Guerlain • Cuir Beluga • Fragrances

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monstercat on 3/5/2013 4:40:00 PM more reviews by monstercat

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

How many ways can I say I love you? What a fabulous scent. It starts out with vanilla and sharp citrus which dry down into a soft powdery smell combined with a very soft suede scent-very expensive suede. It does not have a very strong leathery odor. The sillage and longevity are not as good as I would like but it is one of those perfumes that I keep opening just to smell. Unfortunately it is pricey and does not come in a smaller size as far as I can tell and is rarely discounted.

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Stonie on 6/7/2012 12:00:00 PM more reviews by Stonie

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Oh my word - this is a stunning scent!
It was literally love at first sniff for me and I haven't looked back since.
Complete strangers compliment me on this and the kids at the school, where I teach, love it too.
Soft, suede/vanilla/heliotrope heaven with that touch of immortelle that rises it into another league. A true masterpiece by the house of Guerlain.

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airubgirl on 11/26/2011 10:06:00 AM more reviews by airubgirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

I bought a sample of this from The Posh Peasant and hoped like heck I would like it. I so want to have a "leather" scent in my wardrobe. The biggest problems as I could see it were threefold. First, I have never found a leather that wasn't to harsh or plasticy smelling, next I thought I didn't like vanilla. It's usually to sweet and in my opinion way over used in frags now. Lastly, I haven't found a Guerlain that worked with my chemistry. So it was with much trepidation that I opened the vial and sniffed it.

On me it opens with quite a bit of the sweet vanilla I'm not so in love with and a bit of tangy citrus which I do quite like, but that fades on me quite quickly and allows the suede and florals to come forward. I'm one of the lucky ones with this frag it seems, because it does develope and I can smell the heliotrope and immortelle flowers. The suede accord, on me anyway, is there from opening to end. It stays quietly in the backround never overwhelming or synthetic, but adding depth and interest to the perfume. The amber nicely rounds out the sweet vanilla so it turns into a soft and sexy fragrance that is spicy and feminine. Very alluring and great for cold weather or those little black dress evenings. It makes me think of cashmere, suede and silk, sensual and sexy, a fragrance you can actually feel as well as smell...

Sillage is great in my opinion. I can and have worn this to the office and not one of my patients or co-workers have complained about it. I only dab on pulse points though, I don't spray it on. This is a scent that I can enjoy without feeling like I'm fumigating the room with my perfume. Lasting power is quite good a solid 6-8 hours on my skin, but it does linger on clothes for days if it gets on them.
Cuir Beluga is a different suede perfume, one who dares to be soft not brash.
EDIT 8/2012: I have found that this can turn kind of Play-Doh scent like on me. I'm not sure I love, love, love it. But when it works with my chemistry it is a beautiful addition to have.

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*TOP REVIEWER* WentworthRoth on 7/24/2011 3:04:00 AM more reviews by WentworthRoth

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Notes: mandarin, immortelle flower, leather, amber, heliotrope and vanilla.


This fragrance opens with aromas of vanilla, patchouli and leather. The notes blend into an unusual accord: a sweet, slightly salty, chocolate leather accord. I do not know if it is just my imagination but the saltiness reminds me of brine. The vanilla and patchouli notes balance this interesting facet which otherwise could have been rather off-putting. The fragrance is smooth and sophisticated and makes me think of an exotic milk chocolate bar made with goat’s or lama’s milk. If I had to name a scent sibling for this Guerlain offering I’d chose Odori’s Iris. Lasts for six hours on my skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BigEars on 3/20/2011 7:35:00 PM more reviews by BigEars

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Never have I fallen in love so quickly and completely with the scent. OK not much leather at all but who cares. Lovely soft insistent amber overlaid with a dark sexy vanilla. This scent makes me feel warm comforted and rich. Pity it is so hard to get hold of

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chrystelica on 9/6/2010 12:50:00 PM more reviews by chrystelica

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Apart from the somewhat idiotically Francofied name, that totally doesn't fit the scent at all, and which when pronounced, I feel as if I'm referring to a gay whale, I don't really like the scent either. There is no "cuir" in here at all.... it sort of seems like an annoying joke on the part of the noses. Like haha, cuir. Yeah. Beluga. hahahah lmao. That will rake in the bourgeoise dollar. Well, I'm not laughing.
This smell-- kind of gets on my nerves. As if I'm wearing some SUPER sweet, suffocating, baking concoction... it's like, come on, man.... what is this, a cheesecake???

I smell sour cream, cream cheese, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, some heavy cream, some eggs, tons of sugar.... it's grating like I'm just biting into a bunch of sugar cubes with my teeth. I know 'Guerlain,' oh radiant, resplendent, is supposed to be all that, but the house never fails to disappoint me these days. It just seems like so much edging, like a baroque piece of jewelry, so much gold layered upon itself, which detracts from the actual substance. What substance, again, may I ask? You mean all this gold stuff here and there? Ah, oui, tojours magnifique...

Yes, I see your designer name. To me, your Queer Whale smells like a liquid wedding cheesecake. I would prefer to be actually baking some and get the raw ingredients all over me than wear this.

In fact, I'm going to scrub this off now, I'm feeling nauseous. Ugh, well, it's certainly a Whale of a scent. A sugary, buttery, heavily creamed whale. LOL yuck.
Like a giant gay whale jumped into a ginormous tub of cheesecake batter and creamed himself. Does that make you want it? hahahah OK I'm done.

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whitecountess on 8/4/2010 8:43:00 PM more reviews by whitecountess

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

GORGEOUS!
Guerlain is one of the masters, but I wasn't sure if the new fragrances would be up to par with the older classics. I needn't have worried.
This scent was another stand-out for me in London, not just because the young man selling it was stunningly beautiful and wearing it himself. They were literally selling themselves out of this fragrance as I stood there.
Cuir Beluga is hard to come by, but it's worth it.
Unlike other fragrances that I've given 5 lipsticks to, because of their originality, I'm giving Cuir Beluga 5 for its wearability.
It smells incredible when you spray it on, and turns into something exquisite and sensual on the drydown.
I love Cuir de Russie from Chanel, but I find it hard to wear it day after day, hour after hour.
This is a scent that you will love to smell on yourself, as others are enjoying it on you.
People may fall in love with you with this on, be careful!

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shaktigal on 7/9/2010 6:45:00 AM more reviews by shaktigal

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Vanilla sugar that is used for bakery, combined with amber. Although I do love the vanilla in this perfume, amber sadly is usually not good on me. It always turns into this fish-oil smell and fish-oil smell is definitely not a favourite note for me. I have therefore to decline on this one.

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*TOP REVIEWER* msm4slm on 3/18/2010 7:34:00 PM more reviews by msm4slm

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

The only leather fragrance I have ever fallen in love with (and yes, I've tried Chanel's Cuir de Russie). Rich, very subtle leather note and lots of amber with the classic Guerlain vanillic finish. Good unisex. Rich effect. Draws compliments.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Mac789 on 1/15/2010 11:57:00 AM more reviews by Mac789

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

It's impossible to tell to what degree this vanilla-sweet, ambery Oriental was controlled by the perception of popular taste. Cuir Beluga smells like Guerlain (a compliment) and has the Guerlain base controls, yet the near-invisibility of the leather and barely adorned vanilla seem indicative of strong interest in trend.



Working backwards, Cuir Beluga has sweet vanillic amber strongly blanketed in Shalimar's enfant-vanille powder. With no tannins in sight, the leather barely is either. This omission makes the name--alluding to a highest grade of leather, as in caviar--a misnomer, unless by "beluga" we are to understand that the finest grade of perfumery leather is the one that has the least character.



In case it seems otherwise, I do like the way leather/suede is treated here, although "treated" seems to be the wrong word since it is not possible to imagine this leather as having been subjected to much of a tanning process. Of far greater note is the quantity of vanilla; this is without a doubt a vanilla fragrance and one far superior to today's version of Shalimar. Still, Cuir Beluga doesn't up the ante on vanilla fragrances, either in-house or universally. The only distinction to be made here is within the vernacular of vanilla: as expected, Guerlain used baby-powder with hints of doughiness. Guerlain does this vanilla well, since it can often take on an unappealing flatness that causes a scent to become static.



Upon application, one is reminded of the great classic Vol de Nuit. Touches of VdN's taut earthiness appear immediately, along with faint dabs of citrus. The whole of it is precisely and thematically controlled so that the quirky immortelle note, which can smell of hay, ham, sugar, maple, or tea tannin, brushes briefly through and is gone. It is in this central stage that any leather is noticeable, but it would be difficult to name it as such without pressing the nose flush against the skin.



That such an impolite-looking action is required to sense Cuir Beluga's leather should tell you that CB is exceedingly soft. It's a skin scent without much throw, much on a par with Vol de Nuit eau de toilette. It's too much hard work to get at it; it's worth it when you do, even if the experience is--especially at this price--diminished.



Still, CB is quite elegant in the way Rue Cambon is elegant: quietly. It's lack of true leather (just as Rue Cambon lacks true chypre) won't please a true formalist, who'd insist that the name demanded a far greater commission of leather. What's in a name? Nothing, in this case. CB is beautiful enough that it should not be faulted for hesitation or ambivalence.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Dagney on 10/17/2009 12:55:00 AM more reviews by Dagney

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Notes: Top : aldehydes, tangerine Heart : patchouli, everlasting flower Base : vanilla, amber, suede, heliotrope. I don't get a whole lot of leather out of this fragrance at all. I find Cuir Beluga to be a soft, sweet, vanillic gourmand scent. Lovely but a tad sweet for my tastes. If you like soft gourmand fragrances, give Cuir Beluga a try.

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*TOP REVIEWER* CecileCecile on 9/23/2009 8:31:00 AM more reviews by CecileCecile

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Mainly from Cuir Beluga I got a very powdery vanilla blended with herbaceous blossoms over a very gentle sueded leather. It wasn't very sweet to my nose but it was as creamy and smooth as others have described. It smelled much like I had imagined it would. My only complaint (well, besides the harsh alcohol blast at the start) is that the fragrance wears much, much too closely. I suppose there could be notes that I can't detect, or perhaps my chemistry neutralizes some of them, but I can just barely detect this fragrance - even when freshly applied. I was glad to be able to try it, but unfortunately for me this one is a No sale.

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*TOP REVIEWER* condesadepitimini on 1/9/2009 9:59:00 AM more reviews by condesadepitimini

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Nothing to do with leather! (at least I cannot smell any leather in here)
This scent is a lovely, gorgeous vanilla, not foody, not "Bitter" like the Guerlain's old school.
A powdery vanilla with a twist. The twist being a -light!! spicy base.. and a fabulous, stunning, amber drydown. In the middle, some flowers remind me of a mountain flowery field - I can smell some lavender too.
Very modern, yet very soft and extremely well blended.
Easy to wear, up to date but distinguished from the mainstream.
This is to me, a little masterpiece!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Cora on 12/15/2008 6:57:00 PM more reviews by Cora

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I really wanted to like this, but it was not to be. If you are looking for leather, it is not to be found here, save perhaps in the most referential way. The Lutens leather scent seems like leather overload compared to this. But enough about leather. The scent opens on a flash of creamy citrus (not unlike that of Kenzo's 7:15 am in Bali) that disappears almost immediately. The creamy quality persists, however, becoming very sweet and creating an image of vanilla-y white chocolate. Unfortunately for me, this white chocolate oscillates between something like cheesecake and something like a chemical I once cooked up in an organic chemistry lab, conjuring a dreary final impression of those cheap pink dyed white chocolate Easter bunnies that are not quite right when you eat them and leave a most definitely wrong, sickening aftertaste. And yet, I feel that if someone gave me this as a gift, and I had some reason to love it, I would grow to enjoy it. The notes include mandarin, aldehydes, immortelle, leather, heliotrope, amber, and vanilla. I wish I could find the heliotrope, but it's as absent to my nose as the leather.

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Nikkel on 5/5/2008 2:10:00 AM more reviews by Nikkel

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This was only dry semi-sweet vanilla and nothing more on me:( It murmur near the skin for a while... then it's gone
A little reminde me of Mauboussin, but M. is more complex and bright

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*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 4/2/2008 4:18:00 PM more reviews by tessture

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Creamy Vanilla with mandarin and gentle floral tones. Edible but no leather until dry town. Turns out a lot like a vanilla Fumerie Turque with less tobacco. On the second try, it’s only sweet vanilla, with nothing of the soft leather. I can pay a whole lot less for sweet vanilla. I'm a bit disappointed as I expected such a talked-about classic to have much more impact.

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*TOP REVIEWER* DebbieB43 on 3/11/2008 9:47:00 PM more reviews by DebbieB43

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Guerlain fragrances are attracting me at every turn these days, and Cuir Beluga is by far, one the most sexiest scents I own! Don't let the leather note in this one scare you off, it is a soft, subtle leather,very well blended. This fragrance has an " attraction provoking quality".
I am in love with it:)) Notes of mandarine, aldehydes, immortelle, leather, heliotrope, amber, and vanilla. Will never be without this one!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* TRKK on 3/7/2008 10:17:00 AM more reviews by TRKK

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

It's alot sweeter and gourmand than I expected, but still a really pretty comfort scent. The leather note is extremely subtle, almost unoticeable, instead, the rather distinctive vanilla that was overwhelming for me in SDV, is the main note here, but it's alot more restrained and less annoying than in the SDV. The drydown is almost a little too sweet. Nice, but in terms of comfort scents, would rather my Un Bois Vanille anytime.

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jardines1 on 2/24/2008 2:44:00 PM more reviews by jardines1

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Ahhhhhhh, wonderfully sweet, creamy white chocolate, subtle, supple soft leather notes, a whisper of amber, heliotrope and vanilla--so comforting, so addicitve, so well-blended--. A beginner's leather scent when one doesn't want to smell of car interior, leather shoes, handbags or an uncured leather jacket.

I am at a loss what beluga has to do with the scent, though--Beluga, as in whale? As in expensive caviar? Guerlain can call it whatever it wants---all that comes to mind is comfort, and the scent of contentment.
EDIT: This is quickly becoming a true HG for me-it is a "must have" and definitely FB worthy!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Ciciban on 5/30/2007 11:14:00 AM more reviews by Ciciban

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

Cuir Beluga, is just as a scent should be to make me fall in love. That sensual creaminess, that slow moving something that makes you slow down just a little - to notice how wonderful life really is! Then, there is that passionate solid pearliness over blond suede feathers, that makes me want it all for myself, it makes me feel like I could fly. Cuir Beluga has all my attention, all 100% of it! My only complaint is that this is so hard to obtain!!!!

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