboard and... Cat piss 🤢Old skin, not washed properly, masked with day-old powder.
First scent to ever make my stomach clench. Testing on a cool, damp, late summer day.

Beautiful Scent but it lasts nothing, not even with over spraying.

Oversprayed it once and stumbled upon an impressiom of sth oddly familiar, mineral-animalic, borderline camphorous and medicinal. Then it clicked. Cuir d'Ange shares the uncanny, oily-fizzy leather/oud accord with Petroleum by Histoires de Parfums, the obvious difference being the density and the use of gentle flowers in the former. The lightness of the Herméssence results in it being more approachable, but I would never consider it an easily likeable take on a leather. Cuir d'Ange is beautifully composed, chic and classy, but definitely an acquired taste. As I own Petroleum and have grown to admit that I find it repulsive (even though worthy of appreciation for the iventiveness and audacity that went into it), I'll stick to the leathers that are easier on my stomach, i.e. Knize Ten, Dzing! and Opus XI. Sth about Cuir d'Ange and the afforementioned HdP just rubs me up the wrong way.

Just wanted to add that there’s this obscure musky fruit mixed, as it dries down, with this easy, soft, leather beauty. I’m not posting a review, but I just wonder what notes aren’t being revealed that creates this. Is it a dewy sweet pear? Or is it just the violets mixed with the other florals?

Truly a Leather of Angels. Smells so deep, it's thick and at the same time feels light and airy, almost ethereal. Definitely in my top 3 leather fragrances, together with the very different Cuir de Russie, followed by Cuir Cannage. Jean-Claude Ellena's Magnum Opus and hence probably the best Hermessence ever.

Wet cardboard and... Cat piss 🤢Old skin, not washed properly, masked with day-old powder.
First scent to ever make my stomach clench. Testing on a cool, damp, late summer day.

The restraint in Jean-Claude Ellena's compositions is so heartachingly beautiful but may leave some yearning for more. Therein lies the quandary of experience in fragrance: how much more is needed until it is more than enough? To capture the nuance of scent is one of balance; stretch it too far and you heave it beyond its true spirit. How could the elegance and mystery of Cuir d'Ange sustain if it were to be a strong presence? How would the limbic system respond to that? You have a shade of animal magic and it's bewitching, but if you turn the dial up to 11, it becomes disconcerting.

Take the note of hawthorn, which for my nose is prominent in Cuir d'Ange. We don't want to bury our nose in its blossoms or we may receive it as stinky feet slathered with melted licorice all-sorts. These are not blossoms for an intimate nosegay. We stay within the perimeter and rather marvel at its headspace. The hawthorn accord is great for leather because it brings out the sweetness and roughness inherent to it. Which brings me to light and dark...

Ellena brings into relief the unbearable lightness of being, like the angel's wings, the tenderness of powdery, billowy violet and heliotrope, classically demure. And then there is the dark side to the angels, the gatekeepers of death, the ones that pull your spirit away and leave your flesh to decay. With four faces, numerous eyes, and resembling an ungulate, these angels aren't all harps and fluffy clouds. Tender and soft meets our primeval drive for survival, at any means, resisting the calling of angels.

How could this be dialed up to 11? It wouldn't be the same. When it is closer to the skin, but enough to be shared with your immediate company, it feels like a mix of melancholy and reassurance. I gravitate to music with this effect, why not fragrance? And this music is never terribly loud. It would lose its meaning, and surely we want the finer things in life to be meaningful, right? Cuir d'Ange is without a doubt one of my favorite leathers and favorite compositions from Ellena.

This is an immediate skin scent on me. The only way I can detect is to push my nose to my wrist. It smells good but not something for me. I don't generally understand fragrances in the category of skin scent. I can pick pretty much any listed note. It's a simple fragrance that could be really great for me if it would project. As its form now, I think it is more suitable for ladies.

After hearing rave reviews from people I trust - and getting more into leathers lately - I blind bought a new bottle.

In a nutshell, this is new, classy leather: like the piece stitched around the cap, it is extremely fine, soft and actually unobtrusive. Restrained elegance.

The opening couple of hours are floral. I get big, almondy heliotrope sweetened with violets (Après l'Ondée meets L'Heure Bleue??), and a noticeable narcissus is at play for a time. The leather is apparent, waiting in the wings until the flora retreats.
Then it emerges, subtly - and subtlety is all here: this scent is an extended and discreet pleasure, not a quick fix.

I compared this to the rest of my (small) Hermès collection in respect of subtlety. As chic as Terre is, it does radiate; the leather of Équipage Géranium is earthier, though tempered by soapy geranium; its manner is polite but not reserved. In fact, the closest comparison in terms of how this scent conducts itself - although they are unalike in scent profile - was to be found in Eau d'Hermès. Neither calls attention to itself, but a close association is rewarding. I find myself coming back repeatedly over the course of a wearing to savour the scent of finest leather that has uncannily become one with my own skin.

And since we're concerned with understated leathers here, perhaps these two could each be called a true "skin" scent...

Love love love
Many people don't like it but I don't fu.. care its luxury scent romantic

Leather but through JCE’s perception
Floral but in a good way nothing overwhelming
It’s an incredible fragrance but at what cost ?
As good as it smells but still toned down for me
I really appreciate the perfumers effort here it’s a very solid scent that captures leather beautifully
Sadly it’s not worth the premium price
I sprayed almost 5 ml’s out my bottle and still I can’t smell it like I want
I like it but I can’t buy it
imagine if he did it with Fredrick Malle it would be one of the greatest leather fragrances of all time
It’s one of the better ones from the house but the performance Is disastrous

A masterpiece of modern perfumery. Soft leather, a powdery floral touch and a very sexy animalic note. This little angel has been up to some very, very wicked things!!!

Good longevity, sillage is discreet without loosing its presence. Lingers on skin like a secret lover.

Smells like Birkins.
Elegant, luxurious and soothing.

Scent:9.6/10

classy, refined , and a luxury perfume. Beauty in simplicity . An other great minimalistic creation by the master Jean-claude Ellena.

Smells like cardboard (some damn nice cardboard at that!)

But being serious, this is a gorgeous floral leather. The flowers are not overtly flowery, in your usual obvious way. This is way more muted and classy. There is some salty aspects here, and zero sweetness. It smells like brand new leather bag straight from factory. Im not sure that i would like to smell like that, but i really, and i mean really, enjoy this scent. A big problem i have with this - the longevity and projection are shamefully terrible.

Smells almost like an engine oil-ish rubbery leather, but quickly turns into a syrupy, flowery leather scent. I get rainy soil smell with syrupy undertones. Beautiful.

La Belle et la Bête ( Beauty and the Beast ) by Jean Cocteau 1946
Just

I remember the sales person describing it as a opening a brand new designer bag for the first time and finding a bouquet of flowers inside it.Its exactly that. It smells beautiful and lasts long.

Unfortunately I get more dentist leather than nostalgia. It's a very polite soft leather that's a bit stuffy due to the musk/florals, hence the grandma references below

The most overwhelming thought I have is that this smells like the inside of my grandmother’s leather purse. It was a well-loved and therefore somewhat worn leather purse. And it smells so soft and leathery. And, I would have thought of a well worn purse and somehow it just makes me happy.

Like really, really happy. It’s the alchemy of fragrance and why I’m so obsessed with seeking out scents. I would not have thought a smell like this would be pleasant but it makes me so inexplicably happy.

this starts with soft suede and florals and something almost medicinal, that smells like a dentist's office. i think i get leather, violet and musk most prominently on my skin. then that medicinal note seems to dissipate and the violet gets stronger and i get a hint of the hawthorn. overall it's a powdery leather with hints of woody florals. really elegant perfume, and the leather note is just beautiful.

Such an intriguing perfume, unbalanced in the most beautiful way.
The opening is terribly classic and clean with the bitter flowers and the powdery notes but it plays tricks on you with a slightly dirty animalic and smoky scent in the back that makes it more real.
It seems to be flirting with a lot of opposites and that is why i called it unbalanced, not because of the scent but because of where it stands, between polite and naughty, delicate and strong, feminine and masculine; never reaching an agreement yet creating a stunning harmony, just like this human figure wraped in mistery - an angel.

-Anosmic towards this.
-I don't detect leather notes.
-Skin scent, fleeting longevity..as with most scents from the house of Hermes.
-Not fbw. (-)

One of the most realistic supple leather notes I have smelled. Leather, florals, powdery violet, musk. It smells expensive, chic, refined. The florals are paired in an almost delicate manner against the supple leather accord. Ellena outdid himself on this one. Angel Leather indeed. The leather in here is that of a floral leather kind instead of your typical butch, smoky leather. I can understand why some men may find this to be a bit more feminine due to the powdery floral accords and why some women may find it too masculine because of the leather itself, but it's completely unisex if you ask me. The opening can be a bit astringent for some but once the leather has settled down it blends beautifully with the florals and musk. If you're looking for a refined and realistic floral leather, this one has to be sampled. Performance is quite good on this one considering Ellena's style. Lasts some 6 hours with decent projection in the beginning, but never too intrusive or strong. Suitable for the office or just for casual use. Well done Ellena.

8,5/10

this is one is not that hint of leather that some fragrances have. This literally smells like a leather boot with a hint of powder. Its a hard pass for me as there is WAY too much leather here

I'd like to say it reminds me of an 18th century French aristo slapping me in my powdered face with his lambskin glove. But it doesn't. It reminds me of my mum when she was dressed up for an evening out; or me going through her handbag when we were bored in church and she had lipstick on (ignore the incense). Soft, supple, expensive leather handbag, with lipstick and powder.

Must be up there as one of the best 'we-tried-to-make-it-smell-like-a-real-thing-and-succeeded' projects. A remarkable feat. The name neatly sidesteps just calling it 'Nice Smelling Handbag'.

Cuir d'Ange manages to feel light and airy whilst still being rich and sumptuous. A worthy successor of Cuir de Russie, albeit in a slightly different vein and toned down a few notches. (With CdR the notes stick out and contrast more; with this they sit more in the same place and blend in...just like smelling angels instead of Russians...?) Both are divine.

Despite this, the leather in this just keeps it unisex enough but only just with the powder pulling in the opposite direction. I have to admit I do feel a little saucier in CdR though. I don't often yearn for floaty handbag but if I did this would be number one.

The opening is heaven leather suede heliotrope violet... but then it turns in seconds into musk pencil shavings... no more leather...

I am not keeping it, investing in Guerlain Cuir Intense instead.

One of the few fragrances I've tried lately that lined up almost perfectly with the listed notes and description. Gotta love a straight forward perfume! Powdery leather is what I'm getting here, some musk comes out on dry down and violet is less noticeable. Powdery scents are my favorites, but I feel this is a little too masculine for me. Perhaps would be good to try in cold weather, as it is currently a hot and humid August day. I feel more of a violet vibe than heliotrope, but the combo is nice. Not too much sweet violet and not too much baby powder heliotrope. I would love to smell this on a man! This would be a sexy, offbeat fragrance for a man to wear.

It's quite beautiful. It makes me imagine being in an old library, or actually almost anywhere with chairs. It has a storefront, hospital, hotel kind of vibe which I love in a fragrance. A really well done leather with some musk, quite simple and quite beautiful. Would make a wonderful casual, every day kind of scent. 8/10

Angel leather indeed. Very lovely, with a true leather nuance, perhaps the truest I have experienced. The florals are faint here and peek out from time to time, but never overpower that creamy, supple leather. I must say I don’t get the powder overload that Jarreth mentions, and this lasts on me overnight. I feel lucky for that since I love leather. The sillage is moderate, perhaps arms length for me. I love this scent for it’s almost linear style, love that it is definitely an all season leather that is well worth the cost. Mr. Ellena has won my heart with this work of art!

To describe this fragrance: Imagine riding a horse naked for several hours, then you go to a sauna and smother your body with Bridal Musk by Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, you will smell exactly like Cuir d'Ange by Hermes.

This fragrance is incredible! It's so unique and different I can't get over it. I detect cumin here which i usually hate but in here it's super sexy, so HOT! My friends describe it as a clean stable and i agree with that statement.

This fragrance is so modern and completely genderless. ★★★★★

I had a 4 bottles collection bought it in Beverly Hills :-)

1 bottle of Vetiver Tonka, one of Cuir D'ange and 2 bottles of Ambre Narguile.

Loved loved all of them apart this one. This is extremely powerful at the start,leather! After calms down but still I only smell leather,it make me feel nauseous, perhaps the leather element is not for me as I smelled other leather perfumes and don't like them at all. Saying that, the finesse of Hermes is still there.

dear fellow fragrance enthusiasts (u know who u are!)
ive to share my experience and i hope this will be applicable to evryone and not just me.

ive noticed that after i store my perfume in a glass display cabinet in room temperature (not even a temp-controlled room), my perfumes have becoming pleasantly concentrated and intensified

my les exclusifs edps are all becoming super-intensified and all the good elements in each of em are beautified (for example, the patch in my coromandel edp is now insanely pronounced, the leather in cuir de russi edp is becoming even more animalic, etc)

and this beauty!!! when before i seemed to struggle just a bit with performance (same goes with ambre narguile), now both of them are insanely long lasting. and strong. for the first time today i almost choked someone with this one with my usual 3 sprays (not something that im proud of but, yeah!)

i dunno if this wud have any negative impact on the perfumes age-wise (i hope its not!) but i would say its a very welcome side effects. afterall, we will never stop experimenting when it comes to fragrance rite? we are all freaks one way or another.

as for this beauty, one of the best leather fragrances that have ever existed.

An accord that smells like the inside of a luxury leather bag tinged with floral perfume.

Starts with a blast of soft leather and white florals. After it blends smoothly into florals (violet, heliotrope, hawthorn), leather and white musk. If you stick your nose to your arm and be super critical about this, you get a hint of spice (i.e. cardamon or cumin) and the smell of “skin”, but mainly a modern, almost linear, soft leather fragrance (which to me isn’t a bad thing).

Refined, Angelic and dare I say - expensive smelling. A classic year-round fragrance and a potential signature for those that can afford it.

Finally got to smell it, the last and most sought-after missing star of the Hermessence line for me. And it was so worth the wait. Cuir d'Ange by name and by nature: angelic! Gentle, sweet, and so completely pure and clean that it's kind of miraculous. The smell of an imaginary white leather 1950s purse from a store catering to upper-class debutantes, or a pair of baby shoes for a millionaire's kid. Audrey Hepburn's clutch bag perhaps. It almost has an aura of wide-eyed innocence. But it is also unmistakably a REAL leather scent at the same time - there's no mistaking this as the essence of a hide, a skin, something once living. Thus an extraordinary, 100% unisex fragrance, which never lies about what it is, doesn't hide the leather behind a thicket of confusing fruit or floral notes to sweeten itself up, and yet is more than gentle and classy enough for anyone to enjoy. (Maybe even a vegan.) How does he DO that?

It's a paradox that so many J C Ellena scents bowl me over so hard ( the Jardins, Eau d'Hiver, Bigarade Concentree, and the vast majority of the Hermessences), because his beautiful sheer-transparent-tactful-discreet style is so far from my usual taste (huge, even crunching, resin and wood-heavy big beasts). Yet this is a master at work, and his subtlety works its own wonders. Cuir d'Ange's gentleness reminds me most of Evody's Cuir Blanc, only even classier and even kinder.

This is probably too quiet, too soft for me to use from day to day. But I love it nonetheless. Its purity and honestly makes me feel kind of protective of it. If I owned a bottle I'd probably wrap it in cotton wool and croon sweet soppy songs to it, to guard it and try to keep it safe from this cruel hard world. It's sort of a fluffy baby lamb in perfumed form.

Should you try it? Of COURSE you should. But be prepared for its gentleness and calm; if you're looking for anything aggressive and durably 'beast mode' leather, this will NOT do the job. But it could raise anyone's spirit, I'm sure. Simply too cute (in the most upmarket possible way) to be denied.

Beautiful smelling heliotrope Band-Aid :-)

This is a VERY mature scent.

This is the perfect scent for a grandmother. I'm not joking, I'd love to smell this on an old person. If my Grandma was wearing this she's be the coolest Grandma in the neighborhood.

Probably ages 45 and up for women.

The only way I can describe this scent is like stepping into a very expensive retirement home with perfect leather furniture from 100+ years ago. With residents that smell of fragrance and baby powder.

The person below me said it smells like paper. Yes, but more specifically REALLY old paper stored in a fragrant wood box (like cedar for instance). My grandmother owned a wooden box made out of cedar and after she passed away we went through it. The paper in that box took on the smell of the cedar but the paper also aged too. I totally get that.

This fragrance is listed as "unisex" but I can't imagine any man pulling this off without being looked at like a weirdo UNLESS you are a much older man. Age 60+ for a man. This fragrance will instantly remind you of grandparents. So an older person would work better with this fragrance.

Leather so smooth, so soft, so delicate, and.... paper?
I have to have it.

For those who think Tuscan Leather is too linear, Daim Blond too stifling, Cuir de Russie too hefty, Bandit too strong, should try Cuir D'Ange.

Hermès Paris - Cuir d'Ange Eau de Toilette (Hermessence Collection)

Jean-Claude Ellena's tribute to Hermès' quintessential leather goods. The seductive leather note harmonizes beautifully with silken musk and violets. This was my introduction to leather based perfumes and it was an exquisite experience!

An Ultra Realistic and Suffocating leather fragrance...
Like Smelling hot leather Jacket.Powdery/Floral type leather which i don't like.leather is rough,bitter and spicy too.
Leather dominant fragrance lovers will love it.
but its not mine

Scent: 4/10
Longevity: 7/10
Sillage: 6/10

-------------------------------------------------------
Overall: 5.5/10

Many many full moons ago I had
been to Antananarivo, Madagascar.
During my stay there I visited a Crocodile farm.It was a huge farm with thousands of Crocodiles.They had a store selling Croc leather products like belts, wallets.. This one took me straight to that Croc store, Madagascar sans flowers. This is excellent and refined. Hermes Cuir D' Ange offers a very luxurious interpretation of leather, sort of ultra smooth, serpentine leather. Its more like a very expensive new croc leather purse that has been filled up with flowers. One thing I like is the super smooth blending of all the quality ingredients. The beautiful overdose of flowers makes this scent little feminine but a man can certainly pull this off.

It was love at first scent with Cuir d'Ange and it only grows stronger. I think it has one of the most beautiful clean leather accord I have encountered. It smells like the most luxurious leather; it's clean and buttery, far from being butch or rough, even in the slightest way. The leather accord is clearly dominating the fragrance from the first second until the end. It's very slightly smoky and the heliotrope and iris gives it a nice distinct cool and buttery smell. It's soft, airy, minimalist, masterfully blended, classy. Pure luxury.

Scent: 10/10
Longevity: 8/10
Projection: 5/10

Violet, powder. Pretty OK, not great.

powdery leather. very present but never in your face (i.e cuir de russie). i love it a lot!

Artfully composed. It's excellent, but after owning this a year, I've ultimately decided it's not for me. Very summery, with the violets and hints of hay and the delicate if strong suede smell (which evokes horse-back riding, skin, and expensive handbags). Powdery and light. Nostalgic. I find this one very feminine, but I think it just needs the right man or woman to pull it off.

Cuir d'Ange is still in transition for me.

My first experiences with it, a year ago, were part of my introduction to the Hermessence line. I was not really ready for it. It came across as an intense, harsh leather. It clogged my throat, and all I could smell was leather, leather, leather.

A few days ago, I went back to it. I was shocked by the opening: powdery violets! What???? I was blown away by the nuances I was suddenly smelling. Minutes later, it seemed to have dried down to the simple, realistic leather I remembered.

Today, again something different: suede. Suede with some violets and other florals in the start. Now it is coming off slightly powdery, which is completely different from my first experiences.

To be continued.

My grandmother's makeup powder and the inside of a leather purse. Soft and smooth and very pretty - I'm surprised because I usually don't like these types of scent. There's a slight mimosa/honey/almond from the hathorne mixed with the powdery melancholy of violet and heliotrope. Nostalic scent. I think this has to be sprayed heavily to get the full effect. My dab sample was dissapointing - just a makeup-powdery violet with a smidge of suede. I'm so glad that I went to Hermes and got a spray sample. The anise aspect of the heliotrope and the cumin-y undertone really comes out when sprayed on clothes. When sprayed on my skin, I get lovely wafts of violet, hawthorne, heliotrope and leather. It's really not my kind of scent, but I can't stop sniffing it. I think the nostalgia and the fact that it's powdery yet delicately effusive (and never chalky) keeps me sniffing!

Girl with a Pearl Earring BY Johan Vermeer
+++++

I tried Cuir d'Ange back in the Fall of 2014 (not long after it was released) while out sniffing various fragrances. The Hermes store had a tester bottle available for sampling this scent--so I took home a couple samples--but no bottles were available for sale. Let me be blunt...I found Cuir d'Ange to be a major disappointment. Okay, it's a decent fragrance (nothing bad) but it wasn't what I was expecting nor do I feel that it lives up to the Hermessence price-tag. I love a number of Hermes fragrances (e.g., Ambre Narguile, Terre d'Hermes and Bel Ami Vetiver just to name a few) but Cuir d'Ange is not one of them.

Light-leather and light-floral is what I get out of this fragrance. I also sensed a fresh marine vibe. Go figure! The leather in CdA has an elegant feel to it, however it was way too light and airy for my taste. No doubt a number of folks will be asking, "Where's the leather?" For these reasons, it comes across being much more feminine to my nose. These buttery soft-leather frags are just not in my scent wheelhouse.

If Cuir d'Ange were marketed as a women's fragrance then I probably wouldn't rate it. I would still sniff it, but I wouldn't rate it. However, I found CdA to be way too soft and feminine for most men. I feel CdA should be marketed as a women's fragrance. But don't take my word for it...put your nose on Cuir d'Ange and decide for yourself.

Girl with a Pearl Earring BY Johan Vermeer

As I was expecting another limpid, abstract floral leather like Kelly Calèche when I was testing Cuir d'Ange for the first time, my jaw almost fell to the floor when not only did it hit me with a realistic leather, but also a fairly noticeable cumin as an companion.

However, this doesn't mean that Cuir d'Ange smells like a dirty, butcher leather. While the leather note here is mostly dominated by its barnyard-y, hay-like facet probably resulted from narcissus, it's juxtaposed with a supple, lightweight, suede-like texture (suederal?). With the presence of the cumin, there's also a clean white musk and vegetal, floral undertone, almost like a floral ivory soap. It's as if Ellena pulled the trick of the juxtaposition of dirty-clean in Cartier Déclaration again in this leather composition, resulting a convincing impression of a finely-cured real leather.

The focus on this slightly spicy, hay-like leather starts to blur with time, as the clean powdery white musk and heliotropin gradually melds into the leather, until it finally becomes a feather-like, abstract, pristine floral powdery skin scent in the late dry down. I can definitely relate to the comparison of Cuir d'Ange as a leather variation on Frédéric Malle L'Eau d'Hiver. The transition happens in an incremental pace, but I would say that starting from the 6th hour, the leather behaves more like a salty undertone undertone.

The sillage of Cuir d'Ange is close to skin, as most Hermès fragrances are; the longevity is around 10 hours on my skin.

In my mind, I would picture Cuir d'Ange as a leather made from unicorn or pegasus skin. It has this ethereal, other-worldly aura, but firmly displays an animalic (not necessarily dirty) aspect. When I try to compare it with other elegant modern floral leather, Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur is handsomely animalic but lacks this strange diaphonous aspect; Penhaligon's Iris Prima is too clean and too abstract as a leather in comparison; Louis Vuitton Dans La Peau lacks the animalic quality despite its realistic leather handbag impression, and its execution as a whole is rather conventional in style. Therefore, Cuir d'Ange strikes me as a rare exemple that manages to unify these two seemingly contradictory qualities. I would definitely recommend it as a graceful, lightweight floral leather, and a gateway animalic leather as well.

An impeccably-crafted diaphanous abstraction. Utterly beguiling, supremely elegant.

Cuir d’Ange opens with a dizzy and indiscernible floral aldehyde accord. Distinguishing itself immediately, hawthorn lends a sweet, fleshy waxiness to the opening. A flood of dry airy leather that smells simultaneously refined, purified, and indicative of birch wood follows. All the while, a clean musk carries through, hinting ever so subtly at tobacco and beeswax. The result is a conceptual suede-hawthorn accord reminiscent of the buttery suede lining of a pair of finest Hermès kid gloves.

Cuir d’Ange is relatively linear in its evolution; instead of developing new characteristics as it ages, it waxes and wanes to amplify the cool nuances of iris, heady narcissus and a contrasting clove-like bitterness before hiding them once more amongst its clean, wispy suede-hawthorn accord.
At times melancholic, at others romantic, Cuir d’Ange is soft, sheer, and effortlessly elegant.

Certainly unisex, if leaning slightly masculine. Suited to cool weather wear.

Longevity is moderate, sillage is moderate-cum-soft by the second hour.

8.5/10

Best Leather scent in my Collection !!!!
MUST HAVE !!

Pelle angelica.
Elegante e versatile.
All'apertura ho ricordi di nivea e baby-talc , bel eliotropio e un pizzico di tutti gli ingredienti elencati.
Ultraleggero con camoscio fresco e pulito e'perfetto nei mesi estivi.
Per fortuna delle mie tasche lo reputo un po piu sul femminile a causa della crema solare che accompagna tutto fino alla fine.
La durata sulla mia pelle e' un piacevole, breve battito d'ali.
If you love this try also prada no7 violette.

the best of the Hermessance line............totally delightful and alluring.

I have smelled the Hermessence line many times but nothing really pulled my heart strings (or rather my wallet strings) until Cuir d'ange. It took me awhile to get Cuir d'ange soft supple expression of leather with just the right depth of eccentricity and dryness. Once I did, I am hooked!

This reminds me in some ways of a tannery or a laboratory and it's wonderful!

Honestly I am not a fan of usual hot favourites like Ambre Narguile and Vetiver Tonka from the Hermessenence line. To me, others behind Cuir d'ange from this line are Poivre Samacarde and Santal Massoia!

10/10++++++++++

8/10

Hermes leather is like a more delicate,toned down version of Dior Cuir Cannage.
Nothing wrong with that at all,but for the comparable price differential I would go for the Dior version everytime.Yes I get the abstract soft new leather handbag vibe but cannot detect the florals as opposed to Dior where the orange blossom and jasmine add noticeable support to the main player.
Hermes is the house of leathergoods but this all seems a bit PG 13 in comparison.Its quality and pleasant enough but as a
niche leather scent it leaves me a bit underwhelmed.
Feels a bit too one dimensional.

scent : 10/10
sillage : 8/10
longevity :8/10
80% night / 20% day fragrance
nice powdery, leather&smoky scent
reminds me of Midnight in Paris Van Cleef

A light, subtle floral leather fragrance that is unusually cool and quite wearable in summer. The initial opening is tempered with mild spices and a leather accord that hints at high quality leather handbags. The floral notes bloom pretty soon as the fragrance starts to smell similar to some creams and body lotions. The typical airiness of Ellena's composition is found here, and this fragrance is very Hermes. It is slightly radiant and wears very lightly on skin. The heart of the fragrance is mostly the floral leather accord. It is followed by a similar soft and subtle dry down that is reminiscent of the earlier phases. The composition is linear to a certain extent, and has soft sillage and moderate longevity on skin.

Personally I love the opening, but thereafter it is too fleeting and a little unexciting for my tastes. I prefer to go with Declaration or Eau d'Hermes when looking for a leather scent that is similarly bright, airy and radiant.

Overall it's quite a good composition. Definitely recommended if you are looking for a light, airy, summery leather fragrance and do not want anything striking. Definitely not a butch leather. Also, definitely would not work for those looking for something a little potent and tenacious.


3/5 (neutral)

This is simply stunning, so beautiful . It's an angel leather indeed, it's demure and almost teases you with a glimpse of the leather with each waft. Its classy and unisex with about two to three hours longevity.

The softness of leather,a promise hovering over the skin.
Hawthorn,violet,heliotrope.Mysterious and delicate.
Perfumer Jean Claude Ellena .Cuir d' Ange : words taken from the book Jean Le Bleu(Blue Boy) in which the French author Jean Giono describes his father's cobbler's workshop"...in angel leather for some god with a thousand feet".

Cuir D'Ange is a magnificent leather fragrance. Kudos again for Mr. Ellena, by transforming an "expensive leather handbag smell" into an incredible fragrance. I think that the name suits perfectly to it. Heavenly divine leather scent. A must for those leather fiends.

When I first sniffed this perfume at Hermes Boutique, I didn't feel anything special until I walked out the boutique and starting to realize that the perfume sprayed on my arm smelled like as if I'm carrying Birkin or Kelly bag.. The leather was sophisticated and deeply dramatic. Love this perfume!

Delicate Leather...

I don't think this is too much of a standout fragrance from the Hermessence line. It is in keeping with the character of the other releases in the series. Basically a light, delicate leather. There's a sweetness to it that I also get, perhaps from the almond-like heliotrope. The overall feel of the fragrance is not harsh leather but soft suede. I feel that Jean-Claude Ellena wanted to create a leather that did not smell like the rest of the heavy, birch tar scented leathers of the "dirty" and "animalic" style.

So I get the soft leather, very clean. I also get florals in the shape of violet and iris. There probably is musk in here, but it is nowhere near dirty or "musky" enough to make an impression, other than giving a soapy clean finish to everything.

I am a fan of his work, but I think with this one I am starting to agree with people who call it an "eau de cologne with leather" which to me is why it is so light, even though it has a wonderfully sift, clean leather note running all the way through. I think that if you don't want a strong, stinky animalic in-your-face leather experience, then this one is a perfect alternative take on those. Great stuff for people starting out in leather based fragrances too. As long as you expect a light and delicate fragrance here, you won't be disappointed. Typical signature style work from Jean-Claude Ellena.

Feels similar to Tom Ford's White Suede, but keeps its sharply fresh (almost peppery) leather essence instead of turning into a soft musk; smells like a highly refined & polished brand new handbag as opposed to the slightly worn suede bag with powdery makeup.

This is straightforwardly the finest leather under tanning in a leather workshop. It is still strikingly raw and completely untouched from any further processing (to saddlery, footwear, handbags etc) that it might just as well be called "angelic".

I think that specific raw treatment part is the most invigorating and tantalising of the whole leather processing.

Here's the leather solo, wild and alive. Nothing alike with the complex leather fragrances like f.i. Chanel Cuir de Russie- where there's party going around the dry, dead leather- jazz, vodka, fur, perfect make-up, expensive sigars, vases full of flowers etc.

Cuir d'Ange is innocent yet full, raw and invigoratingly earthy. Aesthetically enjoyable piece from the Hermessence line, very distinctive in its refined purity.

Literally translated to mean "angel leather", 'Cuir d'Ange' attempts to counterbalance the heft of leather by creating a scent which defies gravity with its light and airy qualities. As artists, perfumers use scents as a creative medium in order to express themselves. This is not entirely unlike authors or poets who create literary masterpieces using words, painters who design beautiful canvases utilizing a variety of colors, or composers who develop emotive music by way of instruments of sound. Ellena wanted to capture his love of literature as an art form by creating a fragrance which used scented notes as words to tell a story. The end result is a perfume which marries leather and skin, hereby creating a unified vision of intimacy.

'Cuir d'Ange' opens with a not too surprising heavy dose of leather. There is a slight synthetic tone, which conjures up images of heavily preserved leather pieces. It is suede-like in texture, with deep and rich smokey facets. As opposed to most fragrances which lead with the lighter and more effervescent top notes in front, 'Cuir d'Ange' seems to open oppositely. It's as if the eponymous leather is lifting slowly from the skin by way of undulating wings. This dry down effect is mesmerizing to encounter. Slowly one is able to notice the accompanying light floral accord. Hawthorn blossom's slight sweet and almond-like scent can be perceived ever so gently. Its scent is known to smell slightly rotten, and here it expertly amplifies the animalic and bitter facets of the leather note. Heliotrope is encountered next with its fluffy, goose down texture. Much like a luscious dessert, its scent oscillates between smelling of vanilla, almond and marzipan. Very faint nuances of narcissus and violet flowers can also be perceived. Here narcissus's creamy floralcy is demonstrated, offering hints of wet hay and powdery facets. Violet flower adds further powdery qualities, aiding to create an overall airy quality. A variety of unspecified musks complete the fragrance.

Read my complete review at my personal fragrance blog

This wasn't an instant love. It was slow burning. To be honest, my initial reaction was of mild disappointment. I was smelling a luxurious ointment or moisturiser, not a high end perfume. Remaining curious, I've exhausted my sample and I've moved beyond my early reservations, beyond simple appreciation for this wonderfully restrained elixir and now firmly embrace my love for this scent of ethereal beauty. The soft suede, insinuatingl, warm musk and puffs of floral powder aren't going to appeal to the huge sillage boasting attention seekers out there. This is a scent for you and anyone lucky enough to be within close quarters.

I feel like Cuir D'Ange is quoting other feminine and masculine leather perfumes, almost doing a demonstration of them? It smells like the lower register of Cuir de Russie dialled down by like 1000x, then sweetened, softened, and powdery violet cosmetic notes added. If you love leathers but find most too strong, this would be good for you. Unclear whether the leather is isoquinolines/birch tar/whatever, but it's more the smell of the inside of a pink suede purse perhaps?

Chandler Burr can talk me into anything, especially if Ellena makes it. Burr refers to this perfume often as a masterpiece, which is why I blind bought it.

This makes me think of riding around in the back of a rich lady's car. At first she seems a rather stuffy older lady, but after about 20 minutes she throws off her head scarf and you realize she's rather chic and modern. Unfortunately the car ride left me a little travel sick and nauseated. Literally.

This is the airiest leather perfume I've ever smelt. It's just not for me.

(I have a 15ml bottle if anyone wants to trade.)

definitely leather and some florals. but over rated, longevity is about as weak as a eau de cologne. not worth it.

too expensive and not very intersting for the price!

2014 marks Jean-Claude Ellena’s 10th year as in-house perfumer at Hermès as well as his departure from the house. His final perfume for Hermès is Cuir d’Ange, released as a part of the Hermessence line that he created soon after his arrival to Hermès. Hermès was one of the first French luxury house to create a luxe-plus, high-cost line. Dior launched their Collection Privé the same year. Chanel followed with Les Exclusifs in 2007. Cartier released Les Heures in 2009.

The luxury on steroids bandwagon was the result of a number of tendencies in the perfume market but had one common goal: profit. The trends driving the escalation included the perfumer-as-artiste movement, a desire to reclaim the distinction that niche brands had stolen and demands for market growth. Each house sold the premise differently. Chanel touted its heritage. Guerlain used misdirection, rereleasing poorly selling perfumes in new bottles at high mark-up in line after line, from l’Art et la Matière and les Parisiènnes to Les Elixirs Charnels and the City Lines. The ongoing question is, how are the perfumes in the exclusive lines any more valuable than their less expensive counterparts? Luxury houses have long espoused convoluted and esoteric equations of worth to sell us their wares. The bottom line was: they created and maintained markets for ever more costly perfumes.

Rather than commissioning hired guns to produce a perfume at a time, Hermès had a more ambitious plan and brought in Ellena to reinvent Hermès’s perfumery starting with the creation of the Jardins series and the Hermessence line. It is valid to be skeptical of the charm of a contemporary luxury goods producer. The avarice of multinational corporations filtered through the haughtiness of top-tier tastemakers calls for suspicion at a minumum. Still, Hermès’s renovation was well considered and transparent, something refreshing in Fashion.

Ellena was the ideal choice. He had a proven track record of success with designer houses (Van Cleef and Arpels, Bvlgari and Cartier) and played a large part in defining niche perfumery with his work for l’Artisan Parfumeur, The Different Company, Amouage and Frédéric Malle. He had an enviable lineage, apprenticing in Grasse, studying at the new perfume school at Givaudan in the 1970s, following in the lineage of Edmond Roudnitska and being a founding member of l'Osmothèque. He brought expertise, talent, a proven track record and, importantly for a house whose currency is status and standing, prestige. The position offered Ellena the possibility to play a critical part in shaping the state of the art of contemporary perfumery and pursuing a vision. It was a rare opportunity for a perfumer. It was a match made in heaven.

But was it also a deal with the devil?

Ellena’s body of work for Hermès defines the states of art and elegance. But it could be argued that Hermès’s explicit focus on finery, exclusivity and branding were a set of golden handcuffs for Ellena. Ellena’s minimalism and Hermès’s refinement might seem like a perfect match at a glance, but the incongruity is implicit. The company’s pristine objets are impeccable, but conceptually fussy. They stem from the decorative arts, but serve as dull finery and symbols of bourgeois prestige. Ellena’s minimalism is deliberate and rigorous, not a superficial style. His work is the result of years of contemplation and effort on the nature of perfumery. In a line of work where chasing the next brief defines long-term planning, Ellena’s body of work demonstrates a coherent vocabulary and philosophy.

So is Ellena’s work for Hermès restrained or constrained? The brand’s sheer, radiant perfumes with their controlled range of dynamics are thoughtful successors to perfumes like Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert (1992) and Osmanthus (2001) for the Different Company. But this is also the perfumer who made highly orchestrated perfumes such as Van Cleef and Arpels First (1976), l’Artisan Parfumeur l'Eau du Navigateur (1982), Rumba (1988) for Balenciaga and Amouage Dia (2002). Was this side of his work set aside during his tenure at Hermès? Will Jean-Claude Ellena step out of his rue du Faubourg St. Honore closet and live large starting in 2015?

Only the future will tell, but Cuir d’Ange provides an enticing hint.

Cuir d’Ange takes a full step away from the tone of Ellena’s prior work for Hermès. It is as composed and edited as the others in the Hermessense line, but it is far more lyrical. Where the majority of the Hermessence line are defined by a dispassionate understatement, Cuir d’Ange has an expansiveness, a brio that is almost startling. Ellena is known for having fine-tuned the narrowly evolving, quietly radiant perfume while at Hermès. He made perfumes that were not static but were largely linear. Cuir d’Ange has sweeping topnotes and a range of dynamics that are akin to those in Calèche, a perfume made by Guy Robert for Hermès in 1961. Cuir d’Ange simultaneously fits the brand’s legacy and Ellena’s oeuvre like no other perfume he’s made for the marque. It has a foot in the past and reaches into the future without sentimentality or contrivance.

(The relation of Cuir d’Ange and Caleche is conjecture, but it isn’t without precedent. Ellena’s Dia for Amouage was a response to Robert’s Amouage Gold [1983], the perfume that launched the Amouage line.)

Cuir d’Ange is a floral-leather, a category that existed before Hermès produced its first perfume. The nod to historical genre tells me that Ellena intends to work with, if not within, tradition. The specific floral quality of the perfume is unexpected. It is bitter and dusty with an herbal, soapy quality reminiscent of Ivoire de Balmain. The scent is strong and specific yet detached. Cuir d'Ange smells more specifically like suede than most leather perfumes, but suggests that the scent comes from objects in a nearby room. Despite the olfactory realism the perfume is abstract and it defeats the expectation of how a leather perfume should play out. It’s neither smokey nor woody and it never warms or sweetens. It becomes hushed over time, but stays soapy and cool, hovering just off the skin without ever becoming a ‘skin scent’ as most leather perfumes do.

Ellena’s work is both literate and legible. He uses a systematic and ordered approach to make expressive if subtle perfumes. His perfumes reveal a coherent aesthetic that can be read. He has both a sense of history and an intimate knowledge of the most recent innovations in perfumery. He is poised to leave Hermès into a wide open future and I’m keen to see what he’ll choose to do next.

from scenthurdle.com

Another beauty from Jean Claude Ellena in the Hermessence line. Unquestionably modern, yet keeping a firm grip on the past. Not at all a beastly full throttle leather in the vain of Knize Ten, nor another version of Tuscan Leather and it's abundance of clones. This is the "watercolour" aesthetic famously employed by Ellena in this line, and never was that concept more evident than here in Cuir d'Ange.

The soft, supple presence of calf leather is softened further with a delicate floral accord (heliotrope shining through) and an ethereal musk, all combining to create an aerial, almost powdery, soft leather scent that is undeniably beautiful. The leather is never in your face, nor do the florals ever become too saccharine, the sum of which is an entirely genderless, wearable and unobtrusive scent. Elegant, classy, modern and for a leather, quite versatile. Lasts well and projects discreetly. A triumph in a genre which was beginning to feel tapped out.
Lovely.

Sometimes I'm sad for no good reason. Doctors call it "depression." Meh. That's just a name. A good joke makes me smile. Cuir d`Ange too. It's that good. Like a hug. From that person. Yeah. That person. Try it.

Pretty and minimalist. I liked this, but i don't love it enough to rush out and purchase a bottle.

On my skin, Cuir D'Ange is a very soft suede that smells quite light and supple. Small nuances of powder or musk emerge during the dry-down. It's not as floral as Kelly Caleche, as it seemed as though the delicate florals were mainly there to support the suede, which does make sense as the fragrance is unisex. However, the perfume didn't project much and there was only a very soft sillage; longevity was for about 3-4 hours. I am learning that leather loves me in the colder months, but suede, not so much.

This could be an Iris scent too. Its soft leather accord might recall the one in Penhaligon`s Iris Prima. Not sweet like the salty vanilla in IP but it bares the prickling of sugary notes. Not creamy but it hints at the corpulence of sheer powder and clean floral musk. In comparison Cuir d'Ange is the cooler, simpler (less complex and more reduced) composition, baring no other intended literal analogy besides to leather, but acting similarly winsome.

In the beginning leather is paired with the flavor of brand new impregnation, waxy and petroleum/plastic-like. During wear it seems to stay at times closer to the skin than its underlying structure. A structure reminiscent of Bois Farine (Jean Claude Ellena, 2003), the smell of flour and raw cooky dow. Though the hierarchy is clearly defined – here cooky dow works as the foundation, while leather is the theme and floral notes behave as subtle radiance in a sheer and vaguely pulsating (Iso E Super) composition.

As most or eventually all of the Hermessences, Cuir d'Ange is a skin scent with a current, simultaneously timeless feel, homely, dapper, deeply bourgeois, for mainly middle-aged to aged buyers. But it can do more. Through its equivalently fragmented construction it might appear open to wearers of any age, gender or other less explicit social affiliation.

PERFECT WORK,I HAVE NEVER TRIED LEATHER LIKE THAT.

I did not expect to like Cuir d'Ange so much. To me, this is the most surprising scent from Ellena in a long time.

I love the creamy heliotrope note, which here is not foody/vanillic at all, and is perfectly balanced with the other notes. My only prior experience with heliotrope was from my parents garden, and I would never have imagined it could be blended in such a way that it could feel masculine.

Soft and clean leather, unsweetened, unsmokened, uncomplicated. The work of an artist (as if there were any doubts).

9/10

I feel this is definitely on the masculine side, the leather is quite potent, and even in the drydown , it is unisex to my nose...thinking of ange II expected something softer, more rounded...it is still a great scent, but not for me...it is in the vein of Kelly Caleche, same type of horse stable leather...full grain...maybe even more unisex in cuir d' Ange.
I prefer my leather subtle, and dominated by floral or musky notes.

Yes, It is a leather of angel. not smoothed, not polished, still have its feather. spicy and rough also very nutty. maybe touch of pyrogen.
It soon become powdery and floral-heliotrope, violet, musk. two-faced.
leather-floral-woody-musk. another new level for leather scent.
Is could be a success? I'm not sure but acknowledge that this one is work of the maestro. I don't like it but admire it.

The best Real leather perfume ever smelled and i have some of the best in my collection and dozens i have try.Work of a genious.

The master of minimalism does it again, with a fragrance unlike much of his previous Hermessence works.

Here we look at leather in a different light, diminishing the libidinous qualities and the sexual timbre of phenolic-driven leathers, often layered with hints of super sweet fruits and rectified birch tar smelling like sweat and shoebox.

I can’t recall an Ellena fragrance that uses predominantly a leather composition, so I naturally looked forward for his take on it. Like most of Ellena’s Hermessence work, he always has a certain angle to a perfume. Iris Ukiyoe was inspired by Japanese watercolours, whilst Poivre Samarcande was inspired by a grand oak tree that eventually grew ill outside of Ellena’s house. The tree felled, and released a scent Ellena loved and recreated through fragrance. Thus, Cuir d’Ange is inspired by Ellena’s great love of literature, and his deep affection for the works of Jean Giorno and in particular Jean le Bleu which mentions the term cuir d’ange, or angel leather.

Jean-Claude wonderfully implies that he himself is an author – but uses smells and scents as his words. And hence, Cuir d’Ange is poetry for leather on skin – a seamless duet, balancing between romanticism and tautness. A novel take on a leather fragrance.

Deceptively simple, I pick up two accords from Cuir d’Ange:

The first is a leather accord of superlative degree. It is supple, smooth and hosts an airy richness. I am instantly reminded of handbags; the best kind of course. Hermès is a house famous for their leathers (I personally love their silks too) and they use an assortment of amazing calf leathers with an amazing sheen quality to it, with a persuasive sturdiness. I am particularly fond of their colourful Ulysee notebooks with a delicious leather cover and the revered Sac a Depeche, which I call colloquially: the male Birkin bag.

I have delineated my love for Hermès leather because of the quality and in turn, the quality of its scent. Jean-Claude explains how leather innately contains immense complexities, with very delicate floral nuances. Ellena visited the trove of leathers stored by Hermès and was captivated by the luxuriousness of it all. He explored the subtle differences and the differing smells each piece of tanned leather contained and found that “The most expensive pieces smelled of flowers”. Leather innately has a restrictive feel to it, a sense of tension and constriction. The robusta and gusto of leather is romantic when it smells worn in.

Cuir d’Ange opens with a dizzy and imperceptible floral accord (the other accord) lifting the leather to its angel status. Diaphanous yet imperative in achieving the desired effect, the florals give a saccharine tang against the leather backdrop; like flowers in a leather vase. A clean style of musk is obvious throughout the life of this fragrance, hinting at tobacco and beeswax subtleties and connotations. I am also fond of the use of heliotrope, giving the old school melancholy feel, entwined with fleshly hawthorn flower that opens with a note reminiscent of sesame seeds and a very light eugenol clove giving warmth and radiance – I get a metallic jump from the violet used, only adding to the skin and leather effect. Cuir d’Ange also has a soapy quality surrounding it, as if rough skin has been scrubbed and polished to buttery state. Cool tones of iris, suede, heady narcissus and a contrasting bitterness are also to be found, and together smells like copy paper and new books. It is creamy without the usual vanilla, and that’s rather pleasing to smell from time to time.

This fragrance is narcotic for sure, and very comforting. I love to contrast this against Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford, with this being the romantic fragrance, and Tuscan Leather being the raspberry and raunchy driven aftermath. The overloaded musk gives Cuir d’Ange its romantic appeal, with the dry leather as well being tempted by a pale almond note.

A leather made into watercolour. Very well balanced. 4/5

It is a soft and beautiful fragrance, a leather-musk-floral combo. In fact it is VERY soft and comes across as a kind of powdery though not real powdery, and I personally like my leathers a bit more rough. Thus, I'd rather smell this on a woman.

It is a high quality composition and long lasting.

Heaven leather heaven leather, musk, then some fleeting floral, then powdery leather, then deep slumber dancing in the clouds of my sweet leather dreams. This is exceedingly good. Thus far, the only Hermessence I'd be willing to buy the full bottle of. I may be on a current leather bender but this one is just a quality fragrance composed by a genius nose. It's totally wearable and sexy and molds itself to its wearer. Feminine on my skin and less feminine on manflesh. A++++++

This was a real disappointment for me. My impressions are a soft leather (but not suede), floral with an eau de cologne flavor. Some people have mentioned marine notes but to me it's bergamot or neroli or something similar. It smells very european to me & I can't really recall what I think it smells like but maybe certain soaps. Not a fan.

Cuir d'Ange on me is a beautiful soft light creamy bittersweet still bright leather/suede scent. I really love leather note and here it appears with an original, elegant and I would even say happy tender twist. I really appreciate this aspect of it as my other favorite leather perfumes are a bit blue and gloomy as Jolie Madame or Gomma. Cuir d'ange is playfull in comparison but still holds their dusty classic feel.

Absolutely perfect and exquisitely blended perfume, which works as the softest and most alluring suede/leather layer over my skin. Delicate, genderless and attractive.

Definitely an everyday perfume, almost a skin scent after the first hour, discreet but with a decent longevity of 6/7 hours,which is good for Hermessance standards. I'm happy this one stays on my skin one or two hours more than other ones of the collection which I find too weak.

I wanted to try this when I was at the local Hermes boutique today, but they haven't gotten it yet! I'm so looking forward to it. I've loved Kelly Caleche for a long time, and JCE does beautiful things with femme leather scents.

First of all first: Finally, an Hermessence I like.

I actually like a bunch of them and while I think JC Ellena is one of the undisputed masters of modern perfumery, I can't still count myself amongst the hardcore fans of Hermessence's *watercolor* interpretations of fragrances…with that said, Cuir D'Ange, just like Osmanthe Yunnan and a few others from the line, it's a tremendous exception.

I'd divide leathers in two main groups for this review. On one side I'll put the classic, animalic-driven floral leathers a-la Cuir De Russie and Knize 10 (to name just two of the most popular in this category). Well, I'm a total sucker for this interpretation of the main theme but the problem with these old-school type of compositions is that they gave birth to a plethora of clones (and semi-clones) that while I still quite like most of them, I also think they're all more or less kind of redundant (Cuir Cannage, Cuir Mauresque, Xerjoff Homme, Royal English Leather, Etro Gomma…and countless others). On the other side, there are the modern and hyper modern leathers a-la Cuir Pleine Fleurs, Alan Cumming's Cumming, Comme Des Garcons EDP 2011, Askew…

Well, Cuir D'Ange, while feeling somewhat classic (as in *classy*) it's also unquestionably modern. It's a new take on the floral-leather theme achieved by learning the lesson of the classics and bringing it to completely new territories. Yes, all of the Hermessence's hallmarks are there and make of Cuir D'Ange such a refreshing and novel delivery in a genre that's too often becoming a caricature of itself. I won't spend many words in dissecting notes as this is one of those fragrances I love (and encourage you) to experience as a whole. An incredibly sophisticated and an ultra-elegant composition where everything is perfectly in check as only a true master can do.

Completely genderless.

Rating: 8.5-9/10

delicate flowery leather cyphre.. nontheless masculine to the top..made to be enjoyed in a downtown late summer afternoon, maybe strolling the Milan streets
9/10