Oud Assafi from 80-year-old trees meets violet leaf and suede in Cuir, YSL's 2023 leather composition within Le Vestiaire des Parfums, composed by master perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin.
Cuir is YSL's leather-led return to oud, framed inside the Le Vestiaire couture line. Pellegrin selected an Oud Assafi essence extracted from 80-year-old agarwood, distilled by traditional methods to retain the leathery-animalic character without the medicinal sharpness common in Western oud reformulations.
The structure opens cool: mandarin and cardamom temper the oud's first impression with citrus brightness. Violet leaf brings a bitter-green metallic edge that prevents the heart from sliding into sweetness. As the violet recedes, oud and a rendered suede accord take centre, layered over clove warmth. The base is patchouli, cedar and Bourbon vanilla. Patchouli pulling earth, cedar pulling pencil-shaving dryness, vanilla rounding the leather.
An evening composition in build but wearable through the day in cool climates. Sillage is moderate, longevity exceeds eight hours on skin.
Yves Saint Laurent Cuir belongs in formal and mysterious wear settings. Its leather smoky woody essence flourishes during autumn and winter.
