Ann Gérard Cuir de Nacre is one of my favorite types of fragrances — a leather chypre — by one of the perfumers whose work intrigues me most, Bertrand Duchaufour. When I opened my decant, I wanted to be swept away by Cuir de Nacre’s beauty. But then again, it wouldn’t be so terrible if it smelled enough like other leather perfumes to spare my wallet.

I’ve worn Cuir de Nacre for a week and half now. Does it deserve a spot on my “must have” list? Here are my criteria and how Cuir de Nacre matches up:

It must smell divine. Cuir de Nacre’s notes include angelica root, ambrette, aldehydic ozonic notes, cassie, iris concrete, leather accord, sandalwood, white musk and styrax. Cuir de Nacre’s soft leather and iris ride in on a cloud of aldehydes with a tickle of peppery angelica root. As the fragrance settles, the cassie (also known as mimosa) adds its strange and slightly fetid buzz to the mix. And is Cuir de Nacre ever mossy. Moss lovers will definitely want to sniff how moss cushions the fragrance, puffing and peeking out like a crinoline a touch longer than its suede skirt…

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