Cuir Ottoman Parfum d'Empire for women and men

Sophisticated and well balanced ambery leather composition that should appeal to many. The scent opens with notes of labdanum, jasmine and orris. The leather comes out in the heart surrounded by balsamic resins. The scent dries down to a sweet tonka vanilla base with a hint of incense. The unisex composition has moderate sillage and good longevity. This is beautifully done vintage style French perfumery. Enjoy!

Cuir Ottoman is another good-quality composition from Parfum d'Empire. It is a different take on leather than Ambre Russe, which is more of a spicy oriental with a leathery edge. Led with a beautiful iris note, this is a powdery, floral take on leather, before settling into its balsamic vanilla-amber drydown.

CO opens with a beautiful powdery iris note - a favourite note of mine. The labdanum note follows closely, getting the leather accord off to an excellent start. Its luxurious leather-amber quality is smooth and rich. The leather accord that develops from the labdanum note is smooth and polished, reminiscent of an expensive handbag. It isn't animalic here, or dry like birch tar, or even particularly amber-y. Instead, the leather that forms the backbone of CO is luxury goods/polished equestrian tack - proper, premium refined leather. This is the best phase of this scent.

As it develops, the leather segues to a balsamic amber accord. Powdery, clean jasmine acts as a progression from the iris of the opening. Dry vanilla emerges, marrying nicely with the amber, as well as adding sweetness to the powdery florals. It fades fairly quickly to a powdery vanilla-amber skin scent with some dry florals remaining. Sillage and longevity are moderate, and it is an autumn/winter daytime scent.

An powdery leather scent with some florals and dry sweetness, CO is an elegant, perhaps feminine-leaning take on a leather scent. I adored the iris-leather accord of the first half, but then it settles to a less exciting vanilla-amber accord that fades fast. Decent overall. 3.5/5.

I truly respect this house. The concept of the fragrance is leather. The leather is sitting on an ambery base and although not very detectable, the labdanum gives depth to the leather note. The perfumer chose the iris at the top note to give the luxurious character to the leather, which makes the final result powdery-leather type of fragrance. I wish the perfumer went in a more smoky or animalic direction for this fragrance but it's my personal view.

It is unisex with well-blended, smooth, and refined combination. good for formal events when you dressed up.

7/10

This scent confused me. I was expecting a super bold leather as the name evokes. Instead it leaned right into a sweet fruity forward leather and dried down to a leather bowl of powdery flower petals. It is reminiscent of sitting in the back seat of your grandparents old Impala. Granddad lets the top down and grandma's fragrance wafts right into your nostrils as the wind carries the mixy molecules to the backseat where you are strapped in without an escape route.

For someone habituated to SMN's Peau d'Espagne, (evoking the tough old hide of a prize heifer), this fragrance presents baby calf leather or suede instead and seems so much weaker in comparison. It has a light, pale aspect to it, equivalent to the pristine appearance and slightly sweet aroma of a brand new leather purse or wallet.

I fondly imagined that the "Ottoman" label might open out some incense/spicy/amber notes, but I can't find any of these. Instead, at close quarters at least, I'm getting a rather unpleasant smell of burning rubber, redeemed by a powdery vanilla note.

The overall effect is rather offputting. Not something I would like to wear myself.

'Eau De Gloire' was an instant love so I purchased it and enjoyed it over the summer. It has that familiar aroma from the past and I then found it a little later. Yatagan from Caron. Then I continue testing others from this house. 'Immortelle Corse' is our traditional tobacco cologne which we use for decades here in Turkey. The latest test was 'Cuir Ottoman' which is also a familiar aroma from the past that is Dior Homme cologne (2005). Not enough? Guerlain's L'Instant De Guerlain EDP and at the base it also is similar to 'Felanilla' by Pierre Guillaume Paris. Marc-Antoine Corticchiato does recreate iconic perfumes in his own way. And since he uses natural & good quality materials results are not that bad but unoriginal. A few years ago, he changed the entire set from EDT to EDP and increased their prices but the ones I tested so far acts like an EDT.
Just like the others, Cuir Ottoman projects OK for the first 1-2 hours with a longevity of 10 hours. Linear, smooth lipstick tonka combo that we are familiar with over the years. No leather here. No vanilla or benzoin as well. Tonka bean is hand in hand with iris and I had enough of it, thank you. Pass!

👍🥰😍🌹
R,eve david jourquin

MDCI's Chypre Palatin immediately jumped to mind when i tried this one, could be the tolu balsam note. They are different however, Cuir Ottoman smells more modern and wearable to me, less complex but it does not take anything away from it... This is an absolutely beautiful fragrance.

Has a slightly animalic touch to it in the opening, I can relate to the associations with Dior Homme especially in the drydown with that powderiness from the iris ...so addictive.

Overall it is more of a warm ambery resinous, balsamic fragrance than leathery as the name suggests.

Full bottle worthy to me. I love it!

~first impression/hand test

I got almost castoreum-like note in the opening, quite skanky. Very interesting and l'm looking forward how it's gonna evolve.

First hour in animalics are almost gone, I got mostly Dior Homme (2011) iris with smooth, velvety leather so far. It's powdery, rounded, refined, smooth. Tolu balsam and styrax creates balsamic, ruberry feeling (at least close to skin).

Longevity was disappointing, on my skin it disappeared in ~3h (nothing left, even when sniffing close to wrist). Person who sold me a decant confirmed it's current, reformulated bottle version, however our thoughts on performance were different.

Man this is heavy stuff. Opens up smoky incensy, dries down to a heavy resinous, leather and labdanum fragrance. Personally this is too smoky, leathery and screechy for me.

Cuir Ottoman is definitely more 'ottoman' (in the sense of an oriental) rather than 'cuir'. Personally I barely get any leather, perhaps a leathery labdanum nuance, but if you are looking for a substantial leather note, there is none here.

The main element I get here is a smooth powdery vanillic amber (Shalimar like) introduced by a beautiful realistic intensely powdery iris and jasmine opening followed by a good amount of resin and balsam. Honestly the dry down reminds me of MPeG Ambre Precieux.
I see comparisons to Dior Homme Intense below, and I see why, given it is also a powdery vanillic amber, but there definitely isn't any of that intense syrupy sweetness here.

Cortichiatto is apparently a fan of wordplay, his dedicated amber offering is named 'Ambre Russe', a Russian amber, in direct opposition to the convention of naming ambers as orientals alla Ambre Sultan, while Cuir Ottoman, is an 'arabic leather' probably intended as a pun based on the countless Cuir de Russie frangrances released in the past. While Ambre Russe is a definite masterpiece, something feels lost in translation here, where did the leather go?

I wanted to like this much more than I do.
It comes across as muted-leather and resin with vanilla to sweeten the deal. Unfortunately, it just feels REALLY generic and quite disappointing. It's unspectacular and could have been made by Gucci, Armani or Versace. At this price-point, and with the niche following it commands, I just feel this scent does not live up to what it should have been...

I do enjoy the leathery iris opening. I also sense this ''waxy'' note (maybe the tolu balsam?) which smells a bit pungent but is a nice pairing to the leather notes. There's some sweetness from the vanilla but nothing too sugary. I think it's a nice smelling floral leather which isn't too powdery and easy to wear. But to me however, how this smells from a distance (or in the air) is much better than it is up close. The leather isn't animalic or overpowering, but just the right amount to give it that extra edge. Would do better in colder weather in my opinion. Unisex, leaning masculine. Quite an enjoyable leather fragrance.

7.5/10

Sublime cuir iris le meilleur du marché je pense ce parfum fonctionne avec le froid magnifique l hiver trop lourd insupportable avec la chaleur contrairement à fougères Bengale et tabac tabou

-Clean, sophisticated, inoffensive. This is understated elegance in a bottle.
-It has a barbershop vibe, in a similar vein to Shalimar (Guerlain), and Mimosa Indigo (Atelier)
-It is a nice scent on a dude, i suppose.
-Masculine with the leather notes, yet approachable with the iris/lilac drydown. (-)

This is a slightly smokey, very slightly camphorous, sweet leather with a hint of spice, that wears close to the skin. There's an animalic hint to it that makes it quite interesting. It is not a leather that punches you in the face, but a leather that wafts up in puffs, and is quite light and friendly, while not being tame. The floral notes come out later on my skin, which completes the whole scent for me. I'll have to wear this in different seasons to see if it changes character. It's a good addition to my leather scents.

Edit: After another try, I found something not quite pleasant in this one. The camphorous quality is struggling with the leather note to make this somewhat off-putting for me. I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't get a sample before getting the bottle, but I've been a fan of this line, and it never gave me problems before.

I don’t have my old bottle of Dior Homme from my pre-niche perfume days, but this is nearly identical to my memory of it. I’m slightly scandalized that anyone would put out such a straightforward dupe of a popular fragrance still in production. As with Dior Homme I expect I would find this a little too cloying for my tastes. Although more recent fans of that fragrance may be able to pick up on subtle differences that might make this worth a purchase for them.

When I first smelled this, all I could (strangely) think of was "sweet leather couch." I think what I meant by that was that there was a real textural element to this, much like vintage Chanel Cuir de Russie feels supple and soft. It doesn't just rely on the smoke and animalics to evoke leather, it actually creates the texture of leather with its ambery base. It also manages to be unique and slightly offbeat while remaining eminently wearable. This was an early niche foray for me, and I think it's a really impressive modern leather.

Scent: 8/10

Quality: 8/10

Originality: 8/10

Sillage: 7/10

Projection: 6/10

Longevity: 7/10

Price VS Size: 7/10

The leather accord in Cuir Ottoman is softer than I expected, similar in style to Bottega Veneta EDP and Hermes Kelly Caleche. I do prefer smooth leather fragrances, so Cuir Ottoman is definitely something I would wear. However, the name 'Cuir Ottoman' hints at something regal and extraordinary, and I must admit that I am a tad disappointed that this fragrance is so tame.

Tonka bean, vanilla and earthy iris are the most dominant notes on my skin, with the leather accord providing some much-needed masculinity. I am pleased that Cuir Ottoman is classified as a unisex fragrance, as it is perfectly suitable for both genders.

Cuir Ottoman is a cozy fragrance for me; the kind of scent I would wear while lounging by the fireplace on a cold evening. Surprisingly, it would also make an excellent office scent, provided that it is applied with a light-hand.

Some reviewers have noted that Cuir Ottoman opens with a rough, authentic leather note, however, I didn't experience any of that. This fragrance is not nearly as heavy as Tom Ford's Tuscan Leather or Robert Piguet's Bandit. This is a vanillic, buttery iris and suede fragrance to my nose.

Due to polarising opinions and differing experiences with Cuir Ottoman, I would highly recommend sampling this fragrance first. I haven't had much experience with the house of Parfum d'Empire, but I must say that this niche brand has piqued my interest.

Elegant, opulent, durable. One or two sprays get me through the day and well into the night. It usually takes me a few days to wear a new fragrance before I can decide whether I love or hate it. And there is nothing in between for me. I loved Cuir Ottoman from the very first time I applied it. Sophisticated and yet easy to wear. With an oriental touch, but elegant at the same time.

After spraying on the skin, there is a note that reached my nose first: iris. If you are a fan of perfumes with an earthy iris note, this fragrance will put a smile on your face.
The leathery note here is soft with a slightly smoky undertone. There is a soft, creamy vanilla next to these notes, which gives me a sensual feeling and more depth in this fragrance.

Over time, this half fresh, fruity impression disappears and at the same time the leather begins shining. Iris is still strong, while frankincense from the base of the fragrance starts to shine and gives the scent a little more smoky mood: the center of this fragrance is a powdery, musky and dry leathery, smoky scent with a spicy, peppery aroma that is very elegant and masculine. The opening is perfect for everyone, but I think the middle is already much more masculine for my taste. The strong feeling from the middle next to the powdery iris gave me the impression of wearing a very classic perfume, but overall it is definitely a modern fragrance.

I would wear it in the evening when going out in winter, but also during my summer vacation in the mediterranean.

Fragrance 8/10, Longevity 7/10, Sillage 7/10, Flacon 7/10

I am finally transferring my old reviews from shopping sites, with some added new thoughts. Cuir Ottoman came into my possession when it first came out so my bottle is from the original batch. At the time, I wanted to try a leather scent & the combination of ingredients had me wanting to give this scent a try & I am glad I did! It is a strapping leather but not the kind you would smell on a dusty old man/cowboy but a sexy, strong & exotic individual. As a very feminine female, I am able to carry this leather without feeling as if it is meant only for masculine types. But don't get me wrong, it still gives a sense of strength when worn. Cuir Ottoman is not only woods and leather but also an exotic touch of floral blend of jasmine & iris which you can barely detect giving you a leather which is sensual & not overbearing. It is a great scent for anyone looking for some sensuality in a bottle. I hope the bottles from today is still true to form as my bottle from when it was first rolled out. Cuir Ottoman was love at first smell and it sold me on wearing leather/woods fragrances.

powdery, warm, golden- just addictive! Totally unisex too.

starry starry night by van Gogh

این واقعا عجیبه که چطور من کوچکترین شیرینی ای تو کوییر اتومو احساس نمی کنم. واسه من این ترکیب همش درمورد یه چرم فوق العاده واقع گرایانه (از جنس کیف ها/کفش های نو)، یه نوع نت چایِ دودی/چوبی و زنبق زرد هست. وانیل، اینجا بُعد شیرینش بیشتر نشده، در عوض تو سبکی مشابه به وانیلِ زینگ، بکار رفته. (با بوی کاغذ/کتاب)
علیرغم الهام گرفته شدن از امپراتوری عثمانی، این یه ترکیب فوق العاده مدرن هست. یه چرم ملایم که واسه طرفدارای عطرِ زینگ، از سایر عطر های چرمی فلورال معروف، واقع گرایانه تر و جذاب تر هست.
شخصاً؟ عاشقشم! یکی از درست ترین مثال های زندگی واسه یه کت چرمی لوکس هست.
کاملا مناسب برای هر دو جنس.

This is the most plush, decadent but also elegant leather I had a pleasure to know.
The opening is the most demanding part, floral but untamed and animalic. Fabulous.
Then it gets smoother and smoother until it disappears. After the initial burst, sillage is moderate to intimate and longevity is impressive.

I have just one rather ridiculous problem with it, it's so smooth and blends so well with my skin that after few hours I find it too linear and undemanding. I blame tonka and resins that turn this in the equivalent of white chocolate mousse. It is that decadent...
I feel so petty complaining because this is beautiful.

I don't understand why this little independent house is not more popular. It could appear rather conventional among other niche stuff that goes from joyously flamboyant to outrageously snobby and overpriced. This house stands out with its exceptional quality and exquisitely constructed perfumes at a very reasonable price.

If you like understated quality and everyday quiet elegance, this is a house to explore.

When I first tried this ...in a sample....I liked it, but was not all that impressed. Im not sure why, but when I revisited it several times I began to really fall in love with this. Its the sceant of a mysterious magician you run into at the roulette table in monaco in 1910. Its masculine to my mind but in any case it has that mysterious haunting quality that Iris scents can achieve and while leather is obvious in this I cant really think of this as a *leather* scent. Its certainly not the leather of saddles....but more the leather of expensive chairs in a gentlemens club. The jasmine lasts , as does the Iris... and its a beautiful iris, and jasmine, too...and then styrax and finally some tonka bean. It sounds rather pedestrian ...perhaps...but its not. Its quite captivating, and for a man it suggests intrigue and class. Performance is ok....sillage is average and you will note how all over the place are the comments about longevity....and all I can say is that for me its about average or a tad better . Its a very very fine quality scent.

یه برگ برنده دیگه از پارفام دومپیه. اینجا، اسم و ترکیب خودش گویای همه چیز هست، بنابراین نیازی به توضیح بیشتر نداره ـ شما می تونید انتظار یه عطر شرقی چرم/چای داشته باشید (در اینجا چرم بیشتر متمایل به جیر هست، بسیار ملایم و واقع گرایانه) با یه شروع خیره کننده از نت های خوشطعم و اساساً شیرین تالک ـ چرم جیر، نت های گل دار ملایم و مخملی (زنبق)، بعضی از نت های امضای پارفام دومپیه (بویژه یه آکورد اوکمس/علف/انیسون مانند) و یه بیس کهربایی گرم، عالی و غبارگرفته، که به آرامی، بطور بی نقصی با چرم، ترکیب و به یه درای‌داونِ چرمیِ همیشه تلخ تبدیل میشه. حالا اگه شما عطر قدیمی بل آمی رو بشناسید، کوییر اتومو کمی شبیه به یه نسخه امروزی، شفاف تر و براق از اون هست، و بطور واضحی به ساختار اون اشاره داره. متاسفانه، مشکل اصلی کوییر اتومو، با اینکه واقعا علاقه مند بودم که این عطرو دوست داشته باشم، اینه که اون خیلی واسم سبکه و کمی بعد از شروع، من رو با یه آکورد (واقعا) ظریف از کهربا و زفرالین واسه ساعتهای طولانی تنها میذاره. با این حال اون مراحل ابتدایی همیشه هیجان انگیزه و ارزش پوشیدن داره.

Opens up like Dior Homme with less vanilla , but more lipstick. Leather reeks off too medicinal in first 3-4 minutes, then balances up to a more peaceful leather smell. I couldn't get any resins by the way.In my opinion it's another leather-lipstic-vanilla combo like dozens of similar trials in the market. Knowing that Dior Homme is published in summer 2005, this recipee of Parfum d'Empire (2006) was perhaps the first follower of Dior Homme's era opening success. But after 12 years of living with leather-lipstick- vanilla combos, I think this recipee neither comes up with something new, nor differentiates from the dozens of identical products in the market.

Absolutely stinkin' gorgeous, but a shy performer on me. Deliciously gently-sour suede, delicately earthy iris, with the resins just giving it a bit more heft and polish. Makes me go weak at the knees a bit; it just reeks of quality and restrained, yet daring perfumers doing what they know best.

I am a pretty partisan Parfum d'Empire fangirl (Wazamba, Azemours, Aziyade are all absolutely outstanding in my book) but do recognise they can do things which I want to love but don't (Fougere Bengale the fenugreek horror, Corsica Furiosa too bitter-green for me) or which I love but that fall flat on my skin (Iskander). They're not infallible and this one falls somewhere between the flat-out loves and the wish-it-lasted ones. Will try again for longevity but on every other metric this is one Ottoman I would lounge on forever. One of the best leathers ever - seriously. Seems true unisex to me but you must be able to accept pretty serious tannic-sour leather and big iris or it won't work.

I had been kind of avoiding this cause its touted as an 'oriental' leather and thats not really my thing but in reality its just a smidge of vanilla in the drydown that makes this a so called 'oriental'. I think it can be positioned between Cuir Cannage, Cuir Russie and Dior Homme.
Cuir de Russie still holds its place as a bitter/soapy/animalic leather while Cuir Ottoman totally improves upon the sweet Cuir Cannage and renders it redundant. The more leathers I smell the more I think that the available "space" for different leathers is really quite narrow, its really just a few old categories. Cuir Ottoman is easily the best of the suedey/plush/luxury type leathers. It's fantastic, but I kind of understand why some might be a bit let down because theres really no 'twist' to this, its just a really really good leather. Not that Im complaining. Also I dont know why but this makes me think of a blue leather, theres something blue to it.

An absolute masterpiece! Very smooth leather scent with soft Iris and some flowers in the background. Unisex for sure. 10/10

A leather of a sensational quality with a floral effect and sweet finish bordering the gourmand but without looking like a dessert and always giving the privilege to the smell of leather.

Very well made, super accomplished and without looking like a leather wallet or purse or anything like that, it is a leather that you know that the aroma comes from a special perfume and that oozes class and sophistication that emerges from the skin of one.

At some point in the development he reminded me of Bvlgari Black, earning Ottoman leather in roundness and richness of nuances.

It feels very modern and linear, compact, like a dolmen of 10 tons that when applied screams: here I am!

Very recommended if you like leather fragrances, a full hit of Parfum d'Empire.

Rating: 9.2

A strange one

I get a very reasonous fragrance,candlesticks, and the smell of stick glue all in a complex, yet haunting smell

This is the fragrance I would imagine used at a seance or by a priest in a exorcism

It was interesting, but I don't know If I want to smell it again. Maybe I am a vampire somehow

A very subtle and luxurious leathery scent which has on paper a tremendous longevity. But, helas, on my skin it has a short life, which lasts about an hour. Afterwards, it becomes a sweet and nice vanilla scent, but it says nothing to me. (It reminds me a bit the Olim from Trudon in the final stage.) I confess that it is a huge disappointment because I wanted it to last forever.
O

Yes, this is a bit similar to Lancome's Cuir, but I prefer it, it's more naturalistic, warm, almost liquorice/chocolaty and defiitely suited to the winter months - it would be heavy indeed in summer.

It reminds me a little of Aroma M's Geisha Noir, more leathery though, I think a touch more animalic, but it's a warm suedey leather. Lovely stuff!

Can definitely be worn by men too, on my partner it smells more leathery and the patchouli emerges.

Sillage moderate, longevity excellent!

After a beautiful iris opening, I get iris mixed with a plastic packaging smell (vinyl?) and a touch of dry, ancient smelling resin that I can't identify specifically. It has a slight bitterness. Unfortunately after that, the iris gets more powdery and eclipses the other notes except for the plastic. It's reminiscent of deodorant - it's a clear clean powdery not a chalky one but still, not my style. It seems very retro. I see another reviewer below me also got the powder + vinyl. For this " retro -powdery handbag smell" style, I much prefer Hermes Cuir d'Ange. Mild dislike.

Cuir Ottoman is my second try from Parfum d'Empire, after Ambre Russe, and I detect a connection to Ambre Russe, but Cuir Ottoman is more middle-of-the-road, at the meeting of several different types of fragrances: leathery, powdery with the iris, resinous with tolu balsam and benzoin, and spiky with styrax.

The resins foil the iris excellent, and present a less sharp leather/iris fragrance than, say, Dior Homme Parfum, and I imagine that most of the time, that makes Cuir Ottoman preferable to DHP.

Performance is good, not quite as good as Ambre Russe, but still worthy of the type of scent it is and going rate (retail is $160 for 100ml at Luckyscent).

Overall, this is one I like but don't love. I'm picky enough about leather fragrances that I much prefer the more modest floral leather Knize Ten that I tried earlier this week, for one.

7 out of 10

I own and enjoy (in moderation) several cuirs. With this genre, I never experience love at first sniff : this type of fragrance challenges me at first, and I have to learn to love each one individually.

Cuir Ottoman is the exception : I fell head over heels for it the instant it touched my skin for the first time. Maybe it's because (as a few reviewers noted) this is not a "real" traditional cuir. It's softer, with no birch tar, no detectable animalic or white floral notes -- but I don't care, it's just so perfectly confortable. Comfortable yet unique, as it doesn't remind me of any other fragrance.

One of the few perfumes I would try to rescue if the house was burning (right after my son and our cat and the box of family pictures).

I'm not typically one to fall for sweetened leather - the type of treated leather accords in Kinze Ten, Cuir Marasque, and Cuir Cannage are far too much for me to handle, and rarely can I find solace in any other play of notes in the totality of the composition.

Along comes Parfum d'Empire's charming Cuir Ottoman - the sweet leather accord paired with a majestic Iris and anchored by a rich blend of Tonka, Benzoin, Tolu, Incense, and Vanilla that leaves one in the midst of a cloud of shifting experience - even for a singular inhale, it is hard to focus on a singular note, for there exists a shifting slew of notes that seamlessly follow one after the other, it becomes hard to tell where one stops and another starts. Is the smokey quality exclusively of the leather accord? Is the benzoin that sweet in itself or am I whiffing the Tonka? Despite all of this, there is a distinct quality which forms the whole of the composition demanding to be understood as a leather fragrance through and through - there is no mistaking this as the true nature of Cuir Ottoman.

Ultimately, due to the omnipresent nature of the Iris here, and as it is paired with incredibly smooth resins and spices, the leather of this fragrance, which at times can reach a rich smokey quality, remains a high gloss image of a dark and mysterious figure - there is a hyperbolic distance to the danger, and yet it is portrayed in such a beautiful way, and with the highest quality of composition and form that situates the dichotomy wonderfully representative of perfume as thoughtful art.

9/10

YT: Jess AndWesH

This in an extremely realistic leather fragrance on first spray. Shortly thereafter it transitions through an unfortunate cow poo phase. I am not meaning to be facetious; it smells realistically of cow poop + cow leather. There is also a sweet note that sits apart, rather than blending in.

After the cow pat stops steaming, Cuir settles back into a softer leather and iris, plus that quite nice sweet note. I get 'new car with leather seats and chemicals'.

So it's a very unusual fragrance, quite potent, and probably better on most men than most women. A definite try-before-you-buy situation!

I really don't get this. I wish iris and I were compatible but somehow my nose reads this as vinyl and baby powder with a touch of kink. So desperate for a rich, smooth leather scent without suede or powder or plastic doll heads. I'm jealous of everyone here who is able to revel in this with class instead of the pink fetish I'm experiencing.

It is one of the best Leathery-Powdery that I smelled but there is better than this cologne yet.
8/10

Best Iris-Leather combo ever made.
If you really like Cuir Cannage, Cuir Mauresque or Cuir Fétiche, I tell you this is better than all three performance wise and quality-smell wise.
Personally I'm a huge fan of this fragrance genre and I am finally found.

CAUTION: The newer bottle are nothing like the old juice, Formulation nightmares everywhere!!

A wonderful powdery iris-leather, softened by a not to sweet balsamic base. Cuir Ottoman is elegant but non-snobbish, soft but not insipid and has a very quiet sweetness.
The dry down is a warm and friendly skin close scent of vanillic resins with a touch of incense.

I was recently wearing Antoine Lie's Rien, another wonderful leather. Comparing these two made me realize the huge span of leather scents. In a way they represent two well-made extremes. Where Rien is a very heavy, almost bombastic incense leather Cuir Ottoman is dry, clean and softly balsamic.
In contrast to Rien I feel I could wear Cuir Ottoman for allmost any occasion any time of the year.

An exquisite leather scent! The iris-leather combo is just alluring! Say, a mixture of Chanel's 31 Rue Cambon and Cuir de Russie, if that makes sense! But this one is smoother and balsamic.. Pure bliss!

"Velvety and luxurious; the scent of a luxury leather handbag."

Cuir Ottoman is a 2006 fragrance from French fragrance house d`Empire. It's the one fragrance that caught my interest since I am partial towards leather fragrances and indeed, it's an intriguing one.

On my skin, it smells a bit like Christian Dior Homme because of the iris leather scent, but much less sweet and more creamy. After some time, it develops into a scent akin to the inside of a Hermès-style upmarket handbag. Velvety and comforting, it smells of pure luxury and is an exemplary modern leather fragrance that is on the far end of the leather spectrum opposite the vintage style such as Cuir de Russie by Guerlain or Chanel, which is darker, harsher and has a more acquired scent.

It belongs to the same category as Hermès's Cuir d`Ange and Christian Dior's Cuir Cannage, which I dub the "Luxury Handbag Fragrance" category. There are some minor differences among them: Cuir d`Ange is much more floral, which can be a little forced at times. Cuir Cannage is a tad darker and maybe a little richer. Cuir Ottoman is the most subtle, yet has a balsamic-styrax twist that gives the soothing fragrance a slight edgy twist akin to Knize's Ten or Hermès's Bel Ami.

As a leather fragrance fan, I love it. I'd say it's less feminine than Cuir d`Ange and thus is perfectly unisex. It's sniff-worthy for fans alike and if you want to know what a high-end leather bag smells like. Very good stuff!

Cuir Ottoman is a good example of post-modern leathery-balsamic perfumes which is very well-blended with iris to give it a powdery talcum-like aspect.

The presence of styrax, tolu balsam and labdanum creates an aura which gives a light classic and earthy-dusty feel to the whole compossition and reminds me a bit of some classic and nostalgic female frags like Shalimar or Soir de Paris, but remember I'm not saying Cuir Ottoman is similar to them.

Beside being leathery and powdery, due to an incense note, it is a bit smoky and dark as well.

I also agree with Colin Maillard when he refers to Cuir Ottoman as "a bit like a contemporary, more transparent, glossy version of" vintage Hermes BelAmi. I should add Moschino pour Homme to this comparison as well.

In general, Cuir Ottoman, except its bitter and strong opening is a soft, semi-sweet and cozy leathery-powdery perfume with a light classic texture.

Although announced as a unisex perfume, I consider it as more inclined toward masculinity and the masculine side rather than feminine side.

It lasts quite a long time on my skin and projects moderately for a few hours and leaves a soft trail behind itself.

Its nearly Christmas as I write and my nostrils have become well attuned to the smell of Scotch whisky. So, when I was going through a selection of scents today, it wasn't difficult to pick up on the opening gambit of Cuir Ottoman as a booze fest for the nose. Not exactly a single malt but not far off...

Later in the winnowing process what turned up was iris. I can't be more specific because it wasn't a perfume review I had in mind but something new for the upcoming festivities.

Can't say that Cuir Ottoman smells much of leather, and neither does it remind me of the land of Turkey, but then hey, I'm no expert...

***

Yes an iris cuir.
A dry clean leather.
softly flowery.
rigid and feminine at the same time. but still unisex.
A bit cold and distant and flat, plain.
I prefere a warmer leather, which I was expecting by the colour, but it is ok, very classy.

This seemed relatively simple, but it's so seamlessly blended that it took multiple wearings to get a grasp of it.

The moment you spray it on it smells like industrial waste, but wait for it... After the harsh opening it quickly becomes smoother; first you'll get some leather (like a leather couch), then the resins take over, florals bring some earthy powderiness into the mix and there's a very light trail of smoke lingering in the background. Hours later the experience ends with vanilla-like warm sweetness.

Performance-wise it's quite tenacious, but you won't be knocking people over like bowling pins with the projection, it operates with polite wafts. Sophisticated, but not boring. A very solid offering for cooler weather from Parfum d'Empire!

I love green leathers and powdery leathers, and Cuir Ottoman is amongst the softest and most elegant leathers I've smelled. The iris and benzoin make it both bitter and sweet, restrained and luscious at the same time. A fragrance for an intellectual that does give in to passion from time to time.
My only issue is the sillage, on me it's so soft that I don't think I'll buy it. I cannot smell it on myself unless I put my nose directly on my wrist... :-(

Update: a year after my review I found myself craving for this and bought a bottle. I'm enjoying it very much!

Cuir Ottoman is an elegant semi-sweet leather fragrance. The sweet notes (vanilla, tonka, benzoin, styrax) are perfectly blended creating a soft cloud where lies a strong leather note. So nothing about gourmand fragrance here. This leather is given an special personality by adding an exotic and spicy note of tolu balsam. I do not get the iris note. The result is not as brilliant as it might seem, but I think it's worth quite a try.

8/10

Loved it right off the bat. Leather all the way, animalic at first, but that settles down into more of a tobacco-or-tonka-like sweetness. Becomes gentler and more sophisticated than expected after that almost-dirty opening. The sweet smokiness also reminds me a little of the Santa Fe incense/wood-smoke smell that I so love. Totally easy to swoon over. Second wearing: got a “God, yes” from me, talking to myself, in the car. Asked husband what he thought later, and he said he couldn’t smell anything; it just smelled like me. Heh! Sure it does. Well, I definitely want more, anyway.

Cuir Ottoman it's a opulent leather fragrance. The resins provide ''warmness'' to this. IMO perhaps it's something feminine due to powdery vibe that I perceive but overall it's unisex. A must for leather lovers!!



Scent: 8
Longevity: 8
Projection: 7
Sillage: 6
Uniqueness: 7
Versatility: 6


Overall: 7

5/10

Nice warm balsamic leather wrapped in a chocolatey smooth iris powder. Not bad. Starts more balsamic leather and ends powdery iris and cocoaesque. Warmth throughout.

I'm not a fan of leathers, they smell harsh on me. But this, like a few other floral-leathery combos out there, is much more wearable. Wait out the big barnyard blast in the opening; as the florals kick in the leather turns to soft, powdery suede that's smooth and sensual. Resinous, very sexy. Unisex, but slightly masculine leaning. Longevity is over 12 hours and silage is big.
Notes: Jasmine, leather, iris, benzoin, balsams, resins, incense.

What I love about Parfum D'Empire is that they don't shy away from making powerful statements. And Cuir Ottoman is no exception. The opening is a beautiful leather that would remind you of Parfum D'Habit from MPG. The opening alone is FB worthy, But without a doubt, the main player of Cuir is a delicious, powdery Iris (I know I am not inventing the wheel with this description) enveloping an equally beautiful jasmine note. Again, I am reminded of Arpege of Lanvin as Cuir dries down, only softer, more subtle, less sharp... fantastic. TF Noir also comes to mind, but Cuir manages to be less formal, less dry, instead being more luminous, playful.,, mischieviously sexy. Another beauty from Parfum D'Empire.
Smell great my friends.
Update: Cuir Ottoman is a marvelous, contemporary homage to Tabac Blonde by Caron.

The old school considers this as the essential leather and the new school considers Tuscan Leather. They are miles apart and personally I feel that this is a awesome! So soft and delicate and perfect for either sex. I wished the resinous notes were a bit more pronounced but all in all I am satisfied. Nothing is complex about this as it's basically soft leather and iris but damn it's blended to perfection!

Something MUST really be wrong with my olfactics on this one. I swear I have tried and tried and tried. This and Tuscan Leather both smell like PURE RAID to me. I can never get past the Bug Spray smell enough to enjoy any part of it. I am going to speak to my ENT doc to ask why particular types of leather fragrances are coming off as Bug Spray to me. It's a real shame because I LOVE leather & suede scents and I feel like I am missing out on something amazing except my nose cannot stand it at all. Sorry Cuir Ottoman lovers, I would have loved to agree with all of the positive feedback except I can't right now. Will get back to it once I find out why I am having this olfaction issue. Strangely, Thierry Mugler The Fragrance Of Leather aka Pure Cuir does not have this affect on me. Hmm??

Smooth buttery leather and quite simply one of the best leather fragrances I've come across yet. Longevity is way above average. Best of the line. Just my opinion.

A softer, powdery "brown" leather (worn suede, vs the sharp, bitter odor of new "black" leather).

To sum up, it is a powdery floral leather, in the vein of Knize 10 or Cuir Cannage (but much better than both of those, as they both contain some kind of cheap musk that reeks of commercial public restroom cleaners).

There is a bizarre flash of funk / stink in the opening, but rest assured there are no animalic aspects to this fragrance whatsoever (thank goodness). The stink is gone within a few minutes (probably from the Styrax).

This would have made a good Lutens, compared to the syrupy garbage that pervades most of that house. Thankfully, the oriental elements here (vanilla, benzoin, tonka, balsam, incense, labdanum) dont actually have much sweetness in them. As a result, this fragrance maintains a dignified composure of a competent oriental, instead of falling into an insipid, sticky mess of caramel or immortelle or something even worse. A fairly linear fragrance, the overall effect is of a creamy, smooth, powdery leather. There are no smoky facets from the incense, and no burnt sugar or caramel.

I cannot say this is squarely masculine, and it closely orbits the "unisex" middle ground. However, owing to the powdery nature, and the creaminess of iris, vanilla, and benzoin; I would say this is lightly leaning "feminine". At the very least, this is a very dandified unisex fragrance. There are those that would disagree, but these types of notes are classically feminine to me.

Performance is solid, 10-12 hours. Light to moderate projection.

Those of you interested in an equally smooth leather but looking for a darker, more masculine take are encouraged to sample Leather Oud by Floris, which is the pure encapsulation of brand new "black" leather goods, still with the smell of leather treatments and all. Very classy and masculine.

I'm a woman but for my taste there's too strong an iris note at the beginning. Wonderful and real, not plasticky, Not FBW for me nevertheless, more suitable for women or men who love floral leathery scents. Corticchiato is at his best when he does "the Lutens" in creations such as Ambre russe.

I am a BIG fan of traditional masculine scents, such as Leather, so after reading the reviews, I had to give this one a try. And I am glad I did.

In the opening of Cuir Ottoman I get a sweet, powdery leather scent with an underlying barnyard scent. Other reviews have described this as smooth, while I do agree with that, throughout this scent I get that barnyard type vibe, buried deep in the scent, but not an in your face type barnyard. It quickly settles down to an powdery floral / Iris leather scent that smells delicious on my skin.

I went back and forth between good and great throughout the day, but I have to say that overall this is a great, classy, sexy, refined leather scent. I get good projection and great longevity on my skin.

Bottom line: If you like leather or masculine scents you should try this one.

Another Wow! Until now Ive not been into "leather" fragrances but this has changed my mind. I never thought that would happen Its a big ol leathery hug. The iris, tolu balsam and benzion are almost as potent. There is a touch sweetness from tonka and vanilla but just the right amount to keep it unisex. The incense and vanilla become much more evident after an hour. Moderate sillage and good longevity.

Stunningly beautiful, iris resting on a suede like leather that is not at all synthetic. It's one of those rare scents that makes you stop,inhale and smile to yourself. The incense and resins are beautifully blended and the floral element does not ever overtake the leather. Just mesmerising.

This is just. Beyond words. A reset button for my nose. The perfume that makes me say--Oh God this is perfume this is why I love perfume. This perfume I close my eyes for. Breathe deeply. Be still.

Iris over leather, a hint of birch tar and smoke, but still super smooth, silky iris, no roots and dirt here, the iris turns the leather warm and cashmere soft. Clean burning incense, sweet labdanum, fresh jasmine floating around iris and leather. Vanilla as it wears down. More resinous in the base. The leather never disappears. This feels soft and velvety. Super classy. The whole perfume smells so personal, intimate, sexy, an intense stare across a dim room.

Thank you to Sociable Hermit who insisted on sending me a decant of this along with our swap, I would have never found this, it really is as great as everyone says, truly worth every penny.

This is probably my favorite leather perfume and definitely one of my all-around favorites in any case. I consider it to be one of the most sophisticated scents I own, though to be fair I am not often known for the subtlety of my taste.

To my nose the most prominent notes are leather and iris with some vanilla. I’m not knowledgeable enough to dissect the contributions of the various resins and balms, and I don’t get the purported jasmine at all. It’s on the femme side of my current preferences, but I don’t find it to be too powdery (as some do) and my tolerance for powder is pretty limited. I consider it quite linear, with the only notable change being a turn towards the smoky after about ninety minutes. The projection at the beginning is about what I want: noticeable, but not at all shouty. Longevity is over ten hours, but it starts getting soft after about three and is a skin scent by four.

OK, so what? There’s nothing in that description indicative of greatness: it’s not complicated, the notes are not remarkable, and one could even reasonably argue that performance could be better. So why do I love it so? Why is this perfume different from all other perfumes?

Well, for starters, it smells like actual leather. The leather note in perfume is not, we are often told, from literal leather but birch, styrax, quinolines, etc. These are fine notes in their own right, but I like the smell of REAL leather I’m always disappointed when I’m promised it and I don’t smell a coat or a couch or a car. I greet every new leather perfume I run across with a silent, “I’ll be the judge of that!” and the case of Cuir Ottoman I was and am rewarded with the delightful sensation of burying my face in a soft pile of suede.

Also, leather is generally presented as a base or middle note, and generally that’s just where you’ll find it. Here the lovely leather is right up front, not quite dominating the composition, but certainly holding its own, locking hands with the other notes and becoming more that the sum of its parts. Not that it’s a “top note,” per se: it’s there all the way through. This, by the way, is the charm of a linear perfume for me: if I like it I’m going to keep on liking it.

Lastly, there’s nothing wrong with it. This will, perhaps, sound like damning with faint praise, but I have no trouble at all finding perfumes with notes I like; the trick is to find the ones without notes I don’t like. There’s been many a scent that I’ve wanted to buy after five minutes and abhorred after five hours. Worse yet is the opposite, “you just have to wait for the drydown,” contingent. Like hell, I do! At least if you like the start more than the finish you can put it on late and then go to bed. I’ll buy a sample of nearly anything, but if I’m going to drop my hard-earned on a bottle of a niche-priced perfume I want to love it 100%, start to finish.

I love this perfume. But why? What combination of experiences must occur to elevate a perfume from something that smells pleasant to something with which we make an emotional bond? Hell if I know…perfume’s magic, y’all.

starry starry night by van Gogh

Classy Sexy Leather...

This has such a good mix to it! The combination of leather and Iris is something that works wonders (not a new concept by far, but a good one). I love the way the aspects of the buttery iris combine with the suede, leather glove aspect.

There are so many things I like about this one, and I appreciate the way it's made. The incense and styrax and labdanum all give a smoky aspect to the composition, and are sweetened by just a hint of vanilla at the end, with jasmine rounding off the edges of the fragrance and accentuating the leather.

This fragrance has got me compliments. A lady demanded to know what I was wearing and why this smelled so good the first day I wore it, which was unexpected for a first time. An instant hit and not outrageously priced either. It's a wonderful fragrance. For those who enjoy fragrances with Iris-Leather combinations (the Dior Homme series, Chanel - Cuir de Russie), you must try this. Exquisitely made.

Cuir Ottoman is my first bottle from PDE...WOW am I impressed. At first sniff the aroma of leather combined with a boozy vib makes it very luxurious and appealing to me. I ♥the deep smokey leathery aroma, after it settles a hint of velvety iris gives it a real attractive sweet creamy aroma. Both Tolu balsam and benzoin resin with a warm vib gives it THAT animalistic quality.
Longevity and Silage is very high, thou it's listed as a EDP, I have to spray it 3-4 sprays...to achieve the depth lasting over 8hrs.
Overall,
This fragrance has to be one of the best blind purchase I've ever made!! Now that the cooler weather has arrived, I can't wait to wear it during the evening over dinner, the aroma carrying throughout and everyone looking around to see who'swearing this CLASSY fragrance. THIS IS A NO BRAINER....10/10. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...Try it you won't regret buying it. Top picks during the winter months......

A buttery sueded iris. The leather, which is most pronounced in the opening, never seems too aggressive. It softens quite a bit and joins the powdery iris/vanilla which stays close to the skin. In the merging of those notes I almost detect a bitter almond nuttiness. The far drydown did verge on becoming too baby powdery for my liking. I would say if you took Prada Infusion d'Iris Absolue(with the rootiness toned down) and wrapped it in a soft suede, you would have an idea of what the vibe of this fragrance is. May even appeal to those who think they don't like leather notes, but if you need a heavy-hitting birch tar fix, this may not satisfy. I like it enough to enjoy my samples for the upcoming cooler months.

A delightful suede/nubuck style leather, with soft resins and a touch of powdery iris. After the heart it pulls back to a skin scent, but this shift to the intimate level does nothing to reduce its charm. Cosy, lived in and comfortable in its own skin, totally solid stuff from P d'E.

best leather ever!

I agree with @atlaseetchristmas.

The opening is horrible and reminded me of "Dzing". Smells almost sharp, solvent and rubbery, like a petrol spill in a dank basement.

The sharpness of the labdanum is immediately apparent and the smoky, oily tolu and styrax combination is unpleasantly medicinal.

However, once the alcohol burns away, it becomes much softer, sweeter and intensely powdery. The leather melds with the iris, vanilla and tonka into something warm, sensual and, in my opinion, quite feminine. At this point it feels similar to Lubin's "Galaad", also "Rien" by ETLDO.

Definitely not for day wear, or for warm weather.

I don't like the opening of Cuir Ottoman at all. I pick up jasmine,a strong iris, and leather that is so powdered that my nose doesn't process it as leather. It's entirely grandma-ish (it smells like the bottom of a grandma's handbag) and I just don't like anything about it. Thankfully, it's short lived and an unpleasant opening is almost entirely forgivable if the drydown is great...

and thankfully, the dry down is great. The leather warms up and begins to dominate while the florals recede and are replaced with a subtly dark underbelly of smoky spiciness. Theres also something vaguely herbal to my nose that gives it an atmospheric sort of vibe, like the scent of a place.

The leather note here is very unique, as some have mentioned it bears a resemblance to the leather present in Dzing, the sort of soft, high quality, dry, beige-toned leather compared to the astringent permanent marker-esque, pitch-black power leather in Tuscan Leather and ADP Colonia Leather. It's nice and kind of pulls a 180 after that retirement home opening, going surprisingly modern. It puts me in a similar headspace as Tauer's L'air Du Desert Marocain. Images of the desert at night, scarcely populated by traveling merchants and the occasional caravan of camels. But whereas the Tauer is a little bit playful and endearingly cartoonish with it's interpretation, Cuir Ottoman is more severe and serious.

I really like this but I don't really feel the desire to get a full bottle. It's pretty well done but I don't think I can see myself wearing it often. Regardless, this is the best fragrance I have tried from Parfum D'empire after the nightmare of Wazamba and the mothballiness of Musc Tonkin
. 7.5/10

Usually, I'm quick to test the popular and most talked about fragrances on the market. For one reason or the other, I was late to the Cuir Ottoman party. For the last 3 or so years, this fragrance along with Tuscan Leather has been the mascot for Team Leather.

Do you remember that time you were at the car dealership? Now think back on that first moment when you sat in the seat of the King Ranch Ford Expedition. Can you recall that smell? That leather smell is precisely the opening of Cuir Ottaman but as a whole, calling this an oriental floral is more appropriate. This maintains a polished feel throughout it's duration and has a surprisingly strong presence of iris making it more structured as a floral than its leathery predecessors. It shows a softer side in the heart which is when the powdery accord totally takes over. At this point, I almost forgot that the alleged star is the leather note. Leather or not, this fragrance is decent enough to where you'll be celebrating the fact that your money was well spent. In the end, that's the most important thing right?

Rich, deep, intellectual leather; resplendent and opulent. Evocative of Bedouins mounting their Arabian steeds and gliding smoothly across the desert sands in the deepest night.

Enticing and eventually quietly sweet, it opens with a blast of serious and unapologetic leather. It's not trying to be leather. It IS leather. A brand new, exquisitely detailed leather saddle fit for a king. As it dries down, other notes tame it into a gentle beast: orris, jasmine; ultimately balsamic. Not the most animalic scent I own but absolutely the most elegant animalic in my collection. Insolence states in her review that there are contradictions here and I agree. The wild heart of an untamed stallion beats beneath its elegant veneer, snorting and kicking up dust even as he is fitted with that high-falutin' saddle.

Longevity is eternal and sillage...it stays close to my skin.

Gorgeous, just gorgeous.

There is great similarity to Tauer's equally excellent L'air du Desert Marocain, with the latter being ever so slightly on the sweeter side. The two very best leather fragrances I've tried, easily surpassing anything by the mighty Serge Lutens and (gasp!) Tom Ford.

This perfume is comfortable to wear because it's not to agressive or dominating.

This is a guilty pleasure scent for me. My favorite leather scent. This eclipsed my former favorite leather scent (vintage Bel Ami by Hermes) and I can't get enough of this beautiful scent. Whenever I'm wearing this perfume, I'm always caught by people around me sniffing my wrist. It's like my nose is "magnetized by the scent on my wrist. Sometimes it's quite embarrassing when I'm in a meeting and continuously sniffing my wrist or shirt and they're asking if I'm okay. Solution? I don't wear this when I have a scheduled meeting. I will not dissect each note as previous reviewers who love this perfume have already done excellent descriptions and experiences of this scent. All I can say is, this is the epitome of luxury leather scent. This is the scent permeating inside an ultra luxurious boutique selling very refined handcrafted premium leather goods (bags, shoes, gloves, wallets/purses, card and passport holders). Premium leather scent bar none, IMO.

Cuir Ottoman is the epitome of rough sensuality to me. If it was a poem instead of a fragrance, I think it would tell us about Turkic nomad lovers, cold nights spent on the steppe, leather harnesses and the smell of subtle smoke rising from the heart of their yurt

I really can't get over how beautiful this perfume is. I never thought a leather scent could be so refined, so sensual. It opens with a leather and labdanum accord and very quickly morphs into something magical, rich, resinous. As it develops, Cuir Ottoman becomes more powdery but vanilla and benzoin still dominate over iris, so aftertaste is quite sweet. I like contrasts in everything - in art, literature etc and maybe this is why Cuir Ottoman appeals to me so much. It smells comforting and warm but somehow quite dirty too.

It's hypnotizing. And so, so sexy.

Beautifully done!

Ottoman is an interesting fragrance, one I never would have thought to try if it weren’t for an iris-themed sample pack I purchased.

I thought initially I smelled galbanum and pepper, but I think I’m getting a very dry labdanum confused in my nose. As the fragrance develops, after an hour or so, I do smell leather, dry and unoiled; and vanilla. The iris is not prominent, nor are any of the floral scents; this is like an old barn, with the air full of dust and leather and only the barest hint of old hay. I think the iris is there giving that pastoral, dry and earthy note. In a way, this reminds me of Must by Cartier—Ottoman has a similar dry leather and pure vanilla (not a foody, floral, sweet vanilla; but a vanilla like incense). But where the incense notes in Must became fairly warm and rich, Ottoman stays quite cool. It’s a different kind of richness, a richness of the moon vs a richness of the sun: a caravan by night.

Sillage is low modest, longevity at least 4 hours but fading gently. I would recommend this for fans of traditional orientals (Must, Shalimar)—orientals that are more rich than sweet; those looking for non-foody vanillas; those looking for cool incense; and those who love a good leather note.

This quickly became one of the best perfume I met so far, reminded me a little to Floris Mahon Leather, however, I found this one here much better, more elegant and balanced.

Opens with very clear and leather balm, and very quickly the iris appears showing that makeup tone or crayons, but gently.

Gradually it becomes sweet and resinous, but a sweet nothing cloying, nothing synthetic or artificial. Is not it sweet to call attention, whether of people or ants. Here one has a natural and elegant sweet tone, despite the projection be very strong, it is comfortable, warm, pleasant feeling.

At the end, the dry leather somehow becomes a little more carnal, with a slight body odor, bringing to light the side Animalic a moderate way, adding a mysterious and enigmatic touch to this wonderful fragrance.

Opens with a big badaboom of dark leather, incense and tolu. Hints of iris mix with the heavy leathers. This part is what I expected Bandit by Robert Piguet to smell like. After the big blast the scent mellows down and becomes less dark and more soft and resinous. The leather turns into suede, more sweet and powdery notes enter the composition. The drydown reminds me of that of Diptyque's Volutes, dark, soft and resinous and powered by ambroxan.

Sillage is moderate to heavy, longevity moderate to long.

The initial opening is powerful, wonderful, and everything I expected of a leather scent. I wish it would stay longer. The suede is quite nice, it is a true suede and not a dusty carnation kind of leather. I wish I could find a scent that has the opening of this one as the drydown. I'd buy a full bottle without hesitation.

My impression: Balsamic leathery scent .. absolutely luxurious.. So Heavy.. Very well blended, change my mode perfectly in winter nights.

Combo iris/cuoio molto aspra e pungente, con un accenno di gelsomino. Un iniziale cuoio deciso, per donne energiche...Dopo qualche minuto il cuoio evapora e resta un iris malinconico e crepuscolare.
Non sento nè incenso nè vaniglia, solo un fiore antico.
Non fa per me.

ravishing iris leather. opens with a challenge, amazes as the iris blooms. on my husband it is nothing or even repulsive. on me, a delight.

Love Cuir Ottoman! The best leather fragrance, period!

It has everything I want in a leather fragrance. Realistic suede & soft balsamic, incense, vanilla mixture. Perfection!

It is a masterpiece from the beginning to the end. Genius!

I love every creation of Parfum d`Empire and Cuir Ottoman is no exception. One of the most interesting perfumes with leather notes; powerful, elegant, very original in its structure. Sure to wear on cold winter evenings, so it is hot and spicy. Even the incense is blatantly present, but without prevalicare. The floral notes are now absent and after gently resurface. Slightly lower to Aziyade but I like it.

First time actually wearing this and had it a while now. What an idiot I am.
heavenly leather accords with that fine balance of floral and smoky aromas.
My favourite leather fragrance without a doubt.
A beauty with a touch of beast. ... WOW!!

9/10

A complex and well-crafted scent, with some lovely benzoin and spices, but to my nose the leather is completely overshadowed by a strong rubber note, which is absolutely my least favorite scent in all perfumery. (I am therefore in agreement with Taskphorce and other reviewers below who also pick up this artificial rubber or plastic note in this scent.). The rubber does subside after an hour or so, but it is still too much. If spicy smoky leather + rubber is your thing, enjoy! but Cuir Ottoman is not for me.

I love the leather note but I have problems with wearing too leathery perfumes in general, since they can be so airless and too much for my sense (sometimes caused even headache and sickness).
Therefore, I mostly prefer the suede note as main accord for a touch of leathery feeling.
BUT this one is a real exception!
Thanks to balance of powdery iris and the balsamic touch of tolu, vanilla, benzoin and tonka bean that softened this beauty to a calm leather, Cuir Ottoman becomes the most wearable, well-balanced and smoothest leather I have ever tried.

The more I wear this, the more I love it. Of the many I have tried, this is the perfect leather based perfume. It is not for the faint hearted but it is definitely wearable. I think it's awesome.

It falls in the middle of the range of leather fragrances. It is not at the smokey birch tar/ cade oil end, nor is it at the soft floral subtle suede end. The leather note created is similar to a fine pair of leather gloves

The leather is softened by the floral from the prominent iris note, but it is not sickly sweet and I find it impossible to disentangle all the notes that form the accords. Somehow they just work together to make something truly wonderful.

To me it seems elegant, refined and classy, and probably best in autumn and winter. It creates a great scent 'bubble' and has an airy quality but also with some 'edge'. Despite being floral it is probably just on the masculine side of unisex.

Of the Parfum d'Empire fragrances I have tried, and they are all good, this is the star of the show.

It is quite potent and has excellent longevity and significant projection and sillage even with just 2 sprays and it changes subtly over many hours but still retains its main accord.

If you like leather based fragrances then definitely give it a try

Update :- What makes this different from many of the floral leathers, is that here the floral and the leather are really well balanced. In many the floral notes are very much in the foreground and the leather plays a supportive role in the base perhaps appearing more in the late drydown...here they are more balanced from the start with the leather also playing front stage. To me, that is a little better suited to a man

Where can obtain a bottle of this? Retailers in the US and on ebay seem to be out of stock.

i have absolutely no idea how did i refuse this perfume when i smelled it the first time in Liberty london last april 2013? maybe because i was searching for mona di orio cuir.

this perfume is just quite good, i just got the tester for it few weeks back and it is very nice, it opens big, but there is no leather in the opening as i smell allot of nutmeg. the leather shows quite sharp when it dries, the smell of a vintage old leather brown belt, a very leather belt. it is just amazing, but it doesn't last that long, 3 to 4 hours and it's gone, but honestly a very nice perfume.

At first sniff, I thought "Oh no, this is another Cuir Mauresque" (which despite my enduring love for Serge Lutens is a frag I just cannot get into). After a minute the punch in the face from a suede-covered fist dried down into a much more civilized leather, like changing from chaps into a leather miniskirt. It blends beautifully with the incense and flowers and at the end is overtaken by them. One minute I get the Jasmine, the next resins. It's quite a ride! I love it after that initial blast.

I have vintage Caron Tabac Blond extrait, and Cuir Ottoman compares favorably to it: the leather and orris are similar, but the Caron is sharper, with more of a clove/carnation note (this could be due to the age of my bottle). Both are long-lasting: the eau de parfum strength of the the Cuir is almost as strong as the extrait of Tabac. However, the leatheriness of the Caron is much longer lasting than that of the Cuir, which dries down to a more of a benzoin sweetness. Cuir Ottoman is softer, smoother, slightly sweeter than the Caron, and overall a good replacement which I'll acquire when my Caron is used up. This is much less expensive and easier to find!

Mind-blowing leather scent: refined, strong, elegant, sophisticated, and perfectly wearable.

It's so well blended that I cannot really tell the separate notes, aside from leather, iris powder, and something resiny, this is just what it is - the scent of unpretentious luxury.

Smooth, without sharp edges, but still with a very strong character, it will smell gentleman-like on a guy, and extremely sophisticated on a woman.

Oh, what a perfume. To me, it is not less beautiful than the legendary Cuir de Russie.

Straight forward and natural leather...

During the first 1/2 hour, CO smells as straight forward, pure leather to me. Like rough split leather. It is nice, warm, very natural, authentic, and well done at that, but I don't detect much from other scents at first.

Then the smell of the leather starts changing, from an austere leather, to a rubbery one (perhaps the iris), to a sweeter and softer one (perhaps from the styrax, benzoin, and Tonka)...CO goes from rough split leather to a more refined top grain leather); however, as the other ingredients change the character of the leather in this progression, the leather always remains at the center stage.

I don't detect distinctively the other ingredients before the end of the dry down...this leather is very dominant and not transparent to me (by not transparent I mean one that dominates the others)...rather the other ingredients, as they awake, simply change the type of leather scent you perceive. CO is certainly not a linear leather fragrance.

Towards the end of the dry down, when the leather begins to fade away, you can perceive the base notes, but as skin level scents. A vanilla, Tonka, benzoin and mild incense combo is now softly perceptible. You have to stick your nose to your skin to smell this pleasant aftermath.

If you love leather, this is for you..you will get different flavors of leather in CO

longevity and silage are above average.

As a leather fragrance, 9/10. As a fragrance in general, 8/10.

excellent quality from a house that deserve more and more ,this is a superb classy leather fragrance not disturbing as some other leather scent but perfectely sweetened by iris and ambery notes ,an olphactive travel in a beautiful turkish hareem where your skin will receive a soft sensual touch .stunning fragrance


8/10

“Cuir Ottoman” from Parfum d´Empire contains the most authentic rendition of leather I´ve experienced so far. Like in all other fragrances from this house, in “Cuir Ottoman” Marc-Antoine Corticchiato draws his inspiration from history, namely from the once powerful and feared Ottoman Empire. Nonetheless, what he´s created is by no means a suffocating, dusty-and-musty scent of the forgotten past. On the contrary, “Cuir Ottoman” is a modern, effervescent perfume, packed with top-quality ingredients.

The presence of the leather note becomes unmistakeably obvious from the very beginning. It´s dominant and harsh, but, at the same time, incredibly true to life. To me, “Cuir Ottoman” is unique in the fact that its leather never completely evaporates as its vestiges are also perceptible in the base. The initial harshness of the leather is curbed first by benzoin and tolu balsam, and later on by tonka bean and vanilla, which not only act as softeners, but also provide the perfume with a hint of sweetness.

“Cuir Ottoman” is a potent scent, predominantly aimed at leather note lovers. I truly admire the amount of imagination and expertise that must have gone into the creation of this beautiful fragrance. There can be no doubt Parfum d´Empire represents niche perfumery at its very best!

I have a sample of this and I've been wearing it, reapplying from time to time, for a little over four days. It's a very simple leather scent. Obviously there's no leather in perfumery, but the smell is made by mixing other scents like birch tar with resins like benzoin or balsam of Peru, things like that. The leather in this is simple and soft. I don't detect much other than violet or iris and a bit of damp earth. I don't catch any insense or much in the way of other floral notes.
You can get the same effect with more lasting power from Serge Lutens Chergui.

GRANDMA'S NEW LEATHER HANDBAG

My grandmother buys a new cheap leather (or is it pleather?) handbag.

Somehow, she gets some of her cloying, floral/powdery perfume all over it.

And that's Cuir Ottoman.

On me this is quite a simple leather. I can't really detect many of the other notes, but perhaps I'm anosmic to some of them? It's a flat, dry smell, probably partly due to the iris. It's quite intense, and the strength is good.

It's not for me, however... I find it too simple and a bit harsh.

Update. the opening scent and the late stages of the dry down are identical to animale animale

Got this sample today. When opened out of the vile it smells like animale animale, but when applied to the skin it smells like those 80's plastic kids toys. Don't see how people rate this as a masterpiece, but to each their own

masterpiece!

I'm sorry for your bad experience with this gem.
Opinions are free, but it would be nice that they were not vulgar.Probably this fragrance works badly with your chemistry, but it is not crappy at all. It's earthy and ripe instead, a bit animalic and wild.

whaaat a wooonderful scent this is!!!!

strange, strong, unique! Earlier today I reviewed Jubilation XXV, and Cuir Ottoman is the best example of a weird scent that is well put together, that has a clear idea behind and deserves its cost. Plus: it is indeed furiously strong but never offputting nor invasive.

I am not particularly a fan of leather, and iris can sometimes get on my nerves but here the seemingly huge amount of both is fabulously well blended. It is strange how I never mention Parfums d'empire amongst my favourite brands and still I find their offerings outstanding and following a line. You can certainly say this reminds you of Wazamba, Azemour and even Ambre Russe even if they have such different ingredients. Corticchiato is a master imho.

Now back to the scent, imagine a new pair of leather shoes, somehow bitter, only slightly animalic, plus a chic floral touch (iris) staying many hours and delivering a unique allure. Both men and women should be able to enjoy this artwork. You'll smell gorgeous, believe me!

It changes a bit during its development, becoming milder and easier for leatherphobics. Still, it keeps its glamour all the way. If I had to choose only one scent of this brand, this would be it without any doubt, even if it is not my favourite smell out of those... because of its versatility, wearability and uniqueness. I blind bought this and I haven't regretted it a single time.

Standing ovation for its author!

I'm not a leather guy, and not a Iris fan, but that stuff is just amazing. What you get is a highly sophisticated leather scent, like a pair of leather gloves in a woman purse. I thought this could be unisex but everyone around me says it's definitively a man scent. The overall smell is something between Dior Intense and Van Cleef Midnight in Paris. I got tons of compliments especially by people that can be easily annoy by perfumes.

Cuir Ottoman Parfum d`Empire for women and men
(الجلود العثمانية)
دائما ما تستهويني أشكال الزجاجات العطرية، وأتوقف أمامها طويلا أتأمل تصميماتها الرائعة وربما أحاول النظر إلى العطر الموجود بداخلها وكأنني أنفي يتحسسه.
بارافام دي إمباير ... الإسم يعطي انطباعا بالفخامة، والزجاجات العطرية الخاصة به ذات نمط واحد على عادة الكبار في مجال عطور النيش.
زجاجة اسطوانية رشيقة يعلوها غطاء ذهبي أشبه ما يكون بالتيجان الملكية.
الدار ليست قديمة تاريخيا فهي قد أكملت عامها العاشر هذه السنة ولها من الإصدارات حوالي 14 عطرا.
Cuir Ottoman Parfum d`Empire for women and men، الجلود العثمانية
هذا هو عطري الثاني من هذه الدار، فلقد كان عطري الأول منها هو وازامبا الرائع، الذي حتما سأكتب عنه موضوعا خاصا به.
لا أنكر أنني ترددت كثيرا قبل شرائي للعطر، فالعطر مصنف على أنه زهري شرقي، غير أن الاسم يوحي بأنه شيء آخر (الجلود العثمانية) ومن المؤكد أن نوتة الجلود غالبا ما تطغى على هذه المكونات الزهرية.
غير أن عشقي للياسمين المصري (الفل) قد حسم التردد بداخلي ودفعني للمجازفة وشراء العطر
المكونات كما هو مكتوب:
الافتتاحية: الفل – السوسن – الراتينج الزهري
القلب: الجلود – اللبان الجاوي – بلسم تولو الراتنجي – البنزوين
القاعدة: حبوب التونكا – الفانيلا – البخور
في الحقيقة لقد تغلب الراتينج الزهري في المقدمة على الجميع وصبغهم بالطابع الشرقي ببراعة، حتى أنك لو كنت من المولعين المدمنين لرائحة الفل المصري فأنت هنا بحاجة للتدقيق حتى تتبين وجوده فضلا عن زهرة السوسن.
القلب: هو شخصية هذا العطر وربما يكون البراند بأكمله يعتمد على هذه المنطقة لإبراز شخصية عطوره. فالقلب هنا بمكوناته هو الأقوى حتى من القاعدة ولذلك فيستمر معك طويلا حتى أنك ربما تظن أنها نهاية العطر فاللبان الجاوي العطري والبنزوين والجلود قد مزجت لتعطي توليفة شرقية ممتازة لمحبي الأجواء الشرقية الأسيوية، الجلود هنا لا وجود لها بالشكل الكبير الملائم لاسم العطر فماذا عساها تفعل قطعة من الجلود وسط هذه المباخر الشرقية التي تفوح من كل مكان.
المذهل هو عودة الافتتاحية الزهرية الغامضة لتمتزج مع هذا القلب شديد الدفء بين الحين والآخر.
دخول البخور من القاعدة قد لا تشعر به لأنه سيكون قريبا جدا من اللبان العطري الموجود بكثافة في منطقة القلب ولكنك ربما بعد فترة ربما ساعة أو أكثر قد تشعر بوجود العنبر ثم تأتي الفانيلا في النهاية لتعطي احساسا ختاميا وشعورا بالبهجة
العطر بشكل عام ممتاز، ولكنه لأصحاب الذوق الشرقي فقط
فوحان وثبات رائعين كما هو الواضح من أغلب عطور هذه الدار
إذا كنت من محبي الأجواء الشرقية الأسيوية فلا تتردد في شراء واقتناء هذا العطر الفريد الرائع

Parfum D'Empire Cuir Ottoman has the most dramatic contrast between the top-middle notes and the base that I have ever experienced. The top is the most animalic raw leather I have yet to smell, and it is gorgeous in a slightly over-the-top way (having now tried Bandit, Cuir Ottoman moves to second place). After many hours, the beefy leather fades to a slightly sweet rich ambery base with balsam, tonka, benzoin, and incense and who knows what else. I like both the opening and the base, but what really rocks me is the transition from one to the other - when you are in the midst of the rawhide you can't believe that it will ever smell like benzoin and amber. There are a few hours in the middle while that transition happens that are mesmerizing. What a masterpiece of the perfumer's art. Beast and the Beauty.

Finally,I found what I'm looking for
I'm in love with this perfume
10/10

A lovely, warm and unique perfume.

Starting and finishing with the leather accord similar to what you get when buying a new expensive black leather jacket, it's impossible not to get the main note of this perfume. While the opening can be a bit harsh, being a rather pure leather, a little later it becomes a balmy, even slightly powdery aroma with iris and resins surrounding the precious leather note. The longer the fragrance stays on your skin, the softer it gets, with the leather note losing its strength yet never disappearing, but being a bit overshadowed with soapy iris and a dash of vanilla and incense.

Long-lasting and quite detectable to others, for a cold day or night use, it has no weaknesses. Even if you're not into leathery perfumes that much, give this one a try. If you like leather, then this is a must. Another winner from Parfum d'Empire.

9.25/10

I often find leather a bit difficult, but not this one. This is a very soft leather which dries down to a very lovely powdery leather-vanilla. I'm considering a full bottle but a guess a real leather-fan would be a bit underwhelmed.

Interesting fragrance. The opening is very harsh with the leather; give it time to settle down. The iris comes in as the other major player in this fragrance during the dry down. It is balmy too with a hint of vanilla, but this is not in anyway a sweet scent. It does kinda remind me of Dior Homme without the cocoa. Moderate projection and I get 10 hours on my skin. It's not for me, but I respect the fragrance. 6.75/10.

I have recently sampled two lovely leather perfumes- this one and Cuir Velours by Naomi Goodsir. I have to say that trying Cuir Velours opened up my ability to love Cuir Ottoman. The first time I tried this scent, I didn't get it. Smelled good, but nothing special. Perhaps I was caught up in the whirl of sampling Chergui and about 10 others and my poor little olfactories were flummoxed. Anyway, I tried Cuir Velours after a short respite and it smelled like sitting on a fine leather sofa in a room were people are burning incense, smoking pipes, and drinking 20 year old scotch (not in a choking terrible way- in an opulent sensual way). Then I revisited this scent and realized that Cuir Ottoman is like putting on the fine leather jacket that was hanging in that incense and scotch-filled room and taking the atmosphere with you, while bringing the leather into sharper focus. I detect no weird notes on my skin- just leather with an ambery sweet-ish tobacco background. Love this- must buy. The price is certainly not as painful as some! Longevity is decent, but alas, I don't get much sillage with this (or anything else really, unless applied to headache- inducing levels).

This opens strong and masculine and than it becomes poudery on me.
The perfume is well balanced and goes a long way.
If you like a leather scent this is one to try

While I really enjoy this scent, the leather wasn't as apparent as I thought it would be. That being said, it is one of the most gorgeous scents I have ever experienced.

For me, this is more of an incense scent with undertones of a very soft, buttery vintage leather. The leather note is very subtle but still apparent, not overpowering at all.

It opened up a smoky, but very powdery incense and the drydown became very woody and mildly resinous with quite strong labdanum notes.

There is a slight side note of Nag Champa soap as well.

Surprisingly, what it actually reminds me of is Tom of Finland's equally stylish, but more subdued and mysterious best female friend.

It is a close to the skin scent, very sensual

This scent reminds me of gentlemen's lounges. Diamond buttoned burgundy leather club lounges and velvet paneled walls. Big glasses filled with smoky cognac. Secret business. Old worldly. An era long forgotten. Comforting, elegant, intriguing.

Cuir Ottomon is one of the best leather scents going. Superb silage - one spritz is enough to carry you through the day, delivering a powerhouse of silage.

The opening is like sticking your nose deep inside a century old cigar box which once housed the finest Cubans. Warm, dry and inviting.

The top notes featured here are usually found in middle and base notes elsewhere, which is why I believe Cuir Ottomon has such a spherical start to finish. It's structure is like a well rounded cigar that burns softly and sweetly into the night, thanks partly to the vanilla and tonka bean that marry perfectly with the benzoin.

This is a smooth and very mellow leather fragrance, with honeyed cognac undertones that will lift beautifully off the skin of both ladies and gentlemen, exuding a very sophisticated and other-worldly air. Pure class in a bottle - private membership optional!

It opens with a lovely floral jasmine and iris accord then the shoe polish note joins the mix. After a while when the shoe polish note fades you are left with the floral accord which has slightly sweetned with vanille.

I find this scent to be really weird, the florals are very nice indeed but I do not want to smell like shoe polish.

I think this fragrance rather feminine, than unisex.

Generally sceptical about niche productions - too much hype, ridiculous price levels for the man in the street, and the irritating aura of snobbery - I am ready to bow before Cuir Ottoman!

This scent is like a time machine and reminds me of Jamiroquai's song "Travelling Without Moving" as suddenly I am whisked away to the good ol' days of happy and carefree childhood, being up to mischief and playing pranks with my brother in our grandma's house, and jumping on the ancestral velour sofa (ottoman ;) ), whose smell is encapsulated in my little vial of Cuir Ottoman.
Oh, no, this is no mere excercise in nostalgia... but a rediscovery of a lovely and long-forgotten smell from my childhood.

The softest and lightest leather rendition I know of is accompanied here by the dusty, powdery iris and sweet benzoine, finally to be topped with tulu balsam, which altogether produce a delicate breath of some kind of a clear colored wood varnish...

One word describes it best: Sensational! I do not detect jasmine and incense, but am so satisfied with the result that I feel Cuir Ottoman will be an indispensable addition to my wardrobe once I'm rich ;) since I want to preserve this childhood memory so much...

Longevity: about 8 hrs on my skin
Sillage: hard to determine as I used a no-spray vial only, but I have an impression it is more of a skin scent.

Love at first sniff!

I'm not keen at all on the opening of this which is a shot of the dirty, urinous smell I remember from rien. After this has mellowed it's just beautiful and such a true to life leather. I imagine it smells like the seat of a Harley Davidson in the heat of a Californian afternoon, or the interior of an old Rolls Royce or Bentley. It gets better as time goes on. It's expensive leather, no doubt about it. The floral notes could just be the smells of nature, blowing through the window of the Bentley. Clean, sunny, expensive leather.

Cuir Ottoman was on my test list for a while..Many thanks to a dear member who send me a sample!Cuir Ottoman starts harsh and rubbery,it reminded me of a garage!It's not the kind of leather I have used to smell..This one is dirty,smoky to the point that you wanna scrub it off immediately.Combine it with a garage uniform and you'll have the ultimate fetich!Not a fragrance that represents me but I am really happy I tested it.Lasting power is good!

My first leather scent, and it suprised me, but in a good way! This leather accord is fantastic! And later, when the fragrance drying down, the basic scent is so erotic and "hug me", I adore it!

Parfums d'Empire CUIR OTTOMAN is a smooth and ever-so-slightly sweet leather with a lovely drydown. The opening seems a bit beefy, but the drydown is definitely worth the wait. I love tolu balsam, benzoin, and orris butter, so no wonder I like this composition. My cat loves this perfume.

like plastic tupperware on fire and smoking . I'm a fan of leather. This one is not good on me at all. I just smell smoky plastic and something like waxy crayons. pass.

I get a strong burst of leather with this one, but to me it's a sickening, suffocating, new car smell, almost synthetic. I tend to dislike leather scents in general but wanted to try it. I almost scrubbed but wanted to wait it out and see what happened. Seven hours later I get a sweet, balmy,powdery incense, but there is still a hint of the nauseating leather. Definitely not for me. Maybe because I'm a vegetarian :)

Very soft,very elegant leather scent

When I first smelled this, I could only inhale and say "Wow! What a very strong burst of leather!" And NOT a cheap, synthetic, rubbery smelling leather or an overly pungent leather, but a very balanced and worn leather -- shell cordovan shoe leather or inside-of-a-leather-briefcase type of scent. The effect of the incense and balsam just make the experience that much more robust.

This perhaps is one of the more elegant leather fragrances I've tried. The Orris is definitely present in the top and dries nicely into the transition. Very soft, rustic, rugged. Simply a great leather. This is definitely worth trying.

EDIT: I also noted my first experience with Ottoman that the longevity was about 6 hours. I've now had it on through an entire day and that certainly isn't the case -- it's as strong 12 hours later than when I originally spritzed.

At first leather, after that leather plus iris and at last benzoin with incense makes this scent similar to Bvlgari "Black" just a very mild version of burning rubber. Wonderful for wearing in fall. In a room it was "like" level for evaluating, but outside it became pure love. Longevity 11 hours on my skin.

Something magic is happening on my skin with this one.The first hour is all about leather, but then, out of nowhere, rises a bouquet of the most beautiful scented flowers.! The cover of my favorite Depeche Mode album,Black celebration, came to my mind. ( The one with a single flower groing in the asphalt jungle.)
It`s something very alluring with the contrast between the leather and the soft florals.

I don't like it:( same as Habanita, I think it's leather I can't stand. Not leather per se, but the way it is put together with other ingredients - especially iris... Too much for me unfortunatelly.

It's actually pretty bizarre how I don't get any sweetness out of Cuir Ottoman. To me this composition is all about an hyper-realistic leather (brand new bags/shoes), a sort of smoky/woody tea note and orris. Vanilla is not enhanced in its sweet aspect, instead is handled in a very similar way to the one in Dzing (smell of paper/books).

Despite being inspired by the Ottoman Empire this is an extremely modern composition. A soft leather that will, more realistically, appeal to fans of Dzing than other popular floral/leathers.

Personally? I love it! One of the most true to life examples of a luxurious leather jacket.

Totally unisex.

Rating: 8/10

A gorgeous, feminine and wearable leather scent. Pure pleasure and a wrist sniffer! This is the second time now that I wear it. I am loving it more and more. The opening is a full blast of animalic leather but it softens up in less than half an hour to a wonderful combo with the perfect proportions of jasmine, resins, incense and of course leather. I could see myself wearing it days as well during colder months by just dabbing a little from a decant. A very well balanced fragrance that could also be worn by men who enjoy unisex scents.

Wow! The opening of Cuir Ottoman does NOT fool around. It is leather as leather could be, and it is NOT a gentle suede glove or a prissy sofa. It's kind of a rubbery fetish thing! My goodness--I'm almost ashamed to wear it!! :-D

However, the dry down is stunning, and far from lewd, as smoky florals and sweet incense waft in and out of the composition, taming...refining...that raw, unabandoned leather. On me, it's kind of powdery at this stage, so it's hard for me to imagine a man wearing it. On the other hand, all those typical, "manly" peppers and musks make me choke, so CO would be a lovely change of pace.

The smoothest and warmest smooky leather I've ever tasted. Real masterpiece

New leather saddles, hint of dried jasmine, incense and balsam. Reminds me abit of Felanilla, Felanilla with added strooong leather. Softer than Felanilla though, and not by far as longlasting.
Don't know what orris smells like, I smell Iris, but one hour into the drydown I get a slightly soapy sidenote which (if possible for a topnote) might be this orris peaking through?
Soft and warm, powdery leathery. The first leather scent not to smell like cow dung on me. Love at first sniff!

This is what Dior Homme should have smelt like! This is heaven! Gorgeous!!! To die for!

I also concur with my wise fellow reviewers - the opening of Ottoman is where the leather lets fly. I would equate it to the smell of new leather as found in cars or on new furniture (an ottoman perhaps?? hehe). An exciting, luxurious, wealthy feeling. The aroma of delighted consumerism.

It becomes more subordinate to the powdery florals the longer it stays on your skin however it remains the ship on which the rest of the experience floats. I find this leather to be extremely well-blended and robustly feminine in nature, probably due to the sweet vanillic benzoin making nice with my skin.

I find it too sweet to be sexy but it is an incredibly luxurious sensual scent for a mature-minded woman (whatever her age). Highly recommended.

Wow, I sure wish I got what Doc Elly did. I get cedar, clove and saffron with just a tiny hint of leather. It's dry and woody and very plain, actually. My skin does nothing to bring out the floral notes or the tolu or benzoin, which is sad as I adore those notes. Overall, Cuir Ottoman is not for me, but it's worth a whirl if you like basic unisex spices.

I love leather in all its forms and settings, in real life and in perfume, so it's no surprise that I love Cuir Ottoman. It starts out with a lot of raw-edged leather, but even in the initial blast the beast is accompanied by a large retinue of sweet things. For a little while the leather and the sweet things play around in completely different corners of olfactory space, but eventually they come together and blend into a perfect harmony of leather, ripe apricot, violet, a touch of jasmine, and a good stiff dose of balsam-y things, which I also love. This stage reminds me a little of the original Rochas Femme, but sweeter and fruitier. Eventually the scent seems to be drying down into a lovely tolu balsam and benzoin base, but lo and behold, the flowers and fruit come back for an encore and last out the rest of the day and into the night. The sillage is just right for my taste (moderate) and the lasting power is excellent. If you are looking for a sweet, fruity leather fragrance, this is definitely one to try!

Right up front, I love leathers! I've smpled all sorts and the three I have found bottle worthy, Cuir d'Iris, Knize Ten and Cuir Ottoman. A beautiful soft leather, a rough tough mans leather and one in between.
Cuir Ottoman is a lovely mid range leather, the florals int the top don't smother the leather as they do in Cuir Pleine Fleur, andd the incense ir resinous rather than the cold stone sort. I'd recommend this to anyone.
On a side note Parfum d'Empire handle their incense/frankincense notes very well, try Wazamba and Aziyade.

Perfection!
Cuir Ottoman opens up with strong note of leather (I agree on Dzing), but later it becomes more oriental and little bit less leathery with similar consistency (not smell) like Bvlgari Black. Best perfume drydown for me.
Very longlasting and with great sillage.
I like this one even more than Ambre Russe.
Works better if it`s not too hot.