Les Exclusifs de Chanel Cuir de Russie 1924

Today I get to wear Chanel Cuir de Russie with abandon. Is this the greatest leather perfume of all time? Some say so, whilst some even say that it's the best perfume of all time. I'm not going to say that outloud while my bottle of Mitsouko Extrait is within earshot. I would have a hard time making an argument against either statement. On the back of my left hand is the EdC version that is from the 1960s or before, on the inside of my left arm is a modern EdT formulation, and on my right arm is a relatively new extrait. Blotters done as well. If there is a luckier guy out there today, let me meet him. First the Edc and the EdT: I'm so thrilled that my 60+ year-old bottle of EdC is still in great shape, and what I immediately notice as I flip between the EdC and the EdT is that the EdC is unashamedly more leathery. The EdC growls, it leans into its animalic nature full-on, compared to the modern EdT's kinder purr. Don't mistake growl for rough though, as one thing that can be said for both the EdC and the EdT is that they are smooth operators. But, if you're looking for smooth, the extrait has them both whipped. The leather of the extrait is more akin to the leather of the modern EdT but it speaks it at greater volume and force. The EdC is a rock star vocalist, the EdT is an R&B vocalist, and the extrait is Pavarotti at full volume. Going back to the EdC, an intresting contrast that is certainly giving the leather more growl and bite is the fresh sage accord that hovers over top of it, which is just divine. Curiously, this accord seems to be missing from the EdT (or it's just buried so deep by other notes I can't singularly pick it out), and in the extrait the sage is very muted. Both the EdC and the EdT open with the signature aldehydes, bergamot, and orange notes; the EdT pushes these more front and center, while the EdC (at least at this age) gives room for sage. The way the extrait opens - no, the way the extrait blooms in front of you, is something else entirely; it is the grandest and most luxurious unfolding of thick, powdery aldehydes, bergamot, jasmine, rose, carnation, orris, and an aged tobacco type note. Yes, I haven't said leather, but the genius of the extrait's composition is that the overall effect (accord) of all of these notes is leather. I don't know what kind of leather this is, but it smells extraordinarily expensive. And while we are talking about luxury, that's a point that needs to be said for all three: Cuir de Russie, whether you're smelling a new EdT or a very old EdC or a relatively new extrait, is all about luxury. CdR makes you feel very special - or at least it does to me. In the final moments of the last dry down, the EdC and the EdT are all about that plushy, soft, brown leather. The extrait's dry down continues in its vein of being an operatic and complex piece of work by finally giving us a straightforward leather accord but one that is also paired with a very elegant and smooth aged cedar note. I could go on for hours and paragraphs about Cuir de Russie, but I doubt I will say anything that hasn't already been said - so, I will spare you, dear reader, and my fingers' strength, the redundant purple prose and simply say this: there is a reason why quite a few perfume enthusiasts, historians, and experts consider this to be one of if not the greatest perfume of all time. I do not have the experience or the knowledge to make such a statement, but I cannot find cause to disagree with them. Experience it for yourself. Everyone should.

Slavic variation of N°5. According to Chanel's biographer, Cuir de Russie is "a bottle of Coco and the love of the Grand Duke Dmitri." The story of Cuir de Russie begins in 1927 Earlier, leather was generally seen as a tone that only a few players could appreciate. Leather has its peculiar odor. It's clean, dark, smooth, and occasionally shaggy leather. Cuir de Russie does not present itself as rude and masculine. Very dry, watered with birch tar over musk and finely ground orris root powder. Cuir de Russie cools and solidifies, and finally takes shape. The cultural background of birch and leather combination comes from the unique leather processing technology in Russia. Russian leather was once the main export commodity in the 17th century. In 1920, Cuir de Russie was a widely used name, a genre, a popular subject. Guerlain also has Cuir de Russie. After the refinement of time, so many Cuir de russie have been turned into historical dust, only Chanel is still alive. (Some speculate that Cuir de Russie may have been created in 1924, and it often takes years for a fragrance to go from conception to release.) Cuir de Russie is in the same vein as N°5, a combination of aldehyde, ylang-ylang-jasmine. In Beaux Ernest's perfume, ylang-ylang-jasmine is indispensable. This combination, he has explored for most of his life. Cuir de Russie shifts focus to orris root. EDP on me, ylang ylang will magnify until it rivals the smell of birch tar. It took a while for the birch tar to take hold, overpowering the florals, and I was able to smell the leather of Cuir de Russie. The fragrance fades away after half a day. Cuir de Russie has isoquinoline (leather), ylang-ylang; core with smoked (tobacco) resin, animal base. From clean to dirty, from shallow to deep. Cuir de Russie's fragrance changes layer by layer. Rare richness and depth, it is what differentiates it from other top leathers. If you've seen the artistic expression of orris at Serge Lutens, you'll be amazed by Jacques Polge's orris-leather pairing at Cuir de Russie. Cuir de Russie will surely be included in the glorious history of Chanel. Although EDT and EDP are replicas of Jacques Polge after many years, the smell is smooth, smooth and quite delicate. Diluted the leather in the original Beaux Ernest, Polge changed to Chanel's signature iris as the main line. I met Cuir de Russie in 2017. At this stage, I still think this is the best leather that is easily found on the market, suitable for both men and women. The EDT and EDP of Les Exclusifs have been adjusted by Chanel to meet the tastes of modern consumers. Vintage version of Parfum, I wonder how beautiful it will be. In my imagination, it should be grand and noble, like Rachmaninoff's music. It is weighty and powerful. I feel that leather has always been out of line with the mainstream market aesthetic. Floral Cuir de Russie has effectively increased my receptivity to leather notes. Cuir de Russie, my first love...it's so special. It just happens to be a leather fragrance.

Cuir de Russie (parfum) starts with a classic Chanel opening: clean, powdery aldehydes and an herbal-citrus note. The leather is in the background...waiting to be discovered, flirting with you just a bit. The leather continues to become more prominant as the perfume warms on your skin. The middle notes are sensuous and fragile: woody notes mingle with traditional florals, and a slight clove-carnation spice radiates warmth. This sweet warmth calls to mind the animalic quality of leather -- reminiscent of the comforting intimacy of a horse's velvety fur and mane. Notes of tobacco and musk combine in the dry-down and prevent the leather from ever becoming too harsh, too potent. Amber and wood notes contribute a sensuous, faintly spicy aroma. When comparing Cuir de Russie to two other classic leathers that I have recently tested (Caron Tabac Blond and Rochas Femme), I must say that Chanel's ode to leather wins by a landslide. The leather in Tabac Blonde is too fleeting, while the leather in Rochas Femme is too muddled with syrupy fruits for my taste. Cuir de Russie meets all of my expectations for a balanced leather composition: not too dirty, not too masculine, not too weighed-down by other notes. It is intimate and alluring. Animalic, but well-groomed and well-behaved. Chanel's masterpiece (one of many, of course) is a ladylike leather. That is not to say it is prim or girly -- heaven's no! This is a strong, powerful woman. She is an equestrian, but she doesn't ride sidesaddle. She rides proudly astride, her back straight, her gaze intent. In parfum form, sillage is intimate, and longevity is very good. This is meant to be a sensual skin-scent, so it makes sense that it stays close to the wearer. Honestly, I would feel completely comfortable wearing this scent during the day or night (most likely during cooler months). As with most Chanel's, it feels elegant and appropriate for a number of occasions.

What a clever, elegant and luxurious perfume! Clever because it absolutely conjures up a refined scent of leather. Not in a raw, newly purchased animalic sense, but more the worn leather of a luxurious handbag or expensive car seats. The opening is classic chanel - aldehydes, jasmine, and as a previous poster pointed out - a little like the opening of Chanel No 5 - soapy and slightly powdery. Then it develops into a classic unisex clean, subtly floral elegant leather, there's a tiny hint of what feels like civet, something animalic that gives it a skin-scent quality It conjures up travel - not a hint of Ryan Air or Easy Jet here though - more ocean liners and private jets. I somehow doubt I'll ever have a private jet, but I can imagine the handsome pilot of my imaginary jet plane smelling like Cuir de Russie, and it does have something of the ultimate refined male about it! That shouldn't put you off wearing it as a woman though, because the scent of fragrant soapy, refined leather is unisex, though ultimately I'd say its scenty quality is more typically feminine (maybe he's just left the embrace of his elegant girlfriend before climbing into the cockpit, with the lingering scent of her elegant perfume on his impeccable pilot's uniform!). This is fb worthy to use the acronym (full bottle) If you're looking for timeless elegance, this won't disappoint you. The longevity is around 6 hours, silage fairly close to skin.

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.)

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.

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..

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.

I've recently obtained some samples of the EDT... I cannot get enough of this scent. I'm absolutely obsessed. I went into five different department and fragrance stores before finally seeking out the nearest Chanel boutique just to know what it smelled like. Now, I'm on a mission to find the parfum. As much as I like the EDT, it doesn't have lasting power and I believe it to be watered down. I can only imagine what this fragrance is like full-power. It has everything... it's a contradiction of itself in every way. It's lofty, but grounded. Sophisticated, but can be appreciated by anybody. It's bold and wild, but controlled and wraps its wearer in an almost tangible air of quiet dignity. If you are seeking something rare and unlike any other, this is it. As far as the nose profile, you can trust this one to smell exactly like you imagined. This smoulders with passion and is for ambitious dreamers everywhere.

When I wear Cuir de Russie I am no longer a housewife in the Mississippi delta. Oh no. I am an English blue-blood, an aristocrat, who is tall and gorgeous with a deep, throaty laugh, and RIDICULOUSLY wealthy. Oozing old money. I hunt and ride and jump and shoot all with exceptional skill and grace, looking fabulous all the while. I take lovers and drive my own car, a Bentley convertible with all-leather interior (of course)- no drivers for this gal. I wear furs with abandon and smoke like a stack with no regard for propriety. I'm mature and composed and worldly because I've seen it all and done it all. But I'm certainly not old... Alas, when I've worn Cuir de Russie no one else has noticed, or at least no one has said anything. But no matter, I just kept dousing myself and enjoying my little aristocratic fantasy...

...As you know, Coco Chanel was romantically involved with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia [Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov] through whom Chanel met perfumers in Grasse and master perfumer Ernest Beaux (born and trained in Moscow, Russia). It was Beaux who had been asked by Chanel to encapsulate the essence of her romance with the Grand Duke. The idea was to create a fragrance of wild cavalcades, wafts of blond tobacco and the smell of boots tanned by birch bark, which the Russian soldiers would wear. I personally think that this idea was brought to the absolute realism! This is because of a memory from my childhood... I vividly remember my father, who was a Russian military man, smelling exactly like Cuir de Russie by Chanel!!!

I can't wear this perfume to work because it's so beautiful it's distracting. I like the parfum best: so rich, subtly spicy (the carnation?) beneath a gorgeous jasmine-ylang-leather blend. Subtle vetiver and amber notes come out after an hour or two. I think the EdT has a drier, lighter, more hay-like feeling -- I prefer the richness of the parfum. People always comment that it smells expensive! It is, but it's worth saving for. I also have a vintage bottle of the parfum (60's?) and it has much more barnyard -- I really get not only hay but horses for the first bit in that one, more than I find really pleasant. The contemporary parfum is a perfect floral-leather blend. If I didn't have to work, I'd never buy any other perfume.

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.

Ok, start to save your money now because you "NEED" to buy Cuir De Russie. This is absolutely fantastic and it's one of the richest, most lascivious and elegant leather scents around. Perfectly balanced to be at the same time wearable and " risky", it runs in that tiny, thin line between glory and precipice and it does it with an incredible awareness. Floral- animalic-leather at their best. Magistrally crafted, this is pure perfumery virtuosism. One of those scents that you encounter once every 100 years (i.e. Knize Ten). Buy it! Cuir De Russie has been reformulated since 1924, but despite that, it's still one of the most luxurious and terrific iris/leather around. That's how reformulations should be! Rating: 10/10

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.

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

This is a sublime fragrance for me. I initially tried the eau de toilette version which I love, but once I opened the pure parfum bottle I was Blown Away. The toilette has some sharpness and is a bit more cutting with the leather notes. The parfums' opening is very No.5 for me(which I didn't get at all in the toilette) but quickly evolves into the most smooth, elegant, smoky, leathery, floral, wonderfulness. This truly is a holy grail fragrance that should be worn the old fashioned way, dabbed behind the ears, wrist and knees. The parfum is smooth, deep, and so so rich...smells just like a vintage Hermes Kelly bag owned by a chic woman who smoked a little too much.

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!

Stupendously good. A true masterpiece that outperforms the majority of niche perfumes on the market. I steered away from this at first because I was looking for something distinctly masculine, but damn this works well on my (male) skin. Florals (I get mostly rose, iris and jasmine) and aldehydes, fade to leave a warm, creamy leather. Smells expensive. Unobtrusive sillage, but pretty good longevity on me. I am quite drawn to leathers frags, but this outperforms the others I have (VC&A pH - too strident and synthetic, and Byredo Baudelaire - which I really like but is a very different beast altogether). Class act. Bravo!

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!