Perfume Review: Guerlain L’Art et la Matière Cuir Beluga (2005) Olivier Polge + Solace in Central Park Draw

 

central_park_winter_new_york_city

 Central Park Winter NYC

Imagine this; you're in the heart of New York City on a cool, but not frigid winter day.  Yes, I know it is the height of summer, but bear with me.  It is as usual all hustle and bustle; the noise of the traffic and of the people on the sidewalks is like the buzz of an engine that never seems to stop.  You need a break from the madness so you decide to take a walk in Central Park.  You start to relax and you soon realize that you're all alone.  No traffic, no people, just the glow of the muted winter sun beating down on you with an embracing glow.  You're wrapped up in the most beautiful golden sable fur….it's  as if  the world has stopped and converged for that moment in time…and in that moment you are blessed with the comfort of knowing that all will be right with the world. That for me is Guerlain's L 'Art et la Matière Cuir Beluga; a fragrance that transports me to a place of peace and solace.

 

angelica huston fur 60s vintage photo

Angelica Huston, 1960s

Created in 2005 by perfumer Olivier Polge, Cuir Beluga is all comfort straight from the very first spritz.  Its opening is warm and lightly boozy with a powdery almond tinge followed by an almost edible patchouli and a hint of the animalic.  There's a slightly gourmand sweetness that is so cozy that it's easy to get swept away by its beauty.  Cuir Beluga glides into its development ever so slowly as if you were pulling off a pair of fine leather gloves lined with the softest suede, one finger at a time… sensuous and refined . With a name like Cuir Beluga, which references Beluga caviar, you might expect caviar notes and a heavy dose of leather. Instead,  it is a rich, sueded scent, with no hard edges;  a fragrance worthy of the Guerlain name and heritage. Some say it is reminiscent of Shalimar and L’Heure Bleu. Perhaps, but I believe that Cuir Beluga stands on its own.

Guerlain_Cuir_Beluga

 L 'Art et la Matière Cuir Beluga

When many of us think of the House of  Guerlain, most perfumistas immediately identify with  the great vintage fragrances of historical classic perfumery such as Jicky (1889), Mitsouko (1919), L'Heure Bleu (1912) Shalimar (1925), Vol de Nuit (1933) to name a few.  Since these creations loom large over our conciousness, some of the contemporary Guerlain creations do not garner the same recognition or are deemed as dumbed down, more mainstream, especially since Jean-Paul Guerlain stepped down. Cuir Beluga is one of the eight current perfumes in the exclusive L 'Art et la Matière collection.  Don't save this  gem for winter,  Cuir Beluga can be worn year round. Spritz it on any time that you want to take a few minutes for yourself. Cuir Beluga is not a sillage monster, rather it is a quiet fragrance that sits close to the skin and carries just far enough for someone you love to nuzzle your neck.

Notes: Leather, Mandarin, Everlasting Flower, Amber, Heliotrope, Vanilla

Steven Lindquist,  Sr. Contributor and Editor of The Scented Hound (with Contributions from Michelyn Camen)

mme sylvaine delacourte, creative director of guerlain photo 2008

Mme Sylvaine Delacourte, 2008

Editor’s Note: L 'Art et la Matière was conceived by  Sylvaine Delacourte, whom Perfumer Maurice Roucel told me was one of the best Creative Directors he has ever worked with.  When I spoke with Mme Delacourte in 2008,  she explained,  L 'Art et la Matière collection celebrates Guerlain’s passion for the world’s most precious raw materials; what sets this collection apart is using luxurious ingredients to capture the essence of Guerlain in a completely modern way ”.  The inaugral three were released in 2005  and are: Cuir Beluga by Olivier Polge, Rose Barbare by Francis Kurkdjian, which was described as “a heady, incisive Ottoman rose (aldehydes) over a modern structure of honey-chypree notes” and Angélique Noire by Daniela Andrièr which features bergamot, angelica and vanilla.  Others followed, including the one that got away: Bois de Armenie by Annick Ménard (2006) which was the first time I fell head over heels in love with an incense scent; so unusal for Guerlain at that time.   In 2008, L 'Art et la Matière collection could only be found in the USA at the Guerlain Boutique at Bergdorf Goodman; Cuir Beluga is still in my permanant collection and I bought it in 2008 before any reformulation due to IFRA regulations. Steve's review is based on a sample I sent him –Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

We have a 10 ml decant of Cuir Beluga  (2008) for one US reader. To be eligible, please leave a comment about your favorite Guerlain L 'Art et la Matière or why you would like to try Cuir Beluga after reading Steve's review. Draw closes 7/29/2014

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

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33 comments

  • You mean there’s been reformulation?? Quelle dommage!! This one happens to be my most favorite L’Art et la Matiere. I do have a bit, but it is newer, I think?! I’d love to try this formulation. 🙂

  • Jessica Marie says:

    I love leather and amber but have yet to experience them in the same fragrance so I’d love to be able to try this!

  • Valentine girl says:

    I would love to try Cuir Beluga so someone I love will lean in closer & nuzzle my neck! USA resident.

  • My favorite from L’Art et la Matiere is Tonka Imperiale! Now I really am feeling a need to try the Cuir Beluga and the Bois de Armenie 😉 Love the idea of someone having to get close to enjoy the scent as well 😉 Great review and yes it sparked a need to try it from this girl.. I am in the US.

  • I have read reviews about Cuir Beluga and have always wanted to try it as the concensus is always positive. I love the imageryof finding quiet in Central Park and being wrapped in golden sable
    I have a decant of cruel gardenia and was dissapointed as there is nothing cruel about it, rather bland on me
    Please enter me
    USA reader

  • silvrolive says:

    I would love to try Cuir Beluga because it is a quiet luxurious sueded scent that stays close to the skin.

  • I’ve never smelled Cuir Beluga–and the idea of a snuggly Guerlain suede sounds wonderful! Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US.

  • Powdery almond sounds interesting in a Guerlain 🙂 Also, I love Shalimar and Jicky, and I would love to meet another memer of the family. I am in the US, thank yoU!

  • Barbara B says:

    I would like to try Cuir Beluga because I love an almond note!I am in the US, thank you for the draw.

  • I love Cuir Beluga and it is a tie with Bois de Armenie for my favorite L ‘Art et la Matière. I only have a couple of ml left and now I’m afraid of reformulation! I’m in the US.

  • A reformulation of Cuir Beluga is just a sin.

    It’s a tie for my favorite of the L’Art et la Matiere between Cuir Beluga and Rose Barbare.

    Thank you for the draw! I live in the U.S.

  • The House of Guerlain is it for me! I own all of the above mentioned classics as well as Angelique Noire, and I love them all. I have not experienced Cuir Beluga, and would love to win this draw! Thanks!
    I live in the US.

  • My favorite of the L’Art et Matiere line is Cuir Beluga, and I would love to have a small decant of it! It’s so gentle and cushy. I’m in the US.

  • Cuir Beluga already IS my favorite L’Art et Matiere, 10ml would be welcome. 🙂 US

  • hajusuuri says:

    Nice review! I have a decant of the newer version and would love to smell the original. Thanks for the draw.

  • ringthing says:

    I confess that I haven’t tried any L’Art et Matiere scents, but powdery almond and suede make Cuir Beluga sound irresistible. Thanks for the review and draw!

  • Spiritueuse Double Vanilla is my favorite L’Art et la Matiere but the heliotrope and almond in Cuir Beluga sound delicious. I live in Florida. Thanks for another wonderful draw!

  • I am a big fan of Tonka Imperiele, it is rich and long lasting. I would love to try Cuir Beluga

  • What a very special draw. Thank you Steve and Michelyn. The re-formulation is a sad loss. This was a timely review for me as I was just beginning to dread the close of summer and the coming of the cold. I know, a bit early for a freak out, but your review reminded me of what I love about winter. That first photo of Central Park in all its snowy glory beckons. I would love to spritz some Cuir Beluga and walk through the park to experience the feeling just as you described.

  • My favorite L’Art et la Matiere is SDV. I’d love to try Cuir Beluga because I love how Guerlain does leathers, and I love the idea of everlasting flower in the composition.

    I am in the US.

  • Without a doubt my favorite Guerlain is Cuir Beluga! Comforting and elegant! As I live in So. California I never spritz according to any season. We don’t have them! However, I think Cuir would be appropriate for anyone in any season as it doesn’t over power! Thanks for the draw!!!!

  • I like many of the L’Art et la Matiere but am partial to the SDV. I like Cuir Beluga a lot too though. US

  • My favorite Guerlain L’Art et la Matiere is Spiritueuse Double Vanille. I live in the US.

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    it is not surprising Maurice Roucel had high praise for Sylvaine because many industry insiders have high opinions about her…I have not tried many Guerlain’s matiere line fragrances but of the ones i have tried, tonka imperiale has impressed me the most. thanks for the generous draw..reformulation info has come as a surprise for me, too. i am in the US

  • My favorite from the Guerlain L ‘Art et la Matière is Rose Barbare. I’d love to win Cuir Beluga, especially if it is a pre-reformulated version. Thank you so much! I live in the US.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    Having never tried a Guerlain L ‘Art et la Matière fragrance, I don’t have a favorite. In reading Steve’s review, I would like to try Cuir Beluga as it reminds me of something I might have worn in the 80s – all amber and vanilla with a subtle hint of florals and some white suede.

  • I would love Cuir Beluga, I just know it from reading Steven’s first paragraph. That sensual feeling of warmth and comfort that an amazing fragrance can wrap around you in the wintertime is a moment like no other. I live for moments like this! Thanks so much for the beautiful words. And now, I must plan a trip to New York this winter. I’m in the U.S.

  • Lovely review! Thank you for the draw.
    I would enjoy trying Cuir Beluga because I’d love to take that walk. Central Park in all seasons holds many special memories for me of my childhood and grandparents. I remember the last winter afternoon walk I took, slowly, with my grandfather to the pond with the castle.

    Cuir Beluga has appealed to me the most at a drive-by sniffing of the line because of its texture–it’s soft but cool, not so poofy that it becomes too enveloping. The tonka one also seems incredible.

    USA

  • I’m too late for the drawing, I think, but has Bois d’Armenie been discontinued? I’ve been wanting to try it–well, all of these, really, but B d’A especially. Now I’ll have to decide whether I want to try to get a decant, or just let it be “the one that got away.”

  • I love this review. I tried a small bit of Cuir Beluga a year ago and I thought it was lovely. I have Bois D’Armenie and it, too stays close to the skin, soft and warm. I would certainly Love to spray on Cuir Beluga with abandon. Sign me up! and Thanks!

  • Thanks for all of the wonderful comments about your favorite L ‘Art et la Matière perfumes. Besides Cuir Beluga my other favorite is S Double Vanille! Good luck to everyone on the draw! xoxoxxoxo Steve