The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Cuir Superbe arrived in 2019 as part of Nino Amaddeo's debut collection of ten fragrances released simultaneously. The title translates loosely as "Superb Leather," and the composition was built to earn that name from the first spray. According to the Fragrantica page, Nino Amaddeo himself is credited as the nose behind this fragrance. With Cuir Superbe, the intent was a leather fragrance that opens somewhere else entirely, fruit and nut rather than smoke and saddle, before arriving at the leather the name promises. A slow reveal. A fragrance that earns its title on skin rather than in the bottle. The opening notes of fig and hazelnut create a warm, edible sweetness that catches you off guard, nothing like the sharp leather accord most people expect when they hear the word cuir.
What makes this composition worth attention is the tension between its opening and its base. Fig and hazelnut create a brief moment of warmth and sweetness that has nothing to do with leather, letting iris powder lift it before the base materials take over. That delay makes the leather feel like a discovery rather than a statement. The oud adds depth without dominating, giving the drydown an edge that reads as skin-close and personal. The fig note in particular does unexpected work here.
The evolution
The opening belongs to fig and hazelnut, a warm, slightly sweet introduction that feels more gourmand than leather. Nothing aggressive. Nothing loud. Just a quiet impression of something edible, like pastry on a cold morning, before the iris appears and adds its cool, powdery lift. The transition into the base is gradual. Leather arrives first, soft and supple rather than sharp, like the inside of a glove rather than the surface of a saddle. The oud settles underneath, adding a smoky warmth that keeps the composition grounded. Eventually the fig sweetness fades and the leather takes over, close to the skin with moderate projection. The drydown holds well into the next day, and what remains the next morning is a clean leather-oud trace, warm and close, almost undetectable but still present on fabric. It does not shout. It stays.
Cultural impact
Cuir Superbe rewards patience. Its fig-and-hazelnut opening offers a softer entry point than most leather compositions, and the slow build toward its suede base gives it a quality that feels earned rather than announced. The composition occupies a particular position in the wider landscape of leather perfumery, one defined by restraint and material clarity rather than by smoke or aggression. The fig note in the opening carries a green, almost lactonic sweetness that sets the tone for the entire wear, while the hazelnut adds a toasted warmth that grounds the composition before the base materials ever arrive.
The House
Nino AmaddeoNino Amaddeo perfumes represent a personal chapter in a creative journey that spans decades. The French perfumer founded his eponymous line in 2019, building on a track record established through the Réminiscence fragrance house. His 2019 collection comprises ten distinct scents released simultaneously, each carrying a name that points toward a feeling rather than an ingredient. La Vie Rêvée, Catch Me If You Can, Terriblamant, and Fabulous Rose illustrate a naming strategy rooted in emotion and memory. The range spans floral, woody, and ambery directions, yet each fragrance adheres to a linear structure where the scent unfolds as a single continuous impression. Amaddeo's work offers an alternative to complex, multi-layered compositions by treating fragrance as a pure moment. His line targets wearers who value directness and clarity over narrative complexity.
The Creator
Serge de OliveiraDe Oliveira gravitates naturally toward woody notes, particularly vetiver and patchouli, which drew his attention early under the mentorship of Richard Ibanez at IFF. His recent work leans heavily into 100% natural compositions, a deliberate and more demanding approach that su…
