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.

There was a time when nearly every perfume house in Europe had a leather fragrance named something like "Cuir de Russie" because Russian leather was considered the most opulent and the softest, and had been treated with the most beautiful oils and fragrances to hide the smells of tanning. Chanel's became the most famous. One kind of Chanel "Cuir de Russie" or another has been around for nearly a hundred years, and it has been one of the most beloved of all fragrances: when I first read Luca Turin's rhapsodic description of a previous incarnation of this in "Perfumes" (the book he co-wrote with Tania Sanchez), I knew one day I would have to try it. So I finally did, and this lived up to all the hype. I am not certain at all how the most current incarnation of Chanel's Cuir de Russie compares to those of the past (which I have yet to try), but this really is a gorgeous fragrance. The harsh leather note dominates immediately, but then it is instantly softened with a cascade of different floral notes: white, yellow, and rose. Without the floral notes (and all the citrus on top) this would be too harsh; without the leather and birch, this would be too soft and sentimental. As it is, this is a miracle of balance and blending. I can't afford a full bottle right now, but someday I hope to. Floral notes and leather notes are always a winning combination as far as I'm concerned: I've also loved Trumper's Spanish Leather and Knize Ten Golden Edition, both of which recall this; but this is something even a level beyond.

Just received my large flacon of the current Les Exclusifs EDP. This is truly a magisterial perfume... with that ultra-refined, champagne-like sparkle one encounters in Chanel fragrances. In this formulation, the notes of violet and orange blossom are the most prominent; the aldehydes give the scent a rather soapy quality. With time, the leather quality, with its subtle toasty balsamic warmth, smelling like an expensive wallet or English dressage saddle, materializes magically into view. That "fine linen paper" quality No. 5 is famous for, also contributes to this scent. This EDP version strikes me as perfectly unisex... the flowers are present, but they are dark, not necessarily frilly or girly at all. In farthest drydown, a delicately-sweet vanillic accord is noticeable. The horse-y, slightly manure-ish quality this scent had in the 'Aughts is hardly here at all now... just barely intimated. That the mixture is "Art Deco retro" in style is always obvious, but of course that's what's great about it. I may have to agree that, for an eau-de-parfum at this price-point, one might expect a fuller, denser body and more tenacity. To my memory, previous incarnations of CdR were slightly sweeter in the basenotes, maybe? The emballage it came in-- directly from Chanel-- was mindblowing in its elaborate chicness to this little Texas boy. But it is still a perfume of great luxury, ultra-refinement and beauty. I'll be wearing it a lot in the months to come.

Let me just say I love this perfume. Absolutely stunning! First spray is vintage heaven. For me I get shades of 3 really great Zoologist perfumes Nightingale, Civet and Musk Deer. The leather accord here smells of high quality oud to me and I wonder if they used oud to create the accord because it doesn't really smell like leather to me at all. The ylang, orange blossom, jasmine and rose here are really beautiful. For me this fragrance smells like a hybrid of of all 3 of the zoologist I mentioned above. I get shades of all 3. The roses and violets of Nightingale, the ylang and civet of Civet and the oud and woods from Musk Deer. Those all mixed with Chanel no 5 aldehydes. Really stunning. I just don't get leather. Not that I mind, what I am smelling is extremely satisfying and vintage gorgeousness so I'm very happy. This Chanel goes on my want shelf. I get the smoky birch in the dry down. This is such a fabulous perfume. Great performance as well. Thank you to the kind Fragrantica friend that sent me this decant. I have been wanting to try this for a long time now. Edit: 11/18/24. While I do love the smell of this perfume I had to take it off my want list. At first I thought the performance was really good but it isn't as good as Le Lion or Jersey. For the price I need better performance but it is a really nice Fragrance, I just wish the performance was up to the same level as most Chanel perfumes I've tried.

Have to say I'm quite disappointed by this and what it represents about the state of perfumery in general these days. This is a gorgeous scent - out of the entire les exclusifs collection, I think this one is the most interesting and different, which is why I decided to spend the money on it. All of the fragrances in the collection are beautifully mixed and have a complex transitions from top to base notes, but I think this one particularly so. The problem - I CANT SMELL IT. I know it's not just me and I'm not just going nose blind. On a piece of paper, this disappears fastest of all the samples I've tried from the collection, and people around me only smell it if douse myself minutes before seeing them, and the scent is gone after 2 hours. It would be one thing if I could still smell it on myself after all that time, but I just can't. It is so disappointing to me, especially knowing that Chanel fragrances (especially those with a history like Cuir de Russie) used to be monstrous. I cannot for the life of me understand this trend toward these $500 light effervescent skin scents that evaporate in minutes. Maybe I got a bad batch, or maybe we can't even depend on "independent" beauty brands to not reformulate their fragrances into water. If this was 10x stronger it would be the best fragrance purchase I've ever made, but right now it's feeling like the worst.

Cuir de Russie is a very refined, deeply elegant yet wearable leather scent. It is a scent of two halves: initially a classically feminine white floral, followed by a smoky leather accord, yet is perfectly cohesive. CdR opens with bright citrus notes, progressing seamlessly to rich orange blossom. Sweetly tropical ylang ylang joins it, with clean jasmine rounding out the white florals. Initially smooth and creamy, it is a beautifully rendered, classic white floral bouquet that becomes nicely powdery as it develops. It becomes smoky thanks to the tobacco note, bridging the gap nicely between the pretty florals and edgy leather accord. The leather phase is restrained and somehow ladylike, bringing to mind a high-quality leather handbag or gloves. The florals remain, complementing it beautifully. The birch note is light and woody, not dark and smoky as in birch tar, but still serves to complement the leather nicely. There is a hint of animalic amber as it dries down, which also serves to enhance the leather, fading to a whisper. Sillage and longevity are moderate. A beautiful, classy floral-leather scent, CdR is beautifully balanced and expertly composed. Feminine-leaning in my opinion due to the florals and the images it evokes, it is best worn in autumn/winter. However, I wonder how it compares to the original vintage CdR by Ernest Beaux. 4.5/5.

This being my first experience with Cuir de Russie, I cannot compare to the now discontinued EDT formulation. My sample is from an official carded eau de parfum spray sample, labeled 'Les Exclusifs de Chanel.' Independently this is a beautiful, softly animalic fragrance, subtly floral with a moderately dry wooded-amber base. It does have the aloof personality of a classic Chanel aldehyde, however no sharpness but a bitter orange nuance which augments the leather in this perfume. Modern and stylish, the fusion of animalic and leather notes lend to a clean pelt or a soft rabbit stole, deepened with warm amber and a well-behaved delicate birch tar vapor. The florals are very well blended and are present in equal measure and exist only to deliver a smoky sensuality to the leather and birch. Quite honestly, this Les Exclusivs EDP did not live up to my expectations for a 'blingier' leather with a bit more bite, but it indeed does please me as a sensual, warm musky perfume with very little sweetness and a reserved attitude. I had put Eris' Ma Bete on my want list as my next purchase but am now considering this beauty instead while I seek out the discontinued EDT to compare. I guess from there my choice will be between rabbits and horses.

In the history of world perfumery this name has echoed in historical annals, more precisely for 152 years. Le Cuir de Russie was created in 1872 by Aime Guerlain belonging to the prestigious dynasty of French perfumers. An extremely rare fragrance which already at the time managed to simulate with natural elements the scent of aged leather imbued with woody and amber essences: it is said that the transgressive Mademoiselle Coco was literally crazy about it. In its artistic perfumery line, the maison Chanel wants to evoke its glories and passions, dedicating a surprising fragrance in a contemporary key. Cuir de Russie by Chanel is a determined fragrance, with a dominant character, which loves to leave a warm and sensual memory. The citrus, sour and lively opening notes gently allow the leathery and smoky notes to emerge which dominate a suggestive and romantic floral bouquet of white and exotic flowers of rare beauty. On dry down the notes are enveloping and disturbing, vibrant tobacco notes emerge which leave an unexpected and reassuring creamy note of great charm. A very refined and nuanced fragrance that I would define as unisex rather than feminine.

I have never smelled the EDT that most seem to prefer, so my impression is based solely on the current EDP version. For me the opening and mid are really dominated by jasmine with a hint of ylang-ylang. I love jasmine, but I was hoping for a bit more leather right off. It is mildly indolic, but not overwhelmingly so. It just smells like a very natural jasmine and ylang-ylang combination. The leather accord comes about after 10 minutes or so and lends itself nicely in a classic powdery sort of way through to the dry-down. This lasts a good long while, but in an elegent and restrained sort of way. You will get noticed at arms length or perhaps a little further, but I doubt you will waft anyone from across the room. Unisex for sure for men who enjoy the finer things in life and aren't afraid of florals. If you like Tabac, you will LOVE this. Reminds me of how I'd smell after visiting a very dapper barber shop back when they called them Tonsorial Parlours. Think fur coats, diamonds, top hats, waxed mustaches and white tie evening dress. Pure liquid opulence. This scent also somewhat reminds me of Guerlain's L'Heure Bleu EDP. Very smooth and elegant.

Such a nice and perfectly blended juice! As a man I adore this kind of old fashioned perfume. You can definitely smell the vibe of the 30/40/50ties in here. A rich person as in mind and money could smell like this.. but we are lucky to visualise these things in this era.. magnificent piece of art and thanks to Chanel to make this possible. The smell itself: Blast with that airy powdery floral thing of Chanel.. you almost think as a man, ohnoo what is this? Chanel allure, Chanel 05? Whatta hell I just bought? Well wait a few minutes and you will smell the most realistic leather in a fragrance. Elegant and still bit woody touches here and there covered in that airy powdery Chanel.. but the base is always leather and that my fellow smellers is something new in this category something which does not exists! From far you would say aa another grandma smell.. but when you smell carefully you will be out of your mind. The Sillage is pretty poor imo but longevity is fine.. but after 2 hours you just smell a very soft leather with ambery touches.. the florals are gone unfortunately so enjoy those first two hours!

Perfume bloggers rarely talk about Chanel fragrances—they talk about whatever the masses are talking about. For three days, I visited a Chanel boutique and explored the Exclusive Collection. In the end, the one I chose to buy was Cuir de Russie. This is true perfumery—possibly one of the finest fragrances the world has ever seen. It’s complex and unusual, and to an untrained nose it can even feel a bit challenging, maybe even off-putting at first. But once you wear it on skin, the way it evolves can leave you genuinely speechless. It’s an incredibly multifaceted composition: there’s a citrus-aldehydic shimmer, a soft smokiness, an abstract leather accord, animalic nuances, powdery tones, and a creamy, banana-like sweetness with hints of honey—alongside a floral glow. It’s absolute unisex. If you’re ready to wear something like this, it will surprise you deeply. It’s not an easy fragrance—but it’s a great one. Anyone who truly loves perfume should be familiar with it.

Never have I ever smelled anything more true to its name... this is a masterpiece. Cuir de Russie, or Russian leather, really brings me back to childhood in Russia, and that smell of leather jackets worn by so many at the time. It is so hard to describe this as far as notes go, to me, this really is more of an experience, it brings me back to my childhood, it just smells so familiar, so real... The name is just perfect... It really, almost ironically, smells like Russia, and leather, if I had to describe it in two words. The main note is leather to my nose, longevity is incredible (10 hours and still going strong), sillage and projection are good but it is not a loud or choking perfume. Love it. This is a bit masculine and outside of my range, but a true masterpiece. I smelled other leather fragrances and never liked them before this one.

Now this is gorgeous and opens up with a creamy buttery ylang ylang followed by a very refined supple almost suede like leather. As time passes you can smell jasmine,dry woods, iris all woven tightly together that the scent shimmers on your skin. Smell it one moment you get the leather, smell it again and you can smell the jasmine. It is a beautiful classy multifaceted fragrance. Deep into the drydown after many hours I can even smell a soft and sensual animalic scent on my skin. This scent lasted seven hours on my skin and the projection and sillage was decent. I have to say this is one of the most luxurious and classy fragrances I have ever smelled. Bravo to Chanel this is just a beautiful refined gem of a scent. Big thumbs up!

This is my second review, now I can say few more things about this perfume. It's amazing! Best leather scent ever... for me. Why? I'm not really a leather fan and Cuir de Russie is not that leathery and the drydown is beautiful and sexy. I don't think about many perfumes being sexy, the exception would be Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles and Gucci Envy for Men which is my favorite perfume from all. Resins and flowers gives so much incredible depth and richness. About issues with longevity, at first I thought that it doesn't last and it doesn't project that much, but I have my bottle few months now and it is great!. Give it some time, use it, you will see it gets stronger with time. Same thing applies to Bois des Iles.

Divine, super elegant leather. Soft and sometimes almost velvety. Some resins, a dash of amber, sweet tobacco that is so seamlessly weaved in into the woody base. I can even feel some powdery hints here (perhaps. rose?). The scent starts with some bergamot and mandarin but that initial blast never lasts long for me. Although, from time to time I do feel like the bergamot sort of lingers around and spices up the leather note just a tad bit. I feel like this one is a more intimate skin scent that is to be enjoyed by you and you only. The longevity is insane - it lasts 12 hours+ on skin and clothes. I have leathery scents in my little collection but this one is... well, it's Chanel. What more can I say?

I would agree with simonwoody. Some strong woody aspect has been added to Cuir De Russie to make it seem stronger but after 30 min the EDP is not any stronger than the old EDT. The whole EDP label is suspicious if you ask me. In all my experience I have never encountered and EDP this weak. This new launch is such a let down. I was more than ready to pay over 400 Canadian for a true EDP strength Cuir De Russie, which is a huge feat on the part of Chanel. All they had to do was make an actual EDP. Then they give us another EDT, change the label to EDP and make the perfume louder with a few strong woody notes and want to charge $400 for 200ml...