Our take
What does Cuir Intense smell like?
Guerlain added Cuir Intense to Les Absolus d’Orient in 2019, the sixth scent in that Middle East inspired line. Thierry Wasser has said he started from the leather in Cuir Beluga and pushed it denser and darker. The opening is brighter than that suggests. Osmanthus smells of dried apricot and tea, and ylang-ylang adds a sunny floral cream. Then the leather arrives without any roughness. Think of a new glove rather than a saddle, with musk softening the edges. The base dries out. Virginia cedar brings a pencil shavings note, sandalwood rounds it off and a tobacco accord leaves a blond trail on skin. Cuir Beluga is powdery and almost milky by comparison, while Cuir Intense plays on contrast. It still sits far from smoky leathers like Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather. Nothing burns here.
When to wear it
A leather for autumn and winter that suits a white shirt as well as a wool sweater. Three sprays are plenty, since the base clings to fabric for hours.
It belongs to the Leather family. Cuir Intense is one of 89 creations by Guerlain in our encyclopedia.
