Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum

Exquisite. Easily my favorite leather fragrance ever. The leather note is present throughout the evolution of the fragrance, even as gorgeous florals and resins join the party. That doesn't mean it's linear. It just means that it never deviates from it's intent of capturing the elegance of finely made leather. There's even a powdery aspect to it though I can't say for sure what note or notes create this accord. It's a complex fragrance, and though I am testing this indoors on an early evening in May, I can't help but think how this could easily be a different fragrance in the cold air of a winter's evening. I will enjoy my mini and add this to my list of FB worthy fragrances. It definitely occupies one of the top tier levels amongst my ongoing exploration of the Les Exclusifs line, which like Coromandel, surprises me, given what I expected! I can't stop sniffing my wrist!! PS - after reading through all these reviews including the many comparing the EDT to the EDP and finding that the latter is inferior, I have to ask myself if it's more a matter of being familiar with a certain scent and being thrown off when a new formulation smells differently rather than the new version actually being inferior. In many cases, especially with beloved fragrances that become watered down versions of their former selves due to declining popularity, declining profitability, and the company's desire to keep the fragrance available in some form for those who once loved it, there is a legitimacy to the complaints of those who adored them in their original form and feel let down by the decline in quality. However, in this instance, I'm not sure that the criticisms are particularly fair. Having never tried the EDT, perhaps I'm speaking out of turn, but it seems to me that what we have here is two versions of equal quality but with distinctly different fragrances. This shouldn't be surprising to perfumistas who recognize that in most instances, the difference between EDT and EDP versions is more than just a matter of potency. That are quite often completely different - more like flankers than variations of intensity. Ideally, Chanel would continue offering the EDTs along with the EDPs in the Les Exclusifs line so that consumers can purchase their preferred formulation. Since they do not, then unfortunately those who prefer the former and bemoan the loss of a certain character need to accept that like so many other discontinued gems, the fragrances they loved is gone. Perhaps then, they can approach the new versions as completely new perfumes in their own right, discovering what they like and dislike based upon it's own qualities. I have a hunch that many will find they like the EDPs more than they realized by taming their expectations. Just a thought!

Very interesting composition of slightly smokey, soft leather and white and yellow flowers. As such, this fragrance is unique, elegant and unisex. Indeed, with the diminished aldehydic component, which has the effect of diminishing the degree to which the floral notes are front and center in this scent, the EdP is rather less feminine than the departed EdT. I always felt like the EdT was just too much of a flower bomb for me, but I love the EdP. The opening of Cuir de Russie EdP is effervescent orange and bergamot enlivened with some aldehydes and a hint of floral orange blossom. When you first spray this fragrance, you could be forgiven for thinking that CdR is a cologne-like scent. But within a very short time, the leather begins to become discernable and the scent's name becomes instantly comprehensible, the opening is a feignt, this scent is just what the bottle says: Russian Leather. (Fun fact: before the name was changed because the marketers believed it would not sell in the cold war era, the well-known men's fragrance "English Leather" was originally called "Russian Leather".) What a fabulous leather fragrance this is: silky smooth, almost like suede with a hint of the animalic. This leather is like the stuff they use in the softest Chanel bags. It is elegant. Of course, before the leather takes complete control in the dry down, the florals spend some time on center stage in the heart of CdR. They are lovely, but neither cloying nor too sweet. When the base notes arrive in full force, there is the leather again, stronger this time, and accented by the tobacco notes from the tail of the mid. A bit of Smokey birch and some incense tinged resins round things out. Stupendous blending is on display throughout. This is truly great stuff! Highly recommended.

I just took the plunge and bought this. Whatever the differences in reformulations, I can say that this is a beautiful classic fragrance, female leaning, with a Guerlain (yes, Guerlain) undertone in the clearly present, yet unlisted iris/violet/cosmetic powder note underneath a creamy smooth soft leather. Think Shalimar without the vanilla sweetness and a softer leather. It does have an old fashioned, French-milled soapiness to it in the dry down, but I like that. It’s interesting to read what some are disappointed in about the reformulation. It certainly does not smell like a barnyard (why anyone would want to smell like horse — is a mystery to me). Perhaps it’s more classically feminine of a fragrance now? Less rough perhaps? Whatever the grievance, I’m not sure that I would have liked this fragrance even a little pre-reformulation. If you’ve smelled it before and thought it stank, maybe give it another try now. What some hate about it now may be what I (and maybe you too) like about it. Edit: The only negative about this edp for me, is that it is CLEARLY NOT edp concentration. I would like to know the exact concentration, because it is very fleeting, more so than edt’s that I own. I suspect Chanel has watered down their concentration while simultaneously hiking their prices, which is a shame. Edit 2: okay I have to amend that slightly, as the performance is better than it seemed. Hours after I had sprayed, I thought the scent had faded and had taken my dog for a walk in the park. A kid on a skateboard passed by and shouted back at me “wow you smell good!!” I really didn’t think the scent was projecting at all at that point, but clearly I’m becoming anosmic to it after a couple of hours. Good to know, thanks random skateboarding kid!

One of my favorites from Chanel's Exclusifs, and certainly one of the best iterations of Russian leather that I've tried. The leather, birch, tobacco, and resins are masterfully blended to emulate a rich, warm, worn leather, with a bit of tarry smokiness and sweat to it. This is not a heavy leather, but a very fine one, with a tightly interwoven lattice of jasmine, ylang, rose, and orange running throughout, adding a light headiness to the heavier, darker core—a perfect melding of dry animalics and faded florals. To my great surprise, the first time I smelled this, I had one of those Proustian moments, in that I experienced a sudden inexorable pull towards a long-buried memory, of my grandmother whom I loved very much. I remembered her picking me up from school in wintertime, sitting next to her in her big boat of a car as it glided smoothly and warmly through slush-covered streets. She was a quietly brilliant and caring woman, but a very nervous driver. She would wear these old driving gloves on her long, graceful hands, which also had the habit of sneaking a cigarette on the back porch. Cuir de Russie smells like those gloves: leather softened with use, smelling of stale tobacco and the ghost of fine floral hand creme. She taught me so much. Nostalgia aside, this is a magical fragrance. Perfectly unisex, very refined, and quite singular. Better in cool-to-cold weather, and with decent (but not stellar) projection and longevity. "Oh, je t’en prie, me dit-elle. C’est une telle joie pour ta grand’mère. Et surtout ne manque pas de frapper au mur si tu as besoin de quelque chose cette nuit, mon lit est adossé au tien, la cloison est très mince. D’ici un moment quand tu seras couché fais-le, pour voir si nous nous comprenons bien."

The strongest note coming off my skin is mimosa! It reminds me of Une Fleur de Cassie. Lovely perfume. I recently discovered this and Melograno in short succession, both of which made me reassess my hatred of aldehydes. This has a sort of musty, funky floral thing which, with the soapy sparkle is just magical, and magical in that special Chanel way. I have, and love Coromandel, although I find it pretty unsuitable for most situations, and Le Lion, which is spectacular too, but Cuir de Russie is the easiest to wear of the three. It does warrant mentioning that I have to reapply this throughout the day, unlike the other two, which says a lot about the performance. Personally I don't mind as I don't wear it often so the huge bottle will last a lifetime, but it sure is expensive considering this fast dissipation. Update: it gives me old, forgotten, wistful vibes, sort of like flowers in an old library, or perhaps Mrs Haversham surrounded by old tomes, not having left the library for several days, wearing a little leather pouch filled with dried flowers and twigs to mask the stagnant air. It's an incredibly complex and breathtaking perfume where no note stands out but every note plays its part creating way more than their sum total, a bouquet of dusty old flowers which once trumpeted their scents proudly but now sit in a murky corner with just a ray or two of sunlight flitting over their petals, showing their colour, and the fact that they're not dead, they're just still, dormant. There's an old pipe lying there too with some dregs of tobacco inside, and a dried banana skin on a plate, long-forgotten, and so only the faintest odour remains.