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!

I really love leathers. I have Cabochard as well which I am crazy about. I love this too but in a different way. Cabochard is a rather loud fragrance that makes me feel like a really tough broad from way back who can do everything like ride motorcycles and fly planes. Chanel's is totally different from that. The first time I smelled it the words somber and austere came to mind. It smells like gloom and sadness in a way - like something out of Edgar Allen Poe. Love it. One day I will have enough money to go buy a great big bottle!

I don't normally gravitate towards leather scents, but I absolutely love this one. It's what I wear when I want to feel sexy in an understated way, confident, authoritative, maybe a bit dominant! *cracks whip* The floral notes are divine, particularly the iris. I wish I could afford to wear it more often. I can see why men like wearing this as well; it's not too sweet and doesn't have a strong silage.

i am fascinated with this scent, becasue it lasted more then 12 hours without me loosing the sense for it! never experienced anything simmilar... and my first reaction to it was, jezus this is like some horse sh.t :)...but later it turned into such a gread leathery scent, so feminine..so unique :)...and i was sure i will never buy it, i bought it :) just amazing!

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 ^_^

I cant really improve on the previous review which is my sentiments exactly. Its a clean, soapy leather and, although I love it, it seems like something that represents a Woman's ideal Man. A fantasy of the ideal Male sexual partner. I would think that a woman might guard it jealously, believing no one to be superior enough to wear it.

Opened very similar to the Guerlain Chant D'Aromes, only added the skin. I can just say - it is elegance, it is gentle as a luxurious silk on the skin. Thin leather handbag lying in a flowers field,on the cedar shade. Near sit a man and smoking. Not sweet, but warm. It's perfect scent.

This leather masterpiece was made in Heaven.

The scenerio Black and White themed Concert Salon Circa 1875 with Black Leather chairs white Marble fireplace the eatherial glow of the Candelabras A glass chandelier hanging from it's Sistine like Angels from it's statly celling Black vases with White Roses and a black grand piano The concert Pianist with it's black and white Tuxedo Playing Chopin's Nocturne for Piano in C sharp minor. sitting amongist the audience is a young woman no younger then 18 Slender with Long dark hair wearing A white Bustlle Gown Overcome with the music Tears sreamed down her long face she quietly Leaves and slowly walked down it's hallways and comes to a room with large framed windows and Snow is falling down she approches the window slowly and gently opens the window and with her long white Gloves touches the snow and realize that there life out there then getting married to a stuffy old accountant or Baron who has been Married for 45 years and left a windower Going though Predicable Social Hierarchy like that. she yearns something for herself so out of the Blue got her black velvet cape and walked out of the gilded mansion and walked down the snow lined forest And the rest Is History This perfume is diffinly for brave Women.

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).

As far as feminine leather perfumes go, this is as good as it gets. Smooth, classy, sophisticated and indulgent. Cuir de Russie is very much saddle leather, resplendant with a metallic undertone, suggestive of buckles. It is a buttery smelling, firm, dry leather. Quite realistic. Despite the profusion of florals listed in the notes, I cannot detect any real floraly florals lurking in here, it is pure leather and cool sweet tobacco leaf. I might concede some earthy, powdery iris but that is as far as I would go. Does anyone know if the current EDT of Cuir de Russie still uses real Castoreum? While a lot of perfume wearing necessarily involves a good deal of self-delusion about the ingredients therein, I find castoreum to be a particulary disturbing concept.

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

My boyfriend gagged for 10 minutes after I applied this on my wrist, I was smart and did not sniff, because I knew that I sprayed too much and I knew that if i'll smell it then I won't like it. It's been an hour since it's on my wrist and I like it. I feel leather only a slight bit, but most of all I get loads of jasmin and tobacco. As a smoker myself I enjoy it, but I find jasmin a little bit too heady and nauseating. And the thing I dislike is that it has something really old fashioned and skanky, can't tell what, but on me it does smell a little bit like strippers boudoir. Funny. I will give this a "like", because on the right and daring woman it would be amazing! Definitely worth a try or two,

hmmm. this is one of the good leather fragrances indeed and like the previous reviewer added, it needs to be tried on the skin as on paper it is just a harsh leather smell. This scent morphs on the skin quite quickly and the rest of the notes come to play, in a quite blended way. Although I think it is well done and definitely a must have for leather fans, I find it way to animalic on my skin... and also if there was cumin somewhere in the background (which is one of the very few notes I cannot stand).

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.

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

I tried most of the exclusifs line last week on a rare afternoon into London and expected an utter revelation. I spent £11.00 on a bottle of Cuir de Lancome just before they discontinued it, this is over £100?? Until I run out of Cuir de Lancome, this probably won't be in my wardrobe as they are very similar. This is a little dirtier (which I like) but just not different enough to warrant the investment.

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.

Chanel Cuir de Russie is not only a woman perfume! It's your CHOICE !! So elegant and mysterious. I like it and I wear perfectly this very classical scent of Chanel. Fresh, green and hot! Fresh & Sexy!!

So leathery... nice and warm... i like it when my hubby wear it... i hugs him all night long and fall deeply in love.. very comforting and warm. A good winter fragrance too.

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.

This did not work for me at all.. It's leather, but it's a dirty leather, like leather boots with cow dung on'em. I so wanted to like this as I know many who love this and revel in its elegance, but alas.. This cow dung/henna haircolor powder note drowns out all hopes of elegance for me. Bear in mind that if a fecal/dirty note is latent in a scent, my skin will always always send this note front and center..

I think this is a men's fragrance. When I put it on I imagined riding in a fancy taxi in some European city, in which someone had been smoking Turkish cigarettes. It is very urban, sophisticated, and vintage. Smoke and expensive leather. The drydown in s little sweeter; I can detect the amber. I wish I could smell clary in this as I love it, but I don't get it. Very evocative scent, but not for me.

I've been exploring leather scents recently, but this has been the worst I've tried. I don't know how they managed to get this result out of these notes, this smells dirty. Horrible. Be prepared for surprise with this one.

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

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 *****

The passion for perfumes leads us to commit some impulsive acts and there are times, even though our instinct tells us no, we venture out to try something different and perhaps get out of our comfort zone. This happened to me with this fragrance, I like very few Chanel perfumes, not to say almost none, but I was extremely curious about their Les Esclusifs line and this was a classic that sounded good although I don't really like leather notes either, but if I like vintage perfumes, which are mostly unisex, as is the case with this one, I must say that I made the purchase from a person who did not like me and gave me a good offer on this fragrance, which is certainly Excellent, but it doesn't fit into my profile, which, although broad, is far from this type of composition. I did not have the pleasure of discovering the 1924 classic created by Ernest Beaux, but from the 2007 reformulation I imagine how it would be, from the opening of this fragrance what I feel is a strong, animalic Ylang-Ylang (one kilometer from my house there is a Ylang-Ylang tree and I have taken flowers to perceive its aroma and it is very strong so much that it can give me upset stomach and headache, the natural smell is very animalic, almost bordering on the smell of cat pee 😅) this Ylang-Ylang accentuates the little animal that can contribute the leather here that is not so realistic, but rather a vintage leather that is contradictorily dirty due to the indolic jasmine, the orange blossom, the carnation and the already mentioned Ylang-Ylang but which has its powdery-aldehyde part Like almost all the fragrances of the house, this first impression softens its tone and reveals its woody part of birch bark accompanied by tobacco and all softened by musk. I have heard from people who feel this fragrance inverted its softest part first and then it goes to the more animal side, in my case it is the opposite and although I have tried it in different climates in the heat it feels softer and smoother, in the rooms with cold temperatures, the animal feels as soon as we atomize, I understand that there may be someone who likes this type of composition, it is a very good fragrance and well constructed, but it is not my type of vintage, so I feel that it will only be passing through my collection .

Cuir de Russie is an angular officer of the Tsar's cavalry mounted on the back of a black thoroughbred horse. It is worldy, sensual, rough and exotic. Yet at once has vulnerability: it offers glimpses of tenderness and hints at a melancholy as vast and unending as the Russian Steppes themselves. This is hide: black, burnished, animal and unclean. This is not the polite, precise, bridled up leather of a Hermes saddle or bag: fit for French fops on manicured ponies. This is military leather, hardened by battle and burned birch. Impervious to the elements and sentiment , at first unyielding and unconscious of compromise. But wait, something resides beneath the apparently impenetrable surface. For at once with the St Petersburg splendour of Empire so comes its underbelly. The Caucuses, the conquered kingdoms of Mohammedans, Cossacks and Stans. There is something of the souk: cardamon perhaps, the charcoal burner of the water pipe and its sweet and flavoured tobacco, a slow cooking stew of meats and fruits and spices. Yet, through the bazzar of boots and belts and bags, specially cured to disguise from whence they came. Beyond the army supplier's oleaginous smiles and eternal deals, without the Medina's walls: here resides the truth. The tannery. It's filth, it's excretia, it's putrefaction. The inevitable and unbearable pain that brings forth such beauty. And it is all too much amongst the stink of the skins. Our officer raises a pomade of flowers and bergamot to the nose, hoping hopelessly to ward off the evil and the smells. Spinning on sculpted heal, turning a back on reality. An old pipe is lit with french tobacco and our soldier departs in search of sex, sollace and forgetfulness. As with every aristocrat of a declining Empire, our officer is open to offers from either man or woman - at the right price. The mercenary promises to love no one. When present the presence is intense and enveloping as a lover's close embrace. Alas, it is gone too soon leaving only absence and the heart to yearn through the longeur to its return. Cuir de Russie is the angular officer of the Tsar's cavalry mounted on the back of a black thoroughbred horse that every man and every woman wants to be or be with.

Upon first wiff, Cuir de Russie is an olfactory time machine that transports me to the turn of the 19th century as the Russian Revolution was heralding the end to an autocratic empire. The imperial government collapsed and the royal legacy of mother Russia came to an end. However everything Russian at the turn of the 19th century was high fashion in Europe. Cuir de Russie is a time capsule for the “Russian Leathers” worn by the Romanov dynasty. Coco Chanel had a transfixion with Russian style and it influenced her aesthetic. Chanel worked with the brilliant perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1927, to create a truly liberating fragrance for the modern woman. This fragrance is very much like Victor / Victoria – its dark, leathery emanations straddle the paradigm of sex and defines the allure of a mature woman that is in command of her sexuality. Cuir de Russie is not for the neophant, it takes a seasoned nose to appreciate its smoldering notes and intense tobacco chords. I would not say it is a pretty fragrance, but burns into a refined luxury aromatic reminiscent of Connolly Leather and Burl Wood in a vintage Bentley Arnage, layered with fine cigars and sweetened by cognac. There is a common top note thread between Chanel fragrances. Cuir de Russie is unmistakably Chanel. It shares top notes with No.5, the same sparkling dry Aldehydes, Citrus, Jasmine and Rose accords. That’s where the similarities end and the Russian dinner party begins. This fragrance is tailored for a specific type of women. This aristocratic perfume requires a dynamic presence and maturity that adorns her charisma to beguile. Cuir de Russie feels a bit old fashioned but everything good has it renaissance. The fragrance drydown enfolds into rich Animalic notes of Dark Leather, Smoke and Musk. The heart expands with Tunisian Orange Blossom, Calabrian Bergamot, Sicilian Mandarin, Albanian Birchwood, Iris, Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Amber and Vanilla. Now I feel like I need a shot of frozen Stolichnaya to toast my Russian heritage. Nastrovia! perfumeaficionado.com

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.

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).