Cuba

Cuba is a fragrance brand built around an original concept of cigar-shaped bottles, offering an affordable range of men's and women's scents. It is the flagship label of PC Design SARL, a perfume manufacturer and exporter, and the company dates the brand's launch to 1995 [2]. Although Cuba is marketed with a French, Paris-styled identity and a Cuban theme, the company behind it is registered and produces in Tangier, Morocco [7].

The brand is widely associated with budget fragrance and with scents that echo well-known designer compositions. It remains active: the parent company's catalogue lists a current Cuba collection of 161 products as of May 2026, and the brand maintains an Instagram presence [1].

According to PC Design, "what began as a passion for fragrance in 1995 has grown into a trusted and leading name in the perfume industry," and the company launched with Cuba as its first brand [2]. The concept centred on cigar-shaped fragrance bottles inspired by Cuban cigars — a design the company has carried across the line since. The individuals who founded the company are not publicly documented.

A note on dates: PC Design's own about page gives 1995 as the starting point, and a LinkedIn company profile lists the same founding year. The brand's launch year is therefore recorded as 1995. A separate date, 2001, also appears in the LinkedIn description, which states the manufacturer was "established in 2001 in the Tanger Free Zone, Morocco" [7]; this refers to the establishment of the Moroccan manufacturing operation rather than the brand's launch.

Cuba is owned by PC Design SARL, which describes Cuba as its flagship and exclusive brand and presents it as the label that launched the company [2]. PC Design manages a broader portfolio of fragrance brands, including Assala Prime, Al Malakia, Dar El Ward, Klink Niche, New Brand, Chic 'N Glam, NASMA and Dubai Garden.

The brand's parentage is a point of confusion in some retail listings. At least one retailer states that Cuba was "established in 1995 by the Cuban company Cuba Ron S.A., a prominent rum manufacturer" [9]. That attribution is not supported by corporate records: PC Design's own materials, a LinkedIn company profile and a business directory all identify PC Design SARL as the owner and manufacturer [7]. Cuba Ron S.A. is a Cuban state-owned rum company with no documented link to the fragrance brand; the connection appears to be a circulated marketing story rather than a corporate fact.

The company frames Cuba as "an original concept with a large choice of cigar shaped fragrances." More broadly, PC Design states that it does "more than produce perfumes," describing its work as imagining and designing concepts and "transforming each concept into a unique and timeless piece."

Positioning sits at the affordable end of the market. A men's-fragrance review site describes Cuba as "a brand which produces a line of very inexpensive fragrances for both men and women," referencing price points around $10–12 [10]. The same source notes that, despite the low pricing, the brand manages "good quality. Not elite, but much better than many other cheapies." The line is aimed at value-conscious buyers looking for affordable alternatives to designer scents.

The brand's geography is itself layered. Cuba is marketed under a "Cuba Paris" identity, and PC Design has described itself in marketing terms as a French company of perfumes. The legal entity, however, is registered in Tangier, Morocco, in the Tanger Free Zone [8]. The French and Cuban framing is brand presentation; the corporate domicile and manufacturing base are Moroccan.

The defining feature across the range is the cigar-shaped bottle, presented as the brand's signature design element, with some sub-lines using a crocodile-textured finish. The catalogue spans men's and women's fragrances in 35ml, 100ml and 130ml sizes, organised into collections such as the core Cuba line and the higher-positioned Cuba Prestige.

Frequently cited products include Cuba Gold, Cuba Prestige, Cuba Red and Cuba Royal, named among the brand's best-selling offerings. Cuba Gold is described as carrying smooth vanilla, vetiver, jasmine and lavender notes. Across the range, scents draw on notes including tobacco, citrus, lavender, spices, patchouli, amber, woods and florals.

One product has a particular reputation within the fragrance community. Cuba Gold is discussed as a budget alternative to Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male, and a related release, Cuba Magnum, is described by one reviewer as "a very well-done Le Male clone for dirt cheap" [10]. This designer-inspired, low-cost niche is central to how the brand is talked about online.

On manufacturing, the parent company says its perfumes are "manufactured in full compliance with European Regulation 1223/2009/EC" and that its facility holds ISO 9001 and ISO 22716 certifications [2]. The production base is in Tangier, Morocco. Some editorial retailers describe Cuba as produced in France, which conflicts with the corporate sources placing manufacturing in Morocco; the France association is most likely tied to the brand's French-style positioning and to French distributor relationships.

Coverage of Cuba is concentrated in niche fragrance media rather than mainstream press. The review site Best Men's Colognes featured the brand in an editorial round-up of Cuba scents, covering releases including Cuba Gold, Cuba Royal, Cuba Prestige, Cuba Red, Cuba Brazil Copacabana and Cuba Shadow [10]. No formal awards are documented in the available sources.

Cuba is an active brand. PC Design exports fragrances to distributors in more than 50 countries across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean [7], and the brand reaches Nordic markets through regional retailers. As of May 2026, the parent company's site listed 161 active products in the Cuba category, and the brand's Instagram account remained in use [1].