Cuir Béluga

For those seeking a more affordable alternative, Volare Cuir Belga is divine and can be found for $30 on TikTok shop. Most dupes are huge misses for me, but this one is actually good!

I had high expectations due to the comments and the hype, and especially the notes. So I bought a decant. This is truly a classic—it has that old nostalgic vibe, similar to Chanel fragrances. It is definitely unisex. On me, it smells like a blend of my grandfather's aftershave or cologne and my grandmother's powdery, dusty, sweet perfume. The drydown reminds me of hugging my grandfather and resting my head against his cheek after he’s come home from work, while also hugging my grandmother in her scented blouse. It makes me keep sniffing the spot where I applied it, but I don't enjoy it. It feels very vintage and mature—which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it’s definitely not for me.

I don't think you can be into fragrance and not enjoy this one. The term "masterpiece" gets over-used a lot these days but this is a legitimate masterpiece and 21 years ago when Olivier Polge created this, I am sure he understood that at the time. For many, Guerlain are *The* reference for very high end, rich and storied French perfumery and I would say Cuir Beluga is an important reason why that is. Cuir Beluga is a love letter to leather. It is a soft and incredibly refined fragrance that uses the sweetness of an unusual tangerine accord in the head notes to take the brakes off a troupe of aldehydes that run through this like the Seine through Paris. Polge understood that using the aldehydes to carry the heart and base notes offers great performance without requiring domineering power, but also adds a filter similar to what you might find in photography or film, to soften everything and delineate hard edges. The result is an impossibly well put together arthouse feeling of a soft, suedey leather sweetened with heliotrope and given an earthy grounding with one of best judged Patchouli accords you'll ever see. We also get that trademark Guerlain vanilla, straight out of Planifolia and Spiriteuse Double Vanille, which adds a powdery sweetness that gently pushes this to the feminine side of unisex. Some scents transcend what a perfume is normally considered to be. Cuir Beluga is a feeling but also a mindset. Every time I go to Paris, I'm always impressed at how well dressed the city's dapper denizens are. The city is a totem to what fashion is and what it means to people. Paris is the indulgent Venn diagram overlap between art, love, fashion and sex. Think about the vibe. The amazing coffee, the silk scarves, the peerless accessorization, the slightest hint of a turned up, self assured smirk on everyone's face, the understated but stunning jewellery, the performative theatre of shop windows and ostentatious individualism, the pastries, the seriousness of taking care about the way you dress whilst looking like it is effortless, the way even the cigarette smoke smells better there, the way even the rain feels high quality... If you could bottle that feeling and liquidise that state of mind, fragrances like Cuir Beluga would embody it. Guerlain have several that would. I wear Cuir Beluga because it makes me feel a lot cooler, more attractive and more fashionable than I could ever be in real life. Every time I go to Paris it makes me feel the same way. It isnt real life. It is theatre. And I adore it. Three Word Summary - Paris Bottled Beautifully Layering combination - Cedar Chic by Carolina Herrera. Honestly one of the best layering combinations I've ever tried. Outfit suggestion - dark grey fitted flannel trousers, black Oxford shoes, formal white shirt, black Hermes belt, thigh length grey Harris Tweed herringbone cashmere overcoat, transparent frame Prada sunglasses with grey lenses. 40mm IWC Ingenieur with black dial. Scent - 10/10 Drydown - 8/10 Sillage - 8/10 Bottle/packaging - 8/10 Performance - 8/10 42/50

It is definitely a high quality, refined masterpiece. But it is suffocating. I like for a fragrance to whisper, not yell. If you are at all sensitive to suede (like me) or turned off by most aldehydes (like me), don't consider this a safe blind buy.

Breathtaking. An elegant and luxurious vanilla, with soft velvety suede, and soft florals that feels classy and sophisticated. Perfectly blended, it is smooth, comforting, and undeniably refined. It quietly commands attention and leaves a lasting impression. An absolute masterpiece from Guerlain, true understated luxury. Long lasting on my skin (after 12 h I can still smell it on my skin) with a soft enveloping bubble. Big love. 👍👍👍👍

After letting my sample macerate and wearing this fragrance on skin multiple times, here are my thoughts: I love this as a bed time scent. Intimate projection, soft, powdery, almond smelling. I don’t even think there is an almond note, but that is what I mainly get. It might be the heliotrope, vanilla and suede. This fragrance is like a warm hug. I think it would make an excellent choice for a fall fragrance, paired with a vanilla or other gourmand lotion. Maybe with something that has a spicy note. To give like a chai tea vibe.

Weak, even for a skin scent. Smells like vanilla and dress shoes.

very weak, random and smooth vanilla sweetness all over the place, really nothing to write home about... people have been hyping this so much that I feel super disappointed after testing it

Instead of suede or leather as a note, it should list smoke. There’s the sweet resinous amber, the vanilla, and a powdery smoke. Great for fall. I almost get a touch of clove, making me nostalgic for October.

Ok so you get the soft tangerine and aldehyde opening. But then a very subtle, slightly dirty suede appears and gives it an edge. Something powdery, like makeup powdery gets a spotlight in the mid. This combination honestly kind of smells like baby powder mixed in with a baby’s head 😂 to me at least. But as it drys down it tames into a dry vanilla with powdery nuances. Not for me, feels fem leaning

Right, it’s winter and it’s freezing at -15C. My mum pulls out her fur coat, stored in a large lavender-scented plastic anti-moth bag. It’s just that. I get a hint of vanilla but it’s simply unappealing to most people. I can’t even imagine who would choose to smell like this and have enough inner strength to slay it.

This one was just okay for me. The vanilla is really nice and smells natural. It doesn't smell like frosting, cupcakes, or other sugary dessert scents. It smells more like actual vanilla extract. The problem is that the rest of the fragrance didn't really work for me. Pretty quickly I got a strong baby powder vibe, and on my skin it started to smell a bit like Play-Doh. The Play-Doh scent lingered the whole time. There was also a musky, cosmetic quality that made me think of a very polished, sophisticated older woman. Not in a bad way—it just felt more mature than what I usually like to wear. As it dried down, I picked up a slightly savory note underneath the vanilla, which made it more interesting and kept it from being overly sweet. I can see why people love this fragrance, and I think it's very well done. Overall, I appreciated Cuir Béluga more than I actually enjoyed wearing it. It's a quality fragrance, but it's not something I would purchase a full bottle of.

Absolutely love this one. Soft vanilla and suede, classy, good for any occasion. Unfortunately it is extremely expensive.

This is a stunning fragrance. It smells mature but not in a “granny at church with the peppermint candies in her handbag” way. It smells like a grown, sophisticated 40-something who has her shit together and has absolutely no time of day for people who do not. I don’t get a true leather vibe from this, but rather a deep, rich, aldehyde-tinged vanilla that smells like pure class.

I was looking for something special to wear today. I remembered I have a bottle of this scent that is almost completely full. I got the bottle from the Guerlain website a some years ago, it is the older version with the squared shape and golden sides, for some reason, after I got the bottle, I tried it, I thought it was beautiful and then put it back in the box, and just let her in a drawer...for years! I think my bottle might be at least 6 or 7 years old. I just doused myself with it. It is one of the most beautiful vanillas ever made. It is powdery, with a smooth suede note, not harsh leather....the vanilla is brown and very similar to vanilla pods. It is elegance in a bottle. I don't know how someone could dislike this scent...it is fantastic! Please look in your drawers...enjoy what you have purchased, life is short!

I am fan of a lot of Olivier Polge's creations (as well as his fathers) so this one was on my list. At this price point, this should be the best vanilla scent ever. And honestly, it is really, really good. The cuir, or leather, note is barely noticeable, although I’m not sure whether that’s a plus or a minus. To me, it is an indulgent, mature, dry vanilla scent, with intriguing notes in the background. They never come too close to the vanilla base, yet they are definitely there, carrying it into deeper, more interesting territory. I tested this one for ages before deciding I simply could not live without it. I bought the full 200ml bottle in Paris, with all the little perks that come with it. I love it every day.

Why does this perfection exist if I cannot afford it? My most favorite vanilla, perfection in a bottle. I keep my sample as a holy grail :)

An absolute beauty - restrained but complex. It stays close to the skin, but thats okay, its an extremely intimate, warm and close fragrance. I'm currently working through Guerlains vanilla leading fragrances and this is probably my favourite thanks to the patchouli, suede and amber. The patchouli adds the medicinal tinge, but not to an extreme. Everything slots together wonderfully. Sublime.

Dusty and medicinal vanilla. Feels a little dated, but classy and pretty. When breathing in close to the wrist, I get a very earthy, petrichor note. It's okay. It's like Angelique Noire or SDV's mom's perfume.

Such a strange combo. It turns me on just a little bit (I’m a male in 30s) but there is also something strangely repulsive or love-hate about this. It smells like powedered yellow pudding to me. I can’t put my finger on it. Custard? The texture is definitely matte. There’s definitely sophistication. Best kept for cold weather and rare occasions. Suede jacket. Brown, matte tones. No overspraying recommended for this one, I’d say. Definitely polarizing, even in my own senses and memories. Worth testing.

Very similar to Nishane’s Ani but much lighter

This is so beautifull. The golden age of Guerlain.

Flawless.. this is a 5/5

I love Immortelle! Seeing Volare Cuir Belga described as a near perfect twin, I am now curious. :) Anyone know?

A natural, sensual and seductive vanilla fragrance. It opens with aldehydes and immortelle, before settling into a velvety blend of vanilla and amber. Longevity is over six hours with a noticeable projection. I’m in love

Probably the best vanilla scent I have ever tried. I tend not to like vanilla scents usually. Beautiful mature vanilla, grounded by amber and patchouli. I’m not getting any leather though (which is a good thing honestly). Described this as a vanilla fragrance to the guy at guerlain and he was like no not really which was really surprising because this screams it to me and in such a sexy way. Lasts long on the skin and definitely radiates, I have the 10ml of this but would love to get a bigger bottle. Smells like a beautiful baked vanilla I’m honestly very moved.

Smells like butter and suede. Really smooth creamy scent, it did put me off the first time but wearing it now, it smells classy and old money.

A very mature, non gourmand vanilla that feels appropriate for almost any situation or season. The opening is a bizarre blast of cleaning spray that feels at odds with the powdery, resinous vanilla that follows, but thankfully it doesn’t last long and the dry down makes it worth it. I get very little leather, just a perfectly balanced blend of amber, patchouli, and suede singing in harmony with a more resinous than sweet vanilla base. On me, Cuir Beluga wore like a cashmere-soft, barely sweet cloud that clung gently for 6+ without ever being overpowering or disappearing. It’s rare that I consider a vanilla perfume appropriate for public spaces like offices, but I think Cuir Beluga could work if applied sparingly. Similarly, I can see it wearing nicely in all but the hottest weather, thought it will definitely shine during colder weather.

Unfortunately this does not work for me. The opening was always going to be a challenge as I struggle with aldehydes, but I got a free sample with Fève Gourmande so decided to try it out. On first spray, I don’t like to make this comparison, but it genuinely smelled to me like Pledge furniture polish. That harshness faded quickly as the vanilla emerged, and now it has dried down I’m getting a pleasant leathery vanilla, with what seems to be a sparkling aldehyde fizzing through. (Which sadly makes me dislike this). I can tell the Guerlain quality is there, and I have to conclude that if my favourite House cannot make me enjoy an aldehyde, I shall leave those compositions to my fellow enthusiasts who do enjoy them.

Guerlain knows how to create! Cuir Beluga is one of the most beautiful perfumes I’ve ever smelled! She’s classy, chic and sexy! The vanilla touch is smooth but it gets creamy in the dry down. She’s perfect, flawless.