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MalsMeetradia – :
A watered down Amouage Bracken Woman. Tried them side by side.
seomashinist – :
I only sprayed this on paper because I immediately identified it as a fougere which are so linked to men and masculine fragrances in my mind that I can’t wear them.
It seemed very well put together, rich, complex and classy and something that would smell great on a man.
taburetoid – :
I smelt this one just this past Wednesday. Russian Leather is a beautiful, warm scent that I cannot wait to try in the fall. I received a sample from the SA of Russian Leather, and Irish Leather. Both very bold fragrances, both also have hefty price tags. I will have to do some testing in the fall/winter to see how it performs. I’d suggest trying to find someone who decants and buy a split rather than retail.
gaponov1973 – :
I get a whiff of leather at the beginning but this feels more like a walk through pine trees in a bitterly cold Finnish/Russian forest in winter, which is a big draw for me. It is a refreshingly cold (not cool) scent, although the weak leather note, on me at least, could turn leather connoisseurs off. A lovely scent all in all, evocative of winter, although the name appears to be somewhat misleading. Those who are interested in a more authentic leathery scent may want to look at Memo’s French and Italian leather.
jorjea – :
I’d define it as Photo Lagerfeld + Bottega Venetta pour Homme Extreme
DiMann – :
“Russian” here means “coniferous”,
“leather” here means “since the whole series is about leather so we have to put it in the name”.
As far as a fresh(not citruse thanks god) woody perfume goes, this one is not bad. However if you’re willing to burn extra dollar for this type of scent, I suggest you switch to Ormonde Jayne man or woman. Theirs have more layers.
GERS – :
Leather? And Russian leather at that? I don’t think so. It smelled way too fresh to me. I didn’t like this stuff at all. The concept is off the mark.
moncllaetf – :
Like French Leather, I see a misconception of concept in this perfume, which inside a collection of leather perfumes does not make much sense. It is strange that Memo decides to create a collection that celebrates such a classic note of the perfumery, that can be interpreted in so many ways and in the end decides simply to leave it like a mere aid in creations that take its name.
In Russian Leather the chances of a Russian Leather were high, after all this is one of the most classic interpretations of the leather chord. For some strange reason, the perfume is more for a Russian Cologne than a leather. Even in the description this becomes clear, where the focus is given to the Fougere and Aromatic elements and, in the last case, the leather.
Viewed as a classic Fougere and not as a leather scent, Russian Leather is interesting, yet it seems expensive to me for what it offers. It is a quality interpretation of an aromatic Fougére with a touch of aromatic herbs, a mildly animalic clary sage, a good dose of lavender with a drier aroma and a very interesting use of the mint freshness. This leads to a transparent woody evolution with patchouli touches and the cypress contributing a green and damp to the aroma of the base. The leather is something very subtle and if it was not mentioned in the name would be almost imperceptible.
For me, Russian Leather has an error that I find inexcusable in niche and exclusive perfumery: concept error. Name does not match the execution and what is delivered is good but it is not brilliant for this to be forgivable.
damkini – :
i would call it sweet green tea. i didnt recognize leather. only some green notes with moderate sweetness. mehh. my overall point is 6.5
abramowisch – :
Great role of tonka and fern to prevent green notes from becoming a classic masculine fougere.
Modern powdered-green aromatic
High lasting performance and medium sillage.
Suitable for summer!
fomai4 – :
Leather? No… Russian? Maybe… well made? Yes..
In a nutshell… RL is a slow walk through a freshly snow covered forest. A frozen fougere scents fills the air… an occasional aromatic, fresh, clean and creamy note is carried by the cold breeze… with every fresh foot print you leave in the snow…
RL is a very complex and well crafted scent with good projection and longevity on my skin. Works well in a sports coat or trendy casual attire
Overall, not a bad scent, but not ground breaking and not worth the retail price IMO.
Bottom line: If you like the frozen fougere idea, try a sample of this. If you are looking for leather, look elsewhere.
ahn781speagoessenda – :
A sophisticated upgrade to Burberry London and not as dark as Memoir Man
wolw446 – :
Memo calls this a Frozen fougere and frozen fougere it is indeed!
The opening of Russian Leather is green, yes, but I pick up many other hues – purples and greens and crisp whites -a camphoraceous lavender, a beautiful pine note and a prominent peppermint that combine with (I believe) an unlisted iris note to create a thick and rich accord that transcends the sum of its parts. Very Guerlinade, in fact – the opening actually IS somewhat reminiscent of Guerlain Homme/Intense with the mint and Guerlinade combo. The opening is bracing and cold, but neither thin nor shrill.
A prominent clary sage comes to the fore in the heart and is joined by nutmeg and these two notes warm the opening accord, especially as the leather note slowly surfaces as the fragrance moves to the base.
Ever present throughout the frag is a gorgeous “fougere accord” – so very Guerlainesque – and it is in this context that the leather accord makes total sense. The leather in Russian Leather is more of a supple white suede coupled with a bit of warm and fuzzy animal fur. No hardcore leather here, no petroleum notes, no harsh or synthetic vibe. Honestly, the choice to go this route with the leather was brilliant as it adds so much depth to the fougere-spine of the fragrance, and it blends seamlessly with the brisk accords that come before it.
I think the key to enjoying this fragrance is to go into it expecting a beautiful Guerlain-esque take on a fougere, because that’s what it is. If you go in expecting hardcore animalic leather you’ll surely be disappointed. But the fragrance, evaluated without expectations based on the name, is gorgeous. It is what Guerlain Homme should have been. Rich, sweet, green, vibrant and deep – a modern take on a classical structure.
With regards to the rest of the base notes, the patchouli is used to add depth and a bit of darkness to the base, and the guaiac is noticeable later on, taking on an almost rosy-sandalwood like quality, but neither are major players, both being used to add shade to the central accord.
Lastly, I will say the ingredients in this one smell very very natural. That’s not true of all Memo fragrances – surely not some of the other leathers (Irish Leather has a nice, if rather synthetic leather accord), but this fragrance is the most natural smelling of the 12 or so Memos I’ve smelled.
agoryh – :
I’ll be honest – I tested this because of the bottle. Who doesn’t want to smell like a wolf howling at the moon as snowflakes settle in the crisp, black night?
The scent half gets there. It works along the same cold air lines as Nuit Etoilée by Goutal: herbs and evergreens set against a plusher, deeper background. I hardly got any leather and Russian Leather falls short in the same way Nuit Etoilée did – too gentle and well-mannered. Someone else said gentlemanly and yes, that’s true; where is the wild wolf?
tlsecckhrnt – :
I got a sample of this a while back, and I loved it. It reminded me of a clean cut gentleman. Very manly scent. It’s very nice. It reminds me of some talcum powder my dad used to wear. I always thought it smelled so good too. That talcum powder was the first thing that came to mind when I first smelled this. Would I buy a bottle of this? Yes, Definitely.
andrei8619 – :
Well… this parfume is very specific and open properly not on everyone. The person have to be very strong inside, otherwise even do not try. Lots of cold woody notes. Could be absolutely perfect suits to man or woman who have power and internal shine. And actually description on the back side of the card, that attached to the bottle absolutely properly discribe the person who need to wear it.
Viktorlaiv – :
Russian Leather is an aromatic, green and woody leather fragrance with a fantastic opening filled with beautiful pine, lavender, mint and other fresh herbs and spices. The drydown reveals soft and vanillic tonka bean, cedar and ashy/tarry leather that lingers for up to twelve hours on my skin.
Glom – :
I’m not quite sure why this is part of Memo’s ‘Leather’ series, as there is nothing about this composition I would discern as being particularly leathery.
This is an aromatic pine scent, with a cool, herbal, peppery salvo of clary sage, rosemary and mint merging with a fragrant, powdery lavender. The base is a rich, tarry pine and guaic bark, softened over by a sweet, velvety, almond-smelling tonka bean. It’s quite powdery and starchy, so I thought that iris might also be involved, but I don’t see it listed.
Overall, it’s a dense, rugged and naturally brackish smelling forest scent that does well to evoke the coldness of a Russian winter. Just don’t expect leather to dominate at all.
albertyonok – :
Aromatic, Woody with a bit of sweetness.
So accustomed to the perpetual citrus opening of most colognes, I was shocked by Russian Leather.
No introductions, bam! Pine, lavender, tonka bean, basil all in your face at once. And yet, it’s an organized multitude.
At first it’s like entering a forest, your nose adjust to the surroundings, the green, resins, woods. Then as you go deeper and deeper into the woods, you find solitude, a sense of calm and safety. Tonka bean, guaiac wood, patchouli, nutmeg, they create a warm, cozy sanctuary.
Pure bliss.
doomk750i – :
Wonderful fresh scent. Becomes more leather as it dries down…we love this new release….
lkk557JeomiWogkig – :
Oh wow it’s so fresh, green, and breezy! Here I was thinking it’s going to be a dark forest type of scent, as it turns out, it’s just a walk in the park on a chilly morning! The opening has a new Christmas tree type of smell, far from anything old/dried or concentrated (in oil form)–it’s utterly pleasant! Disappointingly, the leather part is rather unremarkable..
Damenyk – :
Memo’s latest leather creation, Russian Leather, is quite green, involving not only the signature animalic leather but also pine, cedar, clary sage, and cypress. So it’s a bit green, a bit herbal, a bit woody, and of course a bit leather.
To its credit, Russian Leather has a bit of complexity, an interesting variety of notes that make it a little less straightforward than other leathers but surely up to par with the odder leather creations that Memo has put forth before. Still, it’s a little dirty for my nose, something acerbic and animalic making it even off-putting in one sense.
Performance is decent but as with the standard Memo pricing, $250 for 75ml is a bit steep unless you love this, and I wouldn’t even say I like this very much, let alone love it.
6 out of 10
escOsmeno – :
Beautiful brand, beautiful fragrance
Atthis – :
I’ve been a fan of the Memo Cuirs Nomades series, with the exception of French Leather, which is really quite terrible. Italian Leather and Irish Leather are both very original, unique, well-blended, and great smelling fragrances. African Leather, in my humble opinion, is an absolute masterpiece.
So I’ve been patiently awaiting the arrival of my Russian Leather sample. Upon initial application, I can certainly say that it is another high quality scent. I get a lot of green and aromatic top notes: mint, other herbs (maybe rosemary), and certainly a nice dose of pine/juniper scent. What I’m not getting is any leather!
In addition to the lack of a leather presence, I don’t get any “wow factor” like the other entries in Memo’s Cuirs Nomades line. Italian Leather opens with an exotic, almost dangerous Tomato Leaf note. Irish Leather opens with a juniper-gin-earthy vibe, and it works marvelously. And African Leather opens with the most magical sparkling cardamom-geranium-vetiver combo.
Russian Leather smells really nice; there’s no off-note and there’s no trace of cheapness or “designer in disguise” qualities that some of Memo’s previous offerings (outside of the Cuirs Nomades series) have been accused of. There’s a familiarity to this fragrance, but it is not generic. I keep waiting for notes to appear and they don’t.
For now, I’m going to have to say that this is a significant disappointment from a house that I’ve grown to love, and whose scents work really well with my skin chemistry. $250 a bottle needs to knock my socks off – this is simply an extremely pleasant scent.
unn – :
Looking forward to trying this one….we love all the leathers from this house…
pompylmn432Negeltzex – :
Anything with guaiac wood piques my curiosity. I’m leery of all the green elements, though. I’m guessing this will lean more masculine than I like to wear.