Somerville Metro Man's Review of Cuir Pleine Fleur / Fine Leather by Heeley

Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur<br><br>The 2007 release from James Heeley's eponymous fragrance line, Cuir Pleine Fleur, is often seen renamed as Fine Leather on some english speaking sources. When I looked up the real translation of the words it strictly translates to "leather full flower". While fine leather captures one aspect of this fragrance it is the strict translation that really tells the full story as the presence of a floral accord is what makes this leather scent stand out from others. The top of Cuir Pleine Fleur is all fleur as violet and mimosa bring this scent to life. Violet is one of my more favorite floral accords and the violet here is one of the better vioilet accords I've come across. It is tricky working with violet as too much and it becomes sharp and bitter. Here the mimosa rounds off those sharp edges with a dollop of sweet floral and helps accentuate the softer side of violet. The heart is where the leather shows up along with a deep slug of birch. This is a full-throated leather and oddly appropriate in combination with the violet at the top. There is a moment in the development where the violet is waning and the leather is in its ascendancy that I have a short period of unusual beauty as the floral and leather aspects are sublimely balanced. The base is a smoky vetiver which supports the continued presence of the birch and leather and give a little bite to the drydown. Cuir Pleine Fleur has above average longevity and moderate sillage, on me. Each Heeley I try has found a way to make me appreciate a note I think I know well in a new way. This is true in the case of Cuir Pleine Fleur not only for the central leather note but also for the violet and in both cases the results are eye-opening.<br>

See all reviews of Cuir Pleine Fleur / Fine Leather by Heeley...