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01/11/2024
Mairuwa
11 Reviews
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Mairuwa
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4
The Atlas cedar from the Rif Mountains
It seems that the "Cuir Nomades" series from Memo disappoints quite a few leather fans because the leather is not always as clearly the focus here as the name might initially suggest. I agree with this point of view, but I don't see it as a drawback. A leather fragrance that smells too straightforwardly of leather can sometimes overwhelm me and I feel slightly overwhelmed. In the Cuir Nomades fragrances that I have been able to test so far, the leather is almost always at least subtly noticeable, or even more clearly recognizable, but without ever appearing too overpowering and strong. I really appreciate this and therefore find the range very interesting. It seems as if there is a basic leather accord in all the fragrances, which is interpreted differently in combination with other notes and thus picks up on different themes.
The fact that these themes are defined geographically is of course always arbitrary to a certain extent and is probably primarily a marketing approach. This may sometimes lead to controversy about the coherence of the fragrance associations. For example, a number of people have criticized the "Moroccan Leather" fragrance for evoking Tuscany rather than Morocco, which is strongly influenced by the cypress note. Although my first association is not necessarily with Morocco, I find this more interesting than disturbing. Using fragrance stereotypes that are generally associated with certain countries or regions too boldly would not necessarily be my idea of fragrances that attempt to translate geographical inspirations. What else is there to discover?
And on closer inspection, there is a lot to discover here. First of all, there is an endemic cypress species in Morocco, namely the Atlas cypress, so this note is not at all inappropriate. If we are to follow the manufacturer's explanations, the inspiration for the fragrance lies less in the desert than in the old town streets of Chefchaouen in the Rif mountains, which are painted a cool indigo blue. And that seems to me to be a logical interpretation for a rather cool, spicy and less desert-like fragrance.
But back to the fragrance!
I agree with some of the more critical contributors when it comes to a certain similarity between "Moroccan Leather" and its older brother "Irish Leather". However, the question of what this is due to seems interesting to me. Although there is a certain overlap between the fragrance notes, this is unlikely to be the decisive factor here. They both have tonka and iris, but these are not necessarily the defining notes. Rather, it seems to me that the cypress in "Moroccan Leather" creates a similar fresh-green, spicy effect as the juniper does in "Irish Leather". And these are the notes that play a major role for a not inconsiderable part of the fragrance.
Despite all the superficial similarities, the two fragrances are nevertheless very different. For example, a beautiful mandarin is clearly perceptible in the opening of "Moroccan Leather", while this slightly fruity citrus freshness is missing in "Irish Leather". There, the spicy-green juniper immediately takes center stage. The gentle powderiness of the iris, although also present in "Irish Leather", is much more prominent here and - also with the support of ylang-ylang and orange blossom - makes the fragrance as a whole somewhat sweeter and less edgy.
Over time, the warm, soft base of musk and tonka becomes more prominent, although its slight sweetness is kept in balance by the vetiver. The leather note resonates the whole time, but is never dominant or intrusive.
Overall, I think it is a very beautiful fragrance - gently leathery but not in a monothematic way. The fact that it has some tough competitors within its range does not make it objectively worse as a fragrance, but rather speaks to the consistently high quality of the brand. In terms of durability and radiance, it is in no way inferior to other "Cuirs Nomades" fragrances. It is also definitely unisex. As always with Memo, the bottle with its Moorish pattern elements and eagle silhouette is very stylish. Whether the fragrance and bottle go together and also match the name is ultimately up to each individual to decide and should ultimately be of secondary importance.
The fact that these themes are defined geographically is of course always arbitrary to a certain extent and is probably primarily a marketing approach. This may sometimes lead to controversy about the coherence of the fragrance associations. For example, a number of people have criticized the "Moroccan Leather" fragrance for evoking Tuscany rather than Morocco, which is strongly influenced by the cypress note. Although my first association is not necessarily with Morocco, I find this more interesting than disturbing. Using fragrance stereotypes that are generally associated with certain countries or regions too boldly would not necessarily be my idea of fragrances that attempt to translate geographical inspirations. What else is there to discover?
And on closer inspection, there is a lot to discover here. First of all, there is an endemic cypress species in Morocco, namely the Atlas cypress, so this note is not at all inappropriate. If we are to follow the manufacturer's explanations, the inspiration for the fragrance lies less in the desert than in the old town streets of Chefchaouen in the Rif mountains, which are painted a cool indigo blue. And that seems to me to be a logical interpretation for a rather cool, spicy and less desert-like fragrance.
But back to the fragrance!
I agree with some of the more critical contributors when it comes to a certain similarity between "Moroccan Leather" and its older brother "Irish Leather". However, the question of what this is due to seems interesting to me. Although there is a certain overlap between the fragrance notes, this is unlikely to be the decisive factor here. They both have tonka and iris, but these are not necessarily the defining notes. Rather, it seems to me that the cypress in "Moroccan Leather" creates a similar fresh-green, spicy effect as the juniper does in "Irish Leather". And these are the notes that play a major role for a not inconsiderable part of the fragrance.
Despite all the superficial similarities, the two fragrances are nevertheless very different. For example, a beautiful mandarin is clearly perceptible in the opening of "Moroccan Leather", while this slightly fruity citrus freshness is missing in "Irish Leather". There, the spicy-green juniper immediately takes center stage. The gentle powderiness of the iris, although also present in "Irish Leather", is much more prominent here and - also with the support of ylang-ylang and orange blossom - makes the fragrance as a whole somewhat sweeter and less edgy.
Over time, the warm, soft base of musk and tonka becomes more prominent, although its slight sweetness is kept in balance by the vetiver. The leather note resonates the whole time, but is never dominant or intrusive.
Overall, I think it is a very beautiful fragrance - gently leathery but not in a monothematic way. The fact that it has some tough competitors within its range does not make it objectively worse as a fragrance, but rather speaks to the consistently high quality of the brand. In terms of durability and radiance, it is in no way inferior to other "Cuirs Nomades" fragrances. It is also definitely unisex. As always with Memo, the bottle with its Moorish pattern elements and eagle silhouette is very stylish. Whether the fragrance and bottle go together and also match the name is ultimately up to each individual to decide and should ultimately be of secondary importance.
2 Comments
NA12
Nushka
Hermesh
