Molinard
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot and nutmeg crack open the composition with an almost peppery vigour, the citrus bright and slightly dry, whilst vervain adds a green, almost herbal undertone that prevents any sweetness from surfacing immediately. There's an immediate sense of spiced restraint here—nothing soft or comforting, but rather something that feels vaguely intellectual and alert.
Saffron and pimento transform the opening into something more complex and almost savoury, with lavender weaving through as a moderating force. The leather begins its slow emergence here, initially subtle beneath the spice, but gaining presence as the citrus fades—you start to smell the composition's true character, a slightly austere blend of herb and hide that feels purposeful rather than decorative.
Leather becomes the dominant voice, partnered with oud's woody resinousness and patchouli's earthy warmth, whilst amber and musk add a soft, almost skin-like quality. Sandalwood settles as a gentle woody foundation, and the fragrance becomes increasingly intimate and subdued—a skin scent that hovers close rather than projects, offering quiet sophistication to anyone near enough to notice.
Molinard's Cuir is a fragrance that understands leather as something alive and complex rather than a singular note to be plastered across skin. Thomas Fontaine constructs a composition where nutmeg and bergamot arrive with deliberate sharpness, creating a spiced citrus topnote that feels almost culinary—think the peppery warmth of cinnamon-dusted orange peel rather than grooming department freshness. What makes this composition compelling is how saffron and pimento emerge within the heart, deepening that spice into something almost savoury, whilst lavender adds a herbal restraint that prevents the composition from tipping into gourmand excess.
The leather base is where Cuir reveals its intention. Rather than the animalic, tobacco-tinged leather of classical fragrances, this leather—supported by oud and patchouli—feels somewhere between suede and ink, with an intellectual, slightly austere quality. The amber and musk soften what could otherwise be austere, introducing warmth without sentimentality. Sandalwood creeps in as a gentle woody spine, tying the composition together.
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4.1/5 (385)