Cuir Cavalier by MDCI Parfums

As is usual with the house, it’s a modern classic and very elegant. If you’re looking for something for special occasions or formal events that conveys timeless class, MDCI Parfums is a safe bet. Although it’s called Cuir Cavalier, it smells more of rose than leather: a deep, intense red rose, dusted with musks and warmed by the heat of Safrole, which defines the woody accord. The leather isn’t coarse or dry like others, but a woody base with leather nuances thanks to the coumarin, giving a typical patchouli earthy and green sensation. It finishes very refined and rounded, smoothing the edges with plenty of musk. It’s totally unisex: subtle on men due to its florality and distinctive on women for its woody profile, moving away from brighter florals. Worth trying. Best wishes.

Cuir Cavalier by MDCI pays homage to Géricault’s 1812 painting ‘The Charging Chasseur’, an icon of Romanticism that exalts emotion over cold reason. Imagine the Russian campaign: bloody battles like Borodino, elite hussars that Napoleon adored, generals like Lasalle, the finest swordsman and drinker, who said the first cannonball sank his soul and the second gave him wings. Géricault, a great rider who died at 32 after falling from his horse, captured that bravery in a hussar on a leopard skin, with an Arab scimitar, a smoky background and a wild white steed, painted with vivid red brushstrokes. The fragrance is powerful, juicy, earthy and dark, with bright flashes and a sweet trail. It’s the profile of an elegant, Parisian, well-to-do military man: leather, saffron and oud on a cedar cushion provide the hussar’s roughness and his steed, while a fresh, sweet red mandarin illuminates the scene. In the midst of battle, but with the refinement of his rank, notes of lily, rose, honey and vanilla evoke that glorious return celebrated by Napoleon in a palace. Nathalie Feisthauer, a creator with over 30 years of experience who discovered perfume after trying YSL Opium and loves carrot seeds and Ambrettolide musk, seeks that balance between not offending and having lots of personality, achieving an original presence typical of niche perfumery.