Description
Cuir de Russie, or Russian leather was a theme modern at the end of the 19th century. Many perfume houses were creating perfumes for women who smoked cigarettes. Today exclusive, Chanel’s Cuir de Russie was created in 1924. The fragrance is provocative and shocking, and that exactly was its purpose, because it was created for a woman who dared to smoke cigarettes in public. It was a kind of encouragement and approval, because at that time a woman who smoked was a scandalous and inconceivable symbol of emancipation.
The composition starts with aldehydes moderated by mild nectar of classical trio – rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang. The ending comes as smoky, animalistic note of dark leather. The main notes are: orange blossom, bergamot, mandarin, sage, iris, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, vetiver, styrax, leather, amber and vanilla.
The nose behind this fragrance is Ernest Beaux.
asernokian70 – :
Has anyone the EDT version of this and is willing to sell at a reasonable price?
Dodgeast – :
I love Cuir de Russie because it makes me sad.
I don’t think I can explain it. But it smells like dusty memories; lost love; a tragic but epic ending of an opera; lingering shadows…
Like something Miss Havisham would wear.
Lion21 – :
W H Y in this Chanel page CUIR DE RUISSE 1924 is UNISEX … and here CUIR DE RUISSE is For Woman ????????????
kuss-tik – :
This is arguably the finest fragrance created by the House of Chanel. So unique. Compelling. Charismatic. A true unisex fragrance, although like many of you that usually makes me run the other direction. Usually, notes associated with the masculine don’t blend well with equal amounts of notes associated with the feminine. That doesn’t mean a men’s cologne can’t have rose or a woman’s fragrance can’t have tobacco. Still, when there are multiple notes associated with either gender it’s rare that the result is pleasant, much less extraordinary.
This is the exception. The leather note is prominent throughout. I adore it. There’s also Chanel’s classic florals of rose and jasmine, as well as signature citrus notes. Altogether Cuir de Russie “makes sense”. It’s well blended and has that Chanel quality of several notes fusing into a coherent whole.
Cuir de Russie is intense and animal, yet soapy and fresh. I have no idea how such a thing was achieved. It’s an extraordinary fragrance.
Smac – :
This is such a pretty fragrance, but sadly, it appears to be one of those scents that my skin just gobbles up. I put this on only two hours ago, and have had to put on another dab from the tester just now so I could smell it again, and that’s with the parfum. I get the lovely citrusy, lemony opening, with a quick burst of jasmine and cedar, and (and I know this is going to sound weird) an odd, almost oily/petrol sort of smell, then it’s gone. Pity, because this has so many notes that I love. I’d love to see what this is like on someone else – I suspect it would be stunning.
Mejus795Unlogrere – :
Its a beautiful well blended scent. However the new formulations contain a modern aromachemical that caused a sneezing fit. If modern CdR works for you..im very jealous.. Ill just stick to cuir lancome.
Lk Andy – :
CUIR DE RUSSIE
CHANEL
NOSE
ERNEST BEAUX
JACQUES POLGE (Reformulation)
YEAR
1924
Cuir de Russie (Russian Leather)
The tsarina walks into the Winter Palace Ballroom in a ravishing and expensive gown with beads and frills that seem to be made of little crystals. Her tiara catches the light of the chandeliers and her dark hair is made up in a severe up do. Her tresses are fragrant with perfume that would have smelled like this. Cuir is a Russian fantasy from the Roaring 20’s. Whereas Emeraude & Shalimar were escapist Orientals, this one is St Petersburg in a bottle. It starts off with classic Chanel ingredients courtesy of her nose and friend Ernest Beaux. I’m talking citrus, florals, woods, musk. They’re all here but this is quite unique and engaging as it appears to predate aldehydes by at least a year or two. The Chanel signature of class, old money, sophistication and elegance is written all over the formula.
The first spritz is a citrus freshness to die for. The aroma is redolent with mandarin orange and lemon. There is a bit of greenery courtesy of clary sage and a spiciness that begins to develop as it turns green. There’s vetiver and florals which give it an outdoorsy and natural air. I detected quite a lot of carnation, a green carnation, a cabbage carnation, and some roses, iris, jasmine and ylang all of which are classic florals from other Chanel favorites like No. 5, especially those all too familiar notes of rose, jasmine and ylang ylang. But this is actually more floral than No. 5. An extra note of powdery iris and heliotrope complete the floral set. Still, these florals are not at all like the make up and talc powder feminine hygiene product aroma that one would associate with heavy florals. It is only like those classic florals in that it is mature and sophisticated, a grand dame, not a little baby.
It has a dual personality. She is the Russian Empress as it starts, but she goes behind a red velvet curtain in her glamorous gown and emerges out of it as the Emperor in a military uniform adorned with medals. He is wearing leather boots. The dry down is masculine and unisex, smelling of the masculine scents of leather, musk, and tobacco. The progression from light airy florals to deep musk and tobacco smoke is incredible. There ought to be patchouli here but that tobacco and the leather make it so intoxicating and pleasant as far as the unisex qualities go. If you’re a guy or girl that likes the scent of leathers, tobaccos and musk this is going to blow you away. A birch tree note is also there, and again that clary sage, all notes which show up in men’s colognes. This is polished, nuanced, and evocative of a man in leather riding boots and holding a crop on horseback. He is a Russian Cossack on his horse, riding fast through the Steppes of Russia. The leather note dominates the dry down, elegant fine black leather, and without question this is the best leather based fragrance that Chanel ever produced.
Superb! It has something for everyone. Guys can wear this with tuxedos to their wedding day or to a fancy black tie dinner and event. Women can wear it with formal evening wear and gowns. There is such an old money and high society vibe to this smell as well. Smells like someone’s rich old great grandparent. It has a longevity that’s admirable in today’s soft and barely detectable fragrance market. There is a heavy projection so when you go out wearing Cuir remember that they will be smelling you! Good thing I love the smell. This is a very powerful and commanding perfume. It’s tobacco smoke and musk is suited to colder months (cold as in Russian winter) and I doubt in the summer time this would smell as good. So there you go. Vintage collectors you need to get your hands on this. It was reformulated Jacques Polge and the new version is less attention grabbing but just as well crafted as the original. Polge does fine recreations but he is aware that today, no one wants to wear a fragrance that projects like a fire extinguisher lol
Elagmaamorm – :
I really wanted to love this. I REALLY wanted to. I love the smell of leather, I love birch tar and smokiness and woody scents. Alas, and whatever the ecstatic reviews below mine, it either didn’t work for my body or isn’t my thing at all.
It opens sour (especially from my wrists) to then develop into a pretty standard ‘classy perfume’ effect that simply isn’t worth the money.
I’m sure it would be lovely for some people but not my thing.
6/10
kostya080024 – :
a soft buttery leather, one of our favorites. just can’t get enough of this luxurious scent…
Hoffman – :
This is not just any leather. This is not like showing up at the local pot luck smelling like your new chaps and donning a trusted whip, heaven forbid. This is what Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida or Audrey Hepburn would probably smell like in their mink coats, showing up for dinner at Louis XV in Monaco, with a penguin clad/cleft chin accomplice at their side, smelling like the inside of a Bentley that has been bathed in jasmine and incense. I see Rachmaninov knocking out out an etude at the back of the restaurant. Ernest Beaux must have had some great dreams after creating this one, I’ll bet.
Projection is less than you would think and silage is just enough to have the waiters watching your every move. For winters only (keep the Bentley in the garage until then).
g.praporov – :
Another male here, wanted to try this for a while and cannot pull it off. Actually didn’t really care for it besides even being on me. Other than misia and coco noir I haven’t had much luck with chanel. Egoiste was good and well too
mudum87 – :
I am a male and have bought cuir d russie, as my signature scent for the coming collage semester (summer semester 2016). As i wanted something lighter than my usual signatur scent: Antaeus.
for me it is a leather floral, leaning to the feminin side, but i don´t give a f…!, a leather, that also can be worn in spring and summer IMHO. I think Cuir d Russie will become sultry and give a tropical vibe, when the temperatures raise.
I sampled it a lot befor purchasing it. But when i give it the first full wear i noticed for the first time, that there is a beautiful civet note!!! Maybe it is because the Chanel Boutique i bought it, give me a flacon of the year 2014 and they have reformulated it since than?!
i love it and think i will also purchase the extrait!
Greetz from germany!
kenwud – :
Chanel’s Cuir de Russie is the third Exclusifs fragrance that I’ve worn, and it is easy to see why it has such a favorable reputation. A nice leather, dirty but dressed up at the same time, that seems to be geared more towards women but for me is very unisex. The iris figures prominently for me throughout, with a citrus opening and more floral notes in the dry down that can give it a feminine edge.
Very good projection and longevity, so the power is there along with the refinement, as with the other Exclusifs I’ve tried. This is a fragrance that demands a try, like Coromandel and Sycomore, and now it’s the third I believe I need to buy. Definitely among the best leathers I’ve smelled, with its own floral and citrus edge.
8 out of 10
valets – :
Quite elegant, reserved and classy. This is tailored for formal wear and other times that demand respect! I feel it perhaps too proper for every day use? Opens with bright florals and a touch of citrus, and the animalics appear almost immediately. Eventually, I get a woodsy scent, perhaps the birch tar and tobacco, with it all settling into powdery leather, still smelling a touch wild. Makes quite a statement, and deserving of being included on many short lists. Thumbs up!
idc588Bessinepome – :
This is another Chanel I love. The new version I mean! It has the same accords as No. 5 but it’s less animalic, not musky, and very soft and sweet. The sweetness is coming from the additional note of vanilla which was never there in the vintage original formula from 1924, which I also own and love. The original was an aldehyde floral chypre with a stronger foundation of woods: oak, cedar, sandalwood. This one has the same wood notes as the original but they are not as fragrant. The iris and the jasmine and heliotrope stand out. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s very grown up, sophisticated, worldly, and even feels like something I can’t wear here in the US. It is better appreciated in Europe: Italy, France, Russia. It’s a luxurious fragrance for formal wear but also flexible enough for every day wear. If you’re looking to get a good Chanel this is one. Chanel wore it herself between the time of the frag’s relase in 1924 and through the 30’s. She favored woodsy chypres with sandalwood. She would never wear “vanilla” but for whatever reason it smells really good in the new formula.
Yago – :
A huge thumbs up from me. Out of all the Exclusifs this is my personal favourite and the one I have invested in a full bottle of (buying a used version on ebay thus not paying full price for it… mwah ebay!…) It is NOT for everyone – I totally understand the reviews below stating it is too leathery or smells of horses to some. But personally I love it as it reminds me of my childhood (growing up with women who wore No5 and used to ride horses) and specifically my very stern – to my six year old mind – headmistress who I recall used to wear something like this with what I’m sure now were copied Chanel-style suits. However, this has stuck with me and I know wear this beauty very selectively on occasions when I want to exude gravitas, intellect and confidence. There is still the Chanel trademark ‘iris/aldehyde’ to give it softness and comfort. I often wear this to Russian ballet classes I attend who have formidable, scarey but excellent teachers. It is perfect for these both in its name and the confidence boost it gives me. Basically, I wear it on occasions I know I’m going to meet people I have the greatest respect for.
karyeza – :
I have not yet had the pleasure of sampling this fragrance, but I am here to defend Ms. Chanel since she isn’t here to do it herself. Before relying on the spewings of bought off yellow journalists in regards to this womans’s character, I strongly suggest plumbing beyond the propagandist reductions of history towards international sources of the era. It is only here you are likely to find some semblance of the turmoil that boiled in Europe and glean some sense of that zeitgeist when intellectuals were allowed some expression without fear of ostracization and contempt. This woman liberated Women from impractical and uncomfortable constraints, as well as transcending archaic social and sexual norms. She leaves an inspired and colorful vision equalled by no contemporary designer. What comparable offerings do YOU leave in your wake?
Золушка – :
I was in my male friend’s new truck today for a bit and his seats are leather…I wore this today knowing it’s his FAVOURITE and he told me that after I left he could smell Russie once he got back to his desk…it was in his nostrils; he then confessed that he smelt my seat to smell Russie as i dab it behind my knees…
This perfume is a man-killer ^_^
zkdlcbc – :
This classic gem is new to me and i am 34 now – i have luckily won myself 4 total bottles of the vintage juice – I AM IN LOVE AND SHE LOVES ME TOO – this scent was a blind buy and I stumbled upon an article that mentioned it briefly, by accident. Once I dug and dug and read the story about it I was already fatefully hooked. Once I received the precious nectar from a 40 yr old mini bottle I fell head over heels and lucky for me my skin chemistry loves it back! This one drives the males absolutely batty – leather, sex, light sparkly flowers, pheremones….at the end of the day I smell my wrist and can’t help but smile as I take in the warm, comforting sweet leather scent that lingers as the sultry olfactory aftermath from the erotic performance all day long
..Not at all interested in the modern reformulations – i’ll keep hoarding up vintage formulas as they come availble.
This is now one of ‘my’ signature scents and I can’t wait to wear it once the weather cools down too. This is an accidental, dizzying perfume love affair for me..
kingarthyr1 – :
This is close to No5. In fact I would consider this to be an updated version. I like this very much. I find this to be very chic. This is really lovely. It soft yet strong. Please note, I tested this on a card, It might be better on the skin.
vitalik puzyrek – :
My perceptions of this scent are very different than most other reviews I have read. I am not an expert on perfume by any means.
This smells like makeup to me, like a woman who has on way, way too much oily foundation and lipstick, so much that it would rub off on you if you hugged. This was my first impression, and this impression is holding after >3 hours.
I was excited to get the sample in the mail, and I really want to like it. I will stay open minded and try it again.
Deroxdjopu – :
Never thought I’d say this by reading the commentary, but to me, this is one of the best Chanel fragrances. I smell a pure, floral and clean fragarance with hints of a deep, rich leather. It smells expensive and clean. Beautiful, clean, pure, feminine yet smoky. I don’t take this as a masculine scent, although I do know men that wear it nicely.
The scent itself is a contradiction…floral with notes of a deep, masculine leather. It changes constantly between the two and that’s what makes it a luxurious work of art. Thank you Chanel for keeping such a wonderful, classic fragarance a true modern masterpiece. Timeless beauty in a bottle.
Longativity is average, not sure if I’d buy as a result. I wish this would last as long as Coromandel…so much more feminine, without the heavy patchouli dry down. The fragarance itself is unique and worth the $200 price tag as a result, but the scent quickly fades on my skin which brings hesitation to purchase.
Definitely a modern, unique scent. The uniqueness keeps me coming back for more. May purchase and just keep applying through the the day.
djdrap – :
Classical and peculiar. The opening is like a rain infused ashtray and it’s constituents of expensive cigarettes being dusted into the air at an unrealistically measured rate. It doesn’t smell anything like the trend of tobacco perfumes or even burnt ash. It is neither ashy nor unpleasantly dirty nor green and earthy. The opening which I’m trying to describe (that is easily detectable throughout the duration of Chanel’s CDR) sits somewhere between dusty and medicinal. The atypical smoke has undertones of a blushy lipstick that has expired to the point of cosmetic decay. This peculiar aspect is what gives CDR it’s modified rosey, powdery femininity. The floral component is not really there though, if anything, a lipstick rose lightly coats the visual evocation of a dark leather boot. This is not the kind of leather I imagined and usually like, CDR gives the impression of a very vintage but expensive leather. Beyond the opening, it remains a very strong, heavy scent but airy. It also smells rich, high-quality and concentrated enough to justify the price tag. (heavy on the birch tar?) Everything in CDR seems so grounded into each other that it has become a linear, complex and peculiar one-note. Cuir De Russie is difficult to pull off, I am interested by it but wouldn’t wear it.
Dewpeextnef – :
I put some on in the morning the other day and went to college. It was chilly in my office, but in the afternoon I walked into a warm classroom. In a few minutes a caught a strong whiff of the most gorgeous perfume I’d ever smelled on other person. I was immediately envious and looked around to see who it might be. A moment later I realized it was me. The masculine leather and carnation opening had long since mellowed, but the warmth of the room brought forth a bright, sweet citrus and a lightly spicy floral that combined with the warmth of the mellow leather to form a wonderful nearly gourmand accord. How I wish I had a higher perfume budget!
Westernteplo – :
I’ve got a dab vial and finally got around to trying it (not sure which formulation). I applied what I thought was quite a bit but smelled very little. I got florals and rather light/soft leather, with a touch of sweetness. Being a fan of leather scents, this does nothing for me, but perhaps something else was in that vial (it was from one of those companies that sell samples online). And it seemed to be an EdC type concentration. Nothing smoky or animalic in this vial !
olesya012184 – :
Coco was an anti-Semitic pezza di merda but I’m still a fan.
fix970 – :
To me, Cuir de Russie is the masculine version of No. 5….like Ernest Beaux closed his eyes and tried to imagine the male counterpart of No 5…but still retaining femininity. I find it to be completely unisex. I sort of picture when he heard the story of Coco and her Russian Grand Duke….he imagined her wearing No 5. Or maybe he just assumed. And the smell of everything she was telling him mixed with No 5 as he imagined it.
To me Cuir de Russie smells like smoky leather, romance and aristocracy all mixed in with No 5. As if her handbag absorbed all those smells and she later took it out and smelled it to recall the memories.
Cuir de Russie was an acquired taste for me. I didn’t fall in love immediately. But as I went through the rest of the Exclusifs and began to wear them regularly, along with No 5 again (after an absence for a few years), I began to crave the scent of Cuir de Russie that was still in my memory. I revisited it and immediately fell in love and wondered why I didn’t the first time. I guess because my tastes and preferences have changed over time. Timing can be everything. I think the “Chanelade” in all of the other Chanels that I wear and love just helped me understand Cuir de Russie better over time.
I now find Cuir de Russie to be a 5 star masterpiece and something my collection will not be without very much longer. (Edit: Finally have it. Heaven in a bottle.)
Merpa513elipseskism – :
This is not a perfume but more of a story. I feel like a voyeur using this as it captures that moment between a woman and her lover. It struck me as utterly personal to Ms Chanel herself. The leather boots of her lover,which are strewn on the bedroom floor, a pitcher of flowers, stale tobacco and the smell of sweat and love in the air.
If I could go back in time, I swear i would give anything to meet Coco Chanel, because seldom do we come across a supreme genius, but this woman had the ability to recreate every moment in time. Every fragrance she has created, is a story of her life. I think that Ms Chanel was an olfactory genius, the like of which has hardly been seen since and probably one of the best ‘noses’ever.
Would I wear this fragrance? No…. I couldn’t possibly feel comfortable intruding in that moment of sheer intimacy of Coco Chanel’s life.
I really do think that every perfumista should get a sample of this and try it, to experience the journey and the images that it conjures up.
Sheer unimaginable genius, what more can I say?
omonya – :
I literally just got rose from this, maybe a little soap
arhangelm – :
I have been testing wrist to wrist Cuir de Lancome and Chanel Cuir de Russie.
This is my impression:
the opening of CdL is more subdued, more leathery, sweeter where CdR is sharper. I detect no flowers in any of the two.
CdL develops in a subtler way while CdR seems a rollecoaster ride, more exciting, more faceted. CdL is quieter and in the drydown much more feminine than CdR.
All through its way I can sense no jasmine, no orris, no rose, no flowers at all in CdR while I can feel a very elegant way through expensive materials and a surely very alluring smell. It stays very close to the skin and when completely melts with you, the scent is one of the Seven Wonders of this world.
CdL is much like CdR not in the way the two smells but more in the elegance, the old money feeling it gives you when wearing it.
Definitely I would tend to be of opinion that were CdL much more expensive (the way CdR is) it would be regarded as its Chanel mate by collectors and opinioners worldwide.
Cuir de Russie is a monument in perfumery and very rightly so, but in my very humble opinion I think that Cuir de Lancome should not be disregarded in haste. All the contrary. It would rightly deserve a monument as well.
(For a more detailed review of Cuir de Lancome see my other review on its page).
nikita1986 – :
ancient and overstuffed leather armchairs, cigars, the library of a grand chateau, brandy….
Never realised just how good a scent could be before I smelled this…
Love at first sniff!!!!!
Deonisboy – :
What a great leather scent! The leather is the star obviously, and it’s a smoky, well-broken in sort of leather. Then coming in are some beautiful florals — powder with the iris and a little sweetness from the jasmine/ylang combination. The sweetness of the white and yellow florals keeps the leather from being too overwhelming. It’s a really well balanced, well blended scent. Gorgeous leather, sophisticated and classic. Great for cooler months any time.
BATTLESKY – :
Wow Lanier, your review is fascinating and educational yet very passionate! You are a very talented writer.
жан – :
Paris 1921. Dawn. The snow was falling outside. It was a white coverlet that blanketed the Place Vendome like a soft wet whisper. Coco stretched and smiled eyes still closed. She rolled over in the bed and opened one eye. In the cool steel grey light the Grand Duke was still asleep. The beautiful Russian’s scent had permeated Coco’s bed. She breathed in the aroma of tobacco, it mingled with his musky sexiness. He was delicious.
She sat up in the bed and looked around the boudoir pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged them. A new lover; what could be more perfect this winter? She gathered the mink throw about her naked shoulders and arose like a sylph to ring for breakfast. As she passed a bouquet of African orange blossoms, roses and jasmine on the vanity she noticed how lovely the scent was as it mingled with the trail of musky masculinity that followed her progress from the bed. It hovered near her cheek daring her to kiss the air.
Once breakfast was ordered she turned to enter the bathroom and a glint of light from the foot of the bed snatched at the corner of her eye. The Duke’s gorgeous noir leather boots were there where he had dropped them the night before, one upright the other having fallen over on its side. Coco swept one up in her arms and held it like the most precious thing. The strong masterly fragrance of fine Russian leather embraced her. The room seemed to be swimming in leather and tobacco and some faint spices from the Orient that emanated from one of her perfume bottles. “Odeur incroyable, merveilleux rêve…” she whispered softly. She dropped the boot and fell back into bed with him. She squinted and studied his profile. Then playfully she ran her finger along his imperial Russian forehead over his nose and lips down to his chin. “Wake up Cheri! I have an idea.”
That Idea became Cuir De Russie by Chanel inspired by her brief love affair with a Romanoff on the run, the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. Created in 1924 by master nose of the house of Chanel, Ernest Beaux this fragrance is a masterpiece of the leather perfume group.
It opens like a rich silver box lined with plush maroon velvet. It is well-appointed and sumptuous in the smoothness of its first notes of African orange blossom and mandarin orange. These citrus accords are only momentary and they sink back to reveal the heart of jasmine, rose and ylang ylang supported by incredible spice. This all sounds very feminine and lovely but the over riding structure and genius of this fragrance is the persistence of the rich smooth polish of a great leather note. It is there from beginning to end. This leather blends in with the rose and jasmine to create a dominating masculine presence that somehow is not pushy but rather intuitive and clever. It is a seduction of insinuation that is in the end irresistible. It smells of a clean wonderful athletic body that isn’t intimidated by rough roughish edginess that comes with the musk. The dry down is clean as the birch wood note enters along with a taste of tobacco and bergamot. The projection is substantial and it lasts around six to eight hours. Cuir de Russie is most definitely for both men and women.
Plane and simply put it is a magnificent scent. Cuir de Russie by Chanel Les Exclusifs is a classic from arguably one of the best noses ever to have lived. Legendary, iconic and timeless and as modern today as it was when it was introduced 88 years ago.
FIVE PLATIUM CAMILIAS *****
DewDroridom – :
I put Cuir de Russie on one wrist and Tabac Blond on the other, and was astonished to discover that the opening note of CdR is actually quite floral. Ylang-ylang, I would say, rather than jasmine-not quite sweet enough for jasmine. TB is dirtier, smokier, leatherier-this is coming as a shock to me, because CdR has been my reference leather for so long; also because I’m not using vintage TB, and I understand that the modern stuff has been thoroughly defanged.
However in the long run, CdR reveals a long-lasting, deep, ambery leather that is rich and deep and heady without being at all clingy.
Cuir de Russie will remain my reference leather and one of my all-time favorite perfumes.
netrasskazovpor – :
This opens up smelling exactly like saddle soap on leather. With the leather there’s some kind of floral that I’m guessing is the iris and also something salty. This phase is quite challenging. I appreciate it’s complexity and balance but I can’t really like it. Perhaps its an acquired taste. Then it goes to a powdery aldehyde phase that’s very Chanel and some beautiful floral.
It doesn’t last very long, about six hours but it is occasionally gorgeous, unpredictable and always interesting.
ata1818 – :
I can’t speak for the most recent reformulation of Cuir de Russie as what I have is one of those vintage small, rectangular vials with a glass stopper/dauber of Cuir de Russie that’s so old that there are no longer any top notes to speak of. Long gone are the notes of orange blossom, bergamot and sage, ylang, etc. What I am getting is strong saddle-type leather right out of the bottle. There are no buttery soft, suede luxury purses here, just well-seasoned, burnished leather with smokey styrax and the hint of soft, white florals and a bit of sweet amber wafting through as a counterpoint, now and then, as I move my wrists. I’m wearing this on this cold crisp winter morning as frozen snow lay on the ground and I’m having my morning coffee…it’s perfect.
NEERTOOME – :
This scent for me has taken me nearly a full year and three seasons to fully appreciate. It is not a spring smell, and definitely not a summer scent. As a male smoker I was intrigued by the idea of a scent designed for women who dared to smoke nearly a century ago. When it is warm outside this smell quickly becomes sickening sweet, however, in the winter this perfume quickly comes to life with a warm opening of leather that lays close to the skin all day and dries down into the brilliant warm floral wood scent the we all love in our traditional Chanel buy. Definitely worth every dollar if you want a winter scent to keep you smelling yourself. Also, the leather has just enough masculinity to make this scent truly unisex.
мишаня 24 – :
Chanel Cuir de Russie:
This one took me a couple of tries just to get past the opening, it was so insurmountably strong that I couldn’t really appreciate it. However, after the first two or three minutes of my third attempt it mellowed out a little, and I was able to grasp the leather and floral balance.
I would describe it as 3/4 leather, 1/4 floral bouquet. The leather is unabashed, and smells just like a few vintage jackets I have. While this scent is probably not for me, (primarily because of the overwhelming strength of the opening) I can see its beauty. It is dry, powerful, and slightly feminine. A true historical testament to the raucous women of the 1920’s.
Overall: 7.5
Kylie_fromAD – :
This is my first Chanel and what a gloriously naughty introduction it is! The initial burst was hazy, cloudy smoke, like bars were back in the day before smoking bans. Remember those nights when your eyes would burn and your hair would stink the next day in the shower? Believe it or not, I kinda miss it, though probably more in memory than I would in reality. Anyway, the smoke settles into supple leather and musk, with smoothed over rose rubbed in. The florals are mature, like oil on skin. I ab.so.lute.ly. love this, though I feel like I need a dirrrrty martini, stat!
botmaster – :
Dry, strong, heartless.
love it.
Hutsstorb – :
to twj47-CHANEL official site
viktor11130 – :
OMG what a difference the perfume makes from the EDT. I’ve always heard what a great perfume Cuir de Russie was. Now I can agree. Finally I can smell the leather, the tobacco, the smoke, the vetiver–and, yet feminine so Paris. The florals as yet are not distinguishable to me; I may be able to discern them after wearing it for a week or so. It is close to the skin. I may give up hoarding scents and stick to this one. (Probably not)
sa84nja – :
Potent ashtray smell with leather gloves. Slight powdery florals hiding in the background. Sorry Chanelers but I have to say this……
Reminiscent of a horse stable too as previously mentioned. Person that wore a perfume and went to work in a horse stable, that’s spot on description.
This is the dirtiest Chanel I came across. Use it sparingly.
Maybe it works for some, I don’t know, I have to wash it off immediately.
mechigan – :
This was ‘my’ perfume from 1967 to about 1977 when I could no longer find it. I’m quite staggered at the number of reviews which indicate that it’s still available! I loved it and was heartbroken when it was impossible to find. Somebody please tell me where it’s avail