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bogus – :
Butch leather under a bed of freshness that after the initial start shifts into a polished and polite rich leather with a base of the signature Chanel soapy-aldehydes. The jasmine and yang ylang beautifully envelopes the soapy leather giving the perfume a luscious, seductive nuance. It smells high class and rich; very Chanel.
Lately it’s getting compared with Dior’s Cuir Cannage but to me, the closest to Cuir de Russie is Etro’s Gomma; they have a similar soapy leather infused with jasmine.
8.5/10
saramaga – :
Has anyone the EDT version of this and is willing to sell at a reasonable price?
scbrookgzz – :
This is such an odd scent. For the first hour it’s a super strong leather scent, I don’t pick up any other notes. Then Cuir de Russie EDT turns into a horse ranch. I smell the stables and pasture here… and I also smell BBQ sauce. Not sure which note is causing that reaction but it could be the tobacco note. I don’t pick up a single floral.
I have a dificult time with Chanel, I keep waiting for something that works on me skin to no avail. This smells like quality but it’s not for me.
Fail228 – :
Too similar with others in the Les exclusifs line, they’re all share the same luxury substance like, Chanel substance.. on me this one sometimes feels like wearing No.5 edc, sometimes Bois des Illes, this even sometimes feels like wearing Guerlain Mitsouko
garikminsk – :
I wish I could get the floral notes that others are delighting in. On me, this EDT Les Exclusifs version is all leather, with the smallest touch of powder.
FGHT – :
edt on my arms
Love it so much, never smelled something similar before. perfect on my sun tanned skin, long lasting…
warm leather, rose notes, smokey plus jasmine
daydis – :
Beauty can stem from one of two virtues: balance or contrast. Personally I find greater pleasure in dramatic beauty: in fragrance, where a tension between accords is pushed to breaking point and has the wearer constantly on edge until it settles down.
Sheldrake’s work is exemplary of this style, Ellena’s, instead stems from his obsession with balance.
In perfume, the effect is increased when the juxtaposition involves the “masculine” and “feminine” worlds colliding. Beaux’s Cuir de Russie – 1924, reinvented by Jacques Polge (and Sheldrake) for Les Exclusifs – 2007 is an essay on this tension.
The magic of this perfume is the fact that it surprises me every time I wear it. Cuir de Russie is a demanding fragrance, it is sophisticated and intellectual, more than any other from Chanel’s line, save for n°19. And like her Green Floral sister, she requires time to be fully appreciated, revealing nuances from time to time to her wearer. Also like her Sister, Cuir de Russie, knows no gender, she is astonishing on both men and women.
The fragrance bursts to life with Aldehydes and Linalyl Acetate notes (Bergamot, Clary Sage – I wish this were used more often – and maybe a touch of Neroli), which introduce the classical Floral heart of Jasmine, Rose, Ylang. The Florals are supported by a masculine Woody Balsamic Leather: Cedarwood, Birch, Styrax, Tobacco, Amber accord, Musk and a smidgen of Orris, just to maintain the balance between homme and femme. The Cuir de Russie accord, which character is present from start to end, is created through the Clary Sage, Jasmine, Orris, Styrax and Birch, which respectively bring the Floral, Indolic, Supple, Balsamic and Smoky qualities of treated Leather.
I cannot help but ask myself what a touch of Mimosa and bitter Myrrh oil could add to this extraordinary perfume! But that is just my creative urge taunting me to tweak perfection.
As for concentration, I own both the Eau de Toilette and the Parfum, both are exquisite, I have not smelled the Eau de Parfum recently released, but have not heard great things about it, apparently the fragrance feels heavy and looses it’s shimmer.
For other extraordinary Floral Leathers see Hermès – Cuir D’Ange (2015), Violet Cumin Leather: it is supposed to smell like the inside of an Hermès bag; also Knize – Ten (1925), for a Carnation Castoreum Leather, and Serge Lutens – Cuir Mauresque (1996) for its more Jasmine Balsamic interpretation. Cartier La Treizième Heure (2009) is an astonishing Narcissus Leather! I only discovered it recently, while perusing through Cartier’s line, but it left me in awe.
Link to blog in bio.
yulikas – :
I don’t smell Russian leather in Cuir de Russie. I’m not picking up any strong redolence of birch tar in its smoky form — no kicking boots. This is more like its sweet facet with a touch of wintergreen. Indeed though, it delivers a feeling of high quality water resistant leather — impressively supple and smooth like a handbag or high quality wallet.
I also detect a fair amount of styrax resin. It’s not listed in the note pyramid above but is in the description of the 1924 listing. I thought that listing was for the vintage so I felt my review for the recently discontinued Les Exclusifs EDT should be posted here. But this definitely smells of styrax, iris and carnation, also not listed here but included over there.
Cuir de Russie rubs shoulders with Dior’s Cuir Cannage and Parfum d’Empire’s Cuir Ottoman. I like this much better as the iris is keyed down and the vinyl-like styrax isn’t as sharp being blended well with carnation. This also feels more genteel with a classic tenderness.
As far as any horsey or animalic notes go, there is an element of something like castoreum but soft and clean, not as raw as bearskin in say Antaeus (which by the way is another gorgeous Chanel).
In the realm of iris based leathers, Cuir de Russie EDT comes out on top for me. It’s complex, well blended, smooth and keyed in a tone that is seductive without having to express itself loudly.
I feel the current EDP is more of a jasmine based leather. Being a jasmine lover and with the tendency for iris to turn a bit vinyl-like on my skin, I do prefer the EDP for its overall scent which is richer, but the leather accord is a lot quieter in the EDP and sometimes elusive. For its intended leather presentation, Cuir de Russie EDT is quite stunning.
крот 9898 – :
I’ve never been to Russia, but if the countryside smells like birch tar this was the most aptly named perfume I’ve ever smelled. The first 30 minutes were nothing but leather and birch tar, and a tiny whiff of smoke. In your face, aggressive, potent leather and birch tar.
Then, strangely, it morphed to horse behind and soap. I took riding lessons for years as a kid, and that note was such a throwback! I would never have expected that in a Chanel. The soap wasn’t well blended with it, either. They kind of wafted around each other.
The very far dry down was nice, but I don’t think I will often be in a mood for it via a such a strong birch tar opening.
I tested the EDT sprayed. I will probably retest in winter to see what differences I smell in cold weather. I know there is supposed to be some citrus and white flowers in this one, but they were hiding behind horse bum for me. 😉
BriermJek – :
A very good friend gave me a sample of this a couple of years ago. This same fragrance enthusiast once suggested to me that if I do not care for a particular scent, to not dispose of it because my tastes may drastically change. Great advise! I had virtually written off Cuir De Ruissie as I had quite an aversion to leather dominant fragrances, and vanilla for that matter. But the vanilla aversion turned into a recent full blown vanilla addiction! Now, today I have to admit I am obsessed, at least with THIS leather. So, “never say never” in this case gave me the most delightful, dare I say “fresh” scent experience I have had in a very long time.
I found this fragrance to be breathtakingly beautiful. I did not find this to be “barnyard” like in the least, just sexy. My first reaction was, I imagine this would feel amazing in the colder months, in a warm beige sweater or nothing at all…But, it is summer here in Florida and it was glorious today even in the heat. The leather is like suede, the softest and most buttery imaginable, then perfectly harmonious floral accords rise upward ever so gently like a sweet breeze and lovely sweet vanilla undertones support the entire arrangement from start to finish. Never say never, you will not regret it!
jnc761speagoessenda – :
This didnt work for me. It’s just too bitter and smoky. And not in a highend way. On me it smelled like a cheap dive bar full of wall street men who were hiding from their wives.
cumas – :
Scent – oriental leather & musk.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the warmer months, day or night.
Projection – I didn’t get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 10hrs consistently.
key918elipseskism – :
I was intrigued by a comment on CdR yesterday so I gave two generous sprays on my left arm … just to be delighted, once again, and that reminded me I have to buy the recent formula of Dior Fahrenheit. The new Cologne version is already here. And yes, after two showers and next morning, my arm doesn’t smell quite like Chanel No5, but the distictive Chanel core, hard core, is there, no doubt about it. But it is more like Antaeus than No5. Chanel has kept that trade mark floral heart even in the male scents. The change starts with Allure pour Home? perhaps? and it was gone forever from Chance/Bleu lines onwards. I have tried many a niche parfums and none, none of them has given me the pleasure, the complexity, extacsy, the long lasting amazimnent and delightfulness scents like Cuir de Russie, No5, No19, Cristalle, Shalimar, Mitsouko and L’Heure Bleue all have to offer. What come a little closer are the Chanel and Dior Les Exclusifs, and even so, they don’t bring the same depth and richness the classics do. They are in fact quite simple fragrances, but very good nonetherless.
But it is all a matter of taste, really. That’s why a don’t write negative reviews. If I don’t like a scent that’s my problem, only.
Cuir Cannage … another favourite … is in fact Cuir de Russie without the Chanel heart and more … pastel … I have it, I like it… yes I do, but, but … not quite the same.
хрюндель – :
Duskfall … how on earth all that horse poop emerged from the distict petrol smell shared by some leather scents? Cuir de Russie by Chanel, and Cuir de Lancome, has a lot to do with Dior Fahrenheit. Of course there is a floral accoerd, and that may be a bit indolic for some … but I guess you got a bad sample as I did some years ago… It was only when a smelt a good tester at the Chanel Boutique that I realized what happened. And the Fahrenheit effect is a surprise and makes CdR by Chanel very masculine … I would like to tell you to try again, but not everybody likes leather scents anyway…
bekoma – :
Duskfall… Thank You for your honesty.
Abogmalabchugry – :
I got a generous sample of Cuir de Russie and obviously I was thrilled to try it! I usually don’t get along with Chanels, but CdR is a true classic after all… It will surely be a glowing success, right? Wrong.
At first it was actually pleasant and it felt like Chanel No. 5 on steroids. Soon enough it ventured strongly into the barnyard territory and it started to smell like… ehmmm… horse poop and soap. Nothing else. I love horses and the scent can also be considered luxurious, but I don’t want to go out in public smelling like I’ve been cleaning up the stables for hours and not showered/changed my clothes afterwards. I know I’ll probably be downvoted, but this is my subjective perception of CdR. It seems to be a matter of body chemistry once again; most people don’t get the full-on stable experience, but some of us certainly do. This is a definite no-go for me, although I’m sure it’s beautiful on someone with a matching chemistry.
Average performance.
benq10 – :
Cuir de Russie exudes elegance and refinement. Every time I need to boost my self-confidence, this is the fragrance I go to. There is a retro vibe to it which makes it unique and clearly sets the scent apart from the lame creations of mass production. Even the people who are baffled by its animalic aroma cannot help but notice the quality and creativity here. There are few instances when I can deliberately say that I am proud to be French but Cuir de Russie has made that possible. MERCI, CHANEL!
maz1967 – :
Cuir de Russie Parfum
Perfetto. Divino.
Una vera e propria opera d’arte.
Di fronte a questo capolavoro si resta in silenzio, perché ti porta in altri mondi, altre epoche e immagini, altro tutto.
Totalmente innamorato.
Un vero e proprio capolavoro senza tempo.
Amo, amo e amo!
<3
Viktorius – :
This is not just any leather. This is not like showing up at the 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).
Rosina46 – :
Cuir de Russie is a beautiful leather fragrance for a woman. The leather here is high-quality and silken to smell, and I just adore how all of the supporting notes really emphasise the facets of the leather itself, the butteriness from the ylang-ylang, the smoothness from the birch, the cleanliness from the jasmine, and sometimes, something that suggests a leather that is cracked and well-worn. The soft tobacco occasionally appears as a subtle puff of smoke. I can also smell a very indolic jasmine, especially during the heart, that, when combined with the leather, keeps my nose glued to my wrist for hours, and enraptures me, and I feel as though I am sharing the same ecstasy like many an artist before me, reveling in the sheer beauty of this enchanting perfume. The dry-down is a softer, slightly powdery version of what’s described above. This is leather from start to finish on my skin, the scent of romantics and dreamers everywhere.
Yes, it is simple. You will not find what you’re looking for here if you wish for a perfume that is “more than just leather”. But it was Coco Chanel herself who said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” and that’s exactly what Cuir de Russie is. The feeling I get is sophisticated, warm, sensual and evocative, as I often find my mind wandering. I see this scent often described as “cold and austere” and I will mention that I think this largely depends on skin chemistry. This smells warm and enveloping and alive on my skin. In addition, this scent becomes more and more beautiful with each and every wear, and to me it is a special perfume, one that is worth getting to know intimately as time passes.
As with most of my favourite Chanels, I enjoy wearing Cuir de Russie during the winter months, for quiet, reflective time by myself, curled up somewhere keeping warm, so I can relish in it’s beauty. However, because I feel as though this perfume has been worn by many a musician, painter or writer before me, I would love to pair this with my sexiest dress and wear it on a very cold evening to a jazz bar or an art gallery, because I think that this scent performs at it’s absolute best in the autumn or winter. Soft to moderate sillage; longevity is for about 5-6 hours.
nurlin – :
The Exclusifs.
I’ve showered with Vintage Imperial Leather soap. My Black Cordovan’s have been polished with a high quality boot wax. My bespoke jeans, perfectly fit, worn at the knees. My Ivory Kiton cleanly pressed open at the collar by one button. My jacket, a slightly out of style and perfect Black Hermes. My wedding ring, plain, heavy, Yellow Gold. In my arms is a bouquet of Purple Iris and Yellow Daffodils. It is Spring. I am meeting my beautiful wife for Late Lunch at our favorite Brasserie. She is wearing Black, Ivory and Gold, No.5, Black Chanel flats with Gold Bows. All these things are Myne. Don’t try to take them away or I will kick you with MY Black Buffed Cordovans and punch you in the face with MY heavy yellow gold wedding ring.
Then again I can anoint this fragrance anytime, anywhere, wearing Formal or not. It is sooo perfectly sublime.
I have yet to taste the true Vintage Extrait.
Katavaigesota – :
Les Exclusifs Cuir de Russie is a contemporary leather fragrance that strikes the “Chanel balance” of being artistically significant yet easily wearable. I am dying to try a vintage version – I bet the animal ingredients and all the banned stuff is delicious in there. (Sowwy!)
I feel like I have smelled Cuir de Russie before, and I can’t tell if it’s because I’ve smelled the original on people in the past or if I’ve found these notes rearranged in other compositions over the years. It’s like an indie band’s first mainstream album – still kinda “niche-y” feeling, but definitely tailored with acceptance by many in mind.
My fragrantica friend “jt, too” described Cuir de Russie as a feminine leather, and I agree. It has leather (definitely punchy in the opening), but it feels worn-in, with smoky incense standing out on my skin. The smoke is sweet, dusty/powdery and elevating. CdR smells absolutely animalic and definitely feels suitable for heavier, winter clothing or nighttime activities. I have an indestructible nose-to-stomach connection (nausea or headaches rarely happen to me), but smelling this baby in the heat of summer might make me toss my cookies. That being said, I’m gonna see what it’s like in the summer. 😉
Cuir de Russie might be a prefect “starter” leather for a modern-minded person; it is rich in composition and quality but it isn’t too complex. A+ lasting power.
erurlertya – :
I’m sure this fragrance was very popular back in the days; it has an 80’s classic grand-perfume feel, but compared to Dior’s Cuir Cannage (similar at first) and today’s many niche offerings, this really doesn’t live up the hype.
468 – :
I finally bought the parfum (not the edt) and I am thrilled. It’s more of everything I liked in the edt. The darker aspects are clearer, but also the bright soapy ones as well.
This is quiet enough to wear every day, but interesting enough to never get tired of. It may be the only scent I know of that strikes this important balance.
kumka – :
The first minutes of this scent make me understand why some reviewers find it “beefy,” so to speak, as for a brief time it is aldehydes, bitter birch tar and beef jerky. However, this phase passes quickly to frothy white soap and supple shining leather with rose, jasmine and ylang ylang providing a lift. The drydown, however, is my favorite part- a suede veil of honeyed tobacco and faded florals. The whole thing is warmly animalic, not in a dirty way but in what I can only call an honest way.
My struggle with Cuir de Russie is reconciling the idea of it and the idea of me- that is to say, the mythology of this scent calls to mind angular, dark women and leather-clad ranking officers who are as rough as they are glamorous, everyone tall and dressed to the teeth in shining leather, dense fur and polished metal and comfortably ensconced in extreme wealth. I am decidedly shorter, fairer, softer, and comfortably (let’s be honest, sometimes shabbily) dressed, and so wonder if I am too casual, too soft, too feminine to pull this off. However, legends and mythology aside, I stand by the essences this scent recalled to me that struck a personal chord: a snifter of campfire whiskey, sweet and smoky tobacco, a horse’s neck, a beloved hound’s ears, all topped off with Chanel’s proprietary blend of old-fashioned soap and old money. It’s those last qualities that make me fear that this may be too austere for me in the end.
apteechko – :
This is heavenly. Tried it at rue Cambon, and alongside Coromandel, it blew my mind. I finally ended buying Coromandel as my first “exclusif”, but Cuir de Russie is sooo next. The lovely lady sprayed a camelia with Cuir de Russie for me to take home, and two weeks later, the camelia still smells like it’s been in a Tsar palace in St.Petersburgh in early 20th century!
Cuir de Russie is butter leather all the way, super refined, smoky, with a white floral heart, subtle warm base notes of iris, slight amberish tobacco but mainly this gorgeous brushed slightly animalic leather. As others have mentioned, there is a “beefy” animalic accord here. Cuir de Russie, a beauty that’s mesmerising, as it also evokes, as many reviewers said, a time and an era that’s long gone.. but the scent itself is another timeless Chanel.
scent: 9/10
longevity: 6/10
sillage: 6/10
europa – :
There is a beautiful butter leather accord in this, and I could happily smell that aspect of this fragrance for hours. Unfortunately, it quickly gets drowned out in gentle powdery florals(to my nose, primarily iris) and the clean soapiness of aldehydes.
This is a hyper refined, elegant leather, and justly deserves the praise heaped upon it…..however, it is that exact high born quality that makes me appreciate its genius, but also to know that it is far too proper for my personal tastes.
DENISVIKA – :
There were so many perfumes with the name “Cuir de Russie” at the end of the XIXth century …it was a name rather common for years and years
Then Chanel ,wanting her own “Cuir de Russie”, wanted to make a hommage to the Great Duke Dimitri of Russia who became his lover in the beginning of the 20ies . It has nothing to do with the bolchevic Revolution or the Russia in the 20 ies .
She sheltered many russian aristocrats who fleed Russia since 1917 . ( She will also shelter Igor Stravinsky in the different houses she had )…she loved the “russian spirit”
Many princesses and great duchesses worked in the houses of Haute Couture after the Revolution.
Natalie Paley daughter of the Great Duke Paul Alexandrovitch ( cousin of the Tzar) will mary Lucien Lelong and will become a famous actress , then at Hollywood , for instance ….
There is also a great Duchess who was in charge in Chanel House with the public relationships with the russian emigrants . And Chanel in those years will also make collections which inspiration was clearly russian ( orthodox crosses , colors , tissues and so on …)
dewed – :
Okay—I have to step in and render a small reality check amongst the maddening crowd. I am so confused by the questionable summary. Supposedly this perfume captures:
“the essence of the wild and lavish Russia in the 1920s”
Uhhhh…..how ’bout no?
Unfortunately it seems that whomever wrote up the copy for this one did not have a history book anywhere close at hand. The 1920s ushered in one of the most bleak and distressing economic depressions in Russia complete with famines that caused the death of millions. All of which provided the perfect foundation for Stalin’s idea of the Soviet Union.
Therefore, a perfume that smells like “1920s Russia” would be categorized as disturbingly inappropriate in much of polite society… but given the tradition of heavy handed snobbery and elitism which masquerades as marketing in the fragrance world, it is actually quite hilarious!
Basically according to the Fragrantica summary by way of Chanel(?) the perfume smells like death, starvation, and utter misery moving towards the embrace of a brutal Communist regime.
Oooh sexy!
Seriously, I’m likely in the minority, but I don’t think I want to smell like that.
Talk about gilding the marketing lily! Proof that so much of the stature given to some perfumes lies in the imagery they evoke, regardless of whether or not that imagery actually ever existed.
After all, it only took a nod in that direction and there are already reviewers here waxing lyrical about Tsar cavalry and horses. The last Tsar and Tsarina had been brutally murdered along with their young children by the Russian military about 3 years prior to the 1920s. Consequently by that time, there was no Tsar cavalry…
In fact the last time that Russia could be considered “lavish” and perhaps by extension “wild” in it’s pursuit of hedonistic pleasures would have likely been in the late 1800s (and then only if you were part of the wealthy nobility)… but that has less of a ring to it for all but a niche portion of 21st century culture—-
A fragrance reminiscent of the 1920s speaks to a certain live out loud, colorful sensuality. This is because most envision it from the perspective of western culture. In contrast, a fragrance reminiscent of the 1800s would likely be considered aged, decrepit, and musty before the first whiff were taken. Chanel’s brand centers around modernity, so 1920s Russia it is, regardless of what was actually happening in Russia during the 1920s.
I’ve read a lot of overly elaborate prose to describe a perfume but—that was a bit much.
Now…regarding the fragrance? They did knock offs in the 1920s as well. In fact, more so and with greater panache. The vintage CDR was nothing more than Caron’s Tabac Blond which was released about 5-6 years prior to CDR. In terms of the modern “exclusif” that Chanel has released???? Translation: reformulated to meet IFRA standards which would include the removal of most of the natural notes replacing them with synthetics thus transforming the entire affair into a Leather and iris aroma chemical bomb.
Which explains the exaggerated almost beef-like scent that some mention. The natural means of achieving that leather touch while less ethical in some regards (castoreum) or safe (birch tar) produced a more nuanced complexity. I’m personally okay with synthetic leather (leave them animals alone!) but you have to go easy on it in my mind. The result of doing too much is that it’s no longer the softly tailored leather glove of a lady but instead the leather clad fist of a prizefighter punching you in the face while saying: “This is leather, this is leather, this is leather”.
I suppose it is marketing genius: we have to reformulate so we’ll charge you the consumer more for the headache of reformulation. $280 for synthetic leather and iris? Meh. Buy a vintage bottle if you really want to go there. Even better…just buy vintage Tabac Blond, lol.
валерьянушка – :
Needless to say that CdR is very sumptuous. I liked it a lot, it’s floral – the rose note is quite noticeable – I also get the aldehydes, tobacco, mandarin, musc and of course something that I think is the leather.
However, the leather note, I find it a little strange. For me, it is close to wet human scalp. I’m not used to horses, so the human scalp is the closest metaphor for me.
I also had the same feeling when trying Daim Blonde, which has a delicious rubbery fruity note.
Someone said that CdR would be the No.5 plus the leather note. I’d rather say No.19; especially in regards to the dry down.
гера – :
Most of what has been written on classical perfumery falls into three categories: the description, the tribute and the complaint, also known as anger passing for nostalgia.
Take Chanel no 5:
• The description: Soapy. Bubbly. Old Lady perfume. Flowery. Feminine.
• The tribute: The greatest perfume ever made. The ultimate fashion accessory of the 20th century. The perfume that launched thousand ships.
• The complaint can be sophisticated or simplistic, but the meaning is the same: something I am entitled to has been taken away from me and I’m bitter. Blame political correctness for taking animal products off the perfumers palate, blame the governmental nannies for taking away nitro musks. Wherever I point the finger, though, I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to wear this anymore.
Cuir de Russe is a seminal work from one of the acknowledged founders of contemporary perfumery, Ernest Beaux. Describing it, idolizing it or bitching about its current state doesn’t seem sufficient.
So what can I say about it? It is one of the few remaining examples of the sub genre after which it was named. The Russian leathers were defined by their specific combination of the hard and the soft. Rough leather notes, typically created with great helpings of birch tar, are balanced by dry floral notes. They combined the rugged and the refined and played on the Franco-Russian mystique of the early 20th century. They conveyed the sensibility of an era where sophistication was not defined by effete finery, but by an almost swashbuckling pursuit of ‘the finer things’.
Does Chanel’s Cuir de Russie meet these expectations? Tough to say. Perfume’s capacity to evoke a broad sensibility is a function of many factors, from accessibility and social expectation to marketing, cost and personal habit. The Russian Leathers’s connotation of class and privilege was likely a smoke-and-mirrors game at the start of the 20th Century. In the second decade of the 21st it is virtually mythology, which Chanel maintain with their heritage pillars: No 5, Cuir de Russie and Bois des Isles.
Cuir de Russie must meet a two-part goal for Chanel. It must remain coherent with the image of Chanel’s history yet be desirable to the buyer who doesn’t know or care that the perfume has a history. This is the precipice where many vintage perfumes die. They are reformulated, whether due to materials or strategy, and they lose the buyers. Caron’s strategy has been to reformulate their heritage products drastically (eg. Narcisse Noir). Vintage lovers protest that their favorite perfumes have been gutted and new younger buyers have little interest in ‘old lady perfumes.’ Taking a different tack, Guerlain reissued Vega as true to its original form as possible. Buyers who didn’t care about its historical significance didn’t buy it and it has been discontinued.
Caron is the cautionary tale and Chanel have paid close attention. Cuir de Russie ‘ain’t what she used to be,’ but is an exceptional perfume that is precicely calibrated for 2015. The reference to the past is apparent but the perfume isn’t nostalgic in the least. Neither is it adorned with olfactory signifiers like fruit notes, lingering woody ambers or cotton candy that that would suggest a cynical attempt to trick a younger demographic. The juxtaposition of leather with flowers is the idea at the heart of both the vintage and the current formulations of Cuir de Russie. The current version focusses on the same concepts that the original did rather than try to recreate it. In emphasizing evolution and continuity Chanel have made the current Cuir de Russie what it always was: a reference point and a standard against which other perfumes are measured.
An excellent leather perfume has been evidence of quality and distinction for niche and classic houses. Robert Piguet are ‘known’ for Bandit, as is Heeley for Cuir Pleine Fleur and Balmain formerly was for Jolie Madame. Cuir de Russie might not be a best-seller for Chanel, but it is critical to their image and their perfume portfolio. Jacques Polge, who oversees the maintenance of the line and is responsible for its current composition, gets high marks for the deliberation and subtlety that make the contemporary Cuir de Russie an exceptional perfume.
from scenthurdle.com
pepe_fw – :
This smells of soft, luxurious leather with some fresh, sweet undertones and a bit of tobacco. It is an inspiring scent, but I’m not sure I would want to smell like leather often enough to warrant buying a full bottle. I really want my leather jacket to smell like this though.
Anyshka1988 – :
This is THE BEST leather fragrance out there! Nothing beats this amazing juice! It is pure luxury!
prostata007 – :
10/10 masterpiece. But the story was longer than this. I bought it wihtout really clear idea why, next weeks I regretted it, next months I regretted it. While in the meanwhile plounging myself into trying everything in the perfume industry. I