Cuir mauresque Serge Lutens 1996

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7.6 / 10 192 Ratings

A popular perfume by Serge Lutens for women and men, released in 1996. The scent is leathery-spicy. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.
Pronunciation

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Main accords

Leathery

Spicy

Oriental

Animal

Smoky

Fragrance Notes

Civet

Cinnamon

Mandarin orange zest

Musk

Orange blossom

Styrax

Amber

Myrrh

Cedar

Clove

Cumin

Frankincense

Nutmeg

Oud

Perfumers

Christopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Ratings

Scent

7.6192 Ratings

Longevity

8.3142 Ratings

Sillage

7.6138 Ratings

Bottle

8.1141 Ratings

Value for money

6.925 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 11.03.2024.

Reviews

9 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/22/2012

7.5
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Flaconneur
49 Reviews

Flaconneur

Top Review 9

CUIR MAURESQUE by Serge Lutens

Let's talk about the always interesting and very controversial, Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens. This fragrance is pure genius, and the name suggests that it was inspired by Moorish leather. Many people find it hard to wrap their minds around its structure, but you have to like this classification to enjoy its benefits. It was originally introduced in 1996 as a non-export, bell jar exclusive but was made available as part of the export line in 2010. It is a warm, rich leather scent and one of my top choices from Serge Lutens.

Serge Lutens seems to enjoy the element of surprise in his fragrances and Cuir Mauresque is no exception. You are first slapped with the essence of plastic, or perhaps even a petrochemical overdose. The opening proves to be terribly medicinal and even unbearable at times, but the harshness does eventually subside. What exactly is all this unpleasantness in the opening? It seems to be the combination of fragrant orange blossom, intensely sweet mandarin peel and the richness of straight-up leather. These notes create a dried fruit like sweetness, comparable to the sweetness and sharpness that you sense when smelling a holiday fruit cake after the ingredients blend. The leather note in Cuir Mauresque is there right from the start. As it takes the main stage, it is met with a familiar spicy culinary combination of nutmeg, clove and cumin, which season this fragrance. Burnt styrax, myrrh and incense make perfect companions for the luxe leathery richness this scent conjures up. The resinous quality, blended with smoky myrrh and incense, adds an interesting complexity to the fragrance's background. Cuir Mauresque turns into a compelling soft amber and cinnamon scent with a hefty leather structure once in the dry-down stage. The use of woods is an interesting one in Cuir Mauresque. Aloe wood and cedar seem to be playing more of a structural role, giving the leather history. The woods give a feeling of a store filled with antique books and artifacts, that scent that buries itself in the recesses of your memory. The light floral, spicy elements and husky leather with harmonious woods give Cuir Mauresque a character unmatched in the fragrance world.

Cuir Mauresque doesn't seem to elicit opinions in the middle ground; people either love or hate this fragrance. Leather fragrances, in general, do not take center stage in mainstream perfumery for this very reason. Cuir Mauresque embodies all that a leather fragrance should be: warm, spicy, slightly floral, deep, resinous and comforting. There is some stiff competition in this classification and many different themes, but Cuir Mauresque is probably the most successful at fostering a beautiful, luxurious, warm and comforting ambience.

01/20/2012

7.5
Longevity 6
Scent

Sherapop
1239 Reviews

Sherapop

Helpful Review 4

Hold On To Your Saddle, Cowboy!!!!

It's almost redundant to say that a Serge Lutens perfume is intense, so let me say that CUIR MAURESQUE is *really* intense. Hold on to your saddle, cowboy, 'cause it's been very well oiled! The combination of sharpness, black oil, and leather makes CUIR MAURESQUE another big event perfume, by which I mean: you'd better not plan on getting a lot done when you don this action-packed potion. This is the sort of perfume which you wear not as a decoration but as your entire evening's entertainment.

Do I like it? I find myself, once again, in confronting a challenging creation by le Grand Serge, thinking that this is not an event which needs to be repeated very often, because the experience itself is so unforgettable. Like I said: *really* intense. A dark, oily, sharp black leather perfume about five times stronger than the competition. No one could possibly consume 100ml of this in a lifetime. Could they?

11/29/2014

7.5
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

The only fragrance Serge Lutens wears himself.. and Morocco in a bottle!

Cuir Mauresque or "Moorish Leather" is a very typically brilliant perfume creation from the house of Serge Lutens, under the direction of the brilliant Christopher Sheldrake.

The reason this composition is so brilliant, is because there is no leather in the notes! Leather "extract" itself does not exist in perfume making... much like the note of "amber", it is up to the perfumer to create the "illusion" of leather in a fragrance, and that is what Mr. Sheldrake has done brilliantly here.

The fragrance opens up with a beautiful, heady combination of orange blossom and cumin, with indolic jasmine and a hint of tuberose (similar to another Lutens creation: Fleurs d'Oranger). Then the nutmeg, cloves and "burnt" styrax come in, with a good dose of civet and resins, all of which creates the impression of a "leather" note... and what a note it is! The leather here instantly takes me to Morocco, where leather hides are tanned using citrus oils and sweet musks... it's really quite something!

Cuir Mauresque is a beautiful fragrance, if you want to "get" or "understand" what Serge Lutens is all about, this should be the first place to start. It will not be for everyone, but if you really appreciate the art of perfumery, you will see this one as one of his best, recalling the great leather "classics" such as Caron - Tabac Blond or Fracas. It's also very sensual and sexy in my opinion... and would smell totally seductive on any classy gentleman or lady. In fact, this is the only fragrance that Serge Lutens wears himself! Wonderful! For me, this is Morocco in a bottle...

02/09/2022

Grizzlyscent
11 Reviews

Grizzlyscent

Helpful Review 4

Cuir Mauresque - Classic Sex Appeal

Fragrances from Serge Lutens are, more often than not, quite divisive. Leather fragrances, too, are also polarizing. So the combination of the two had me prepared for the worst whilst hoping for the best. A disclaimer before I continue; I'm not a fan of leather fragrances. By and large, I've found them to be too animalic, rough-hewn or pungent to be wearable, let alone enjoyable. Cuir Mauresque, however, is an entrancing concoction that I find myself enjoying far more than I thought I would.

Cuir Mauresque is an intriguing blend, and frankly I feel doesn't get the love it deserves. This could be an oddity of skin chemistry, or perhaps just a fear of leather and Lutens in general. Regardless, it's rather unjust that Cuir Mauresque is sidelined.

It opens with a rich burst of orange blossom, clove, nutmeg, mandarin and a warm, toasted cumin, seated on a dark bed of resins. There's also the ghost of something floral and smoky dancing along the edges of the notes. A few moments later, a sweetness enters the mix. Not in a gourmand fashion at all, but instead, a subtle sweetness coming from the orange, tempered by the dry spices. A few minutes later, the floral note becomes more prominent, a dark jasmine, heady but without indoles.

As time passes, the scent of leather becomes far more prominent. And the leather here is absolutely gorgeous. It is supple and incredibly upscale, with a distinct booze to it. Think of an Eames Lounge Chair doused in aged single malt. It screams wealth and luxury, but also sophistication. The jasmine becomes stronger here as well, bringing the rich floral heart to the forefront of the fragrance. Think of jasmines and dried oranges, threaded with strands of rich leather. Absolutely gorgeous.

As time passes, the fragrance evolves in multiple stages, the leather becoming more potent, with the civet lending it a musky, animalic flavor, without being too raw, supported by a cinnamon-spiced honey alongside the jasmines, as the orange and clove from the beginning leaves the stage. In the far drydown, the leather is all but gone, leaving in it's place a spiced honey, unsweetened vanilla and dried fruits. It is coziest in this stage, but no less seductive than it has been throughout it's development.

Cuir Mauresque is a truly mouthwatering creation. It's an incredibly approachable leather, which rides the line between ultra-refined luxury and rough-hewn animalism. It is also perfectly androgynous, and would work very well on either sex. It is also quite easy to carry, and projects an air of glamour and mystery.

While it may not be for everyone, I do believe everyone should sample Cuir Mauresque at least once. And while I wouldn't wear this overly often, it does have its place amongst the "sex in a bottle" fragrances in my collection.

05/03/2014

7.5
Bottle 5
Sillage 5
Longevity 3
Scent

WRoth
154 Reviews

WRoth

Helpful Review 2

Cuir Mauresque

This fragrance opens with notes of orange blossom enhanced by mandarin peel, spices and smoke. The result is a rich oriental melange in which the leather accord is not immediately seen. Only after the preceding dominant orange blossom note has calmed down, does the leather note appear. It is unlike the leather accords seen in Daim Blond and Boxeuses, it is thicker and sturdier. I'd use this kind of leather to make a Hermes saddle or a Balenciaga biker jacket. Once the leather accord has taken its rightful throne the remainder of the herald notes gather around it to create a very sensual and soothing scent. As the fragrance progresses warmer notes such amber, myrrh and musk add a powdery clean finish to the leather accord intensifying its comforting qualities. My only quibble with this fragrance is the overuse of orange blossom and amber, to me they smother the leather accord which I would have fleshed out more.

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