Fragrance comparison

Academy of Pleasure vs Cuir Imperial

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 21 Oct 2026 94 ratings analysed

Academy of Pleasure

Alkemia Perfumes

3.6526 votes

Rank #38,330 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Cuir Imperial

Ormonde Jayne

4.0168 votes

Rank #7,318 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cuir Imperial takes 6 of 7 categories.

Academy of Pleasure
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cuir Imperial
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Academy of Pleasure1/7

Cuir Imperial6/7

Ratings & consensus: Cuir Imperial
Community sentiment: Cuir Imperial
Longevity: Cuir Imperial
Sillage & projection: Cuir Imperial
Value for money: Academy of Pleasure
Versatility: Cuir Imperial
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cuir Imperial

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Academy of PleasureAlkemia Perfumes

Cuir ImperialOrmonde Jayne

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.65/ 5 · 26 votes

Have 36%Had 4%Want 59%

4.01/ 5 · 68 votes

Have 22%Had 8%Want 70%

Category winnerCuir ImperialRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

31%Like

23%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

26 votes

50%Love

23%Like

7%Ok

13%Dislike

7%Hate

30 votes

Category winnerCuir ImperialMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate66

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityCuir Imperial

SillageCuir Imperial

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value43

Category winnerAcademy of PleasureBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

aromatic69%

powdery61%

woody100%

leather92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

BergamotLinenCedarAmberSuedeCardamomTobaccoCognacCoffee

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CognacCardamomBergamotPink PepperClary Sage

Heart

SuedeLeatherOrrisRaspberryRoseFreesia

Base

SandalwoodCedarVetiverTonka BeanIncensePatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Cedar, Suede and Cardamom. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer43

Fall57

Winter29

Day100

Night33

Spring75

Summer42

Fall100

Winter83

Day100

Night45

Category winnerCuir ImperialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men40

Unisex40

Women20

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#38,330

PerfumerSharra Lamoureaux

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#7,318

PerfumerLinda Pilkington

Launched—

Reviews22

Category winnerCuir ImperialHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Academy of Pleasure by Alkemia Perfumes is a fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Sharra Lamoureaux.

Reviews →

Cuir Imperial is a bold leather perfume with a smoky, woody frame and a spicy cognac opening. On skin, reviewers often describe polished leather, suede, aromatic spice, and a sweeter dry-down touched by orris, sandalwood, tonka, and raspberry. It suits people who enjoy assertive leather scents with a luxury leather-sh…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Academy of Pleasure or Cuir Imperial?

Cuir Imperial takes 6 of 7 categories. Academy of Pleasure is rated 3.65/5 from 26 votes; Cuir Imperial is rated 4.01/5 from 68 votes. Choose Academy of Pleasure for a woody and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Cuir Imperial for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Academy of Pleasure or Cuir Imperial?

Cuir Imperial lasts longest (Cuir Imperial 81/100, Academy of Pleasure 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Academy of Pleasure or Cuir Imperial?

Cuir Imperial projects furthest (Cuir Imperial 76/100, Academy of Pleasure 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Academy of Pleasure and Cuir Imperial smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Cedar, Suede and Cardamom.

Is Academy of Pleasure or Cuir Imperial better for summer or winter?

For summer, Academy of Pleasure is the stronger pick. For winter, Cuir Imperial is the stronger pick. Academy of Pleasure suits daytime wear; Cuir Imperial suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Academy of Pleasure and Cuir Imperial?

Academy of Pleasure features Bergamot, Linen, Cedar, Amber and Suede. Cuir Imperial has top notes of Cognac, Cardamom, Bergamot and Pink Pepper, heart notes of Suede, Leather, Orris and Raspberry, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver and Tonka Bean.