Baiser de Russie

An appealing and agreeable gourmand vanilla. It is plush and cuddly and so absolutely pleasant, but with just a slight enough edge (that hint of pine, sour fruit, and a touch of ethyl maltol sweetness etc.) to make it more distinctive than the Body Shop. I could imagine wearing a luxurious lotion smelling like this. I do wish as a perfume that it had more of a "top mid base" journey and maybe a little more darkness or woodiness. Given the price and rarity, it's hard to justify seeking it out, but I also feel like it's the kind of scent you could make your elegant easy reach. In other words--I'll probably never own a bottle but feel like I'd go through one quickly if I lucked into one. If you miss this dearly and haven't explored Mon Guerlain (particularly the extrait) deeply, you might find what you want and need of Baiser in Mon Guerlain--lavender aromatics caramelized with a judicious use of ethyl maltol, a sweet plush vanilla drydown, clean musks. For me, Mon Guerlain is missing the herbal astringency Baiser de Russie has to make it more universal and more interesting. If I was in charge, I'd swap this out for Mon Guerlain in their mainstream stable and I feel it'd sell just as well (if not more) and scratch the same itch.

Although this is totally a part of Guerlain's "sucrinade" frenzy, Baiser de Russie shows how to REALLY create an elegant gourmand. The main note is caramel, the same one you get in all of Mon Guerlain's flankers, but less screechy and far more well blended. First you get some fresh pine and a slight "berry" scent (I can't say I find the note to be specifically "cranberry"), and then this scent becomes a lovely caramel-vanilla game with a delicate spicy twist towards anise/absinthe. What makes it magical to my nose is actually how it becomes a skin-scent instead of a sugar-bomb. Once this elegant sweetness becomes an intimate companion and not a delegate tooting its horn to let everyone know you entered the room, you realise this is just the right amount of sillage you need from this beauty. Otherwise it could become too harsh and too loud. Practically, the perfect scented choice for wintertime. Longevity is actually very good.

Very very close to Moscow EdP (2009-2014) - only 1 or 2 minor (and neither mentioned for previous Moscow) ingredients had to be dropped due to IFRA regulations, a Guerlain SA told me. The opening is so nice with a woody-sweet citrus - the pine needle scent is gorgeous - and a plum which remains present way beyond the opening. Then vanilla and tonka play with a great jasmine underlined by non invasive berries, before settling down to a sweet woody-musky skin scent. A must have for those who are nostalgic of Moscow and the Voyages Olfactifs series. Some of my friends perceive it as slightly watered down vs. Moscow, but on my skin it was clearly denser during an arm to arm confrontation, with a longevity of 10h (vs. 8h for my older Moscow), but this is not to be taken for granted for everyone. Note for editors: the bee bottle is classical "white" (transparent), only the juice is green (pine needles and absinthe)

Beautiful and refined, yes I can smell the notes slightly, a pleasure but so darn weak and short lived. Honestly I am quite shocked as I usually like my fumes light but well, this is *very*light for the money..... I imagined it would be of decent strength and tenacity, if it’s a Guerlain of this class.. ( and price).. Not that it smells the same, it does not, but the “air”, the attitude, the overall impression is similar to Instant Magic, same peaceful grace with some shimmering notes, soft and pleasant, not a sharp edge in sight. And finally, presentation is lovely, the box is huge, the hand atomizer pump work well but dispenses a very small amount of fragrance (much less than a regular sprayer.)

I mean damn! The bar measuring rod. With Baiser, I leveled up, I feel important. Leave it to Guerlain (aka the curator of compliments) to have us all trending in the right direction. The medley of vanilla, plum and pine is a bizarre combo indeed but the oddity of aromas gives this ownership power(something worth having). The entire fragrance is gently shaved to give you a sense of buoyancy. Qualitatively, this is something women will be drawn to and not at all contrarian as the notes suggest. The last time I ignored gender marketing was when I bought Gourmand Coquin(another Guerlain product). Impossible to dislike and it does smell like Moscow. -BLIND BUY WORTHY-

Baiser de Russie takes you on a journey through a snow-dusted pine forest, bathed in the crisp warmth of a sunny winter’s day. Fresh, invigorating, and serene, it opens with a breath of icy air and the scent of evergreen pine needles, then surprises you with a sparkling twist of cranberry gin tonic—cool, tart, and quietly intoxicating. Sweet but never cloying, aromatic yet never overwhelming, Baiser de Russie boasts one of the most stunning note combinations I’ve encountered. It’s a scent so enchanting I need backup bottles—though its longevity isn’t the best, requiring a reapply throughout the day, it’s worth every spritz.

This scent is gorgeous. It’s if someone took good quality creamy caramel and stirred it into a glass of absinthe, and dropped in an organic vanilla bean. And then garnished the drink with cranberries and pine. That aroma is this scent. It’s wonderful. Long lasting, but skin scent projection (I had a dabber, maybe a spray would project more). Excellent new release by Guerlain that I feel is versatile and not just something for winter or Christmas. It’s a unique boozy scent that may work year round.

Wow. This is a truly amazing piney, slightly fruity, sweet (but not too sweet) dream in a bottle. It feels timeless and ageless and relaxing and invigorating all in one. The opening is aromatic then it gets more sweet and fruity. For me this is between a love and like. If it just lasted longer, especially with the opening notes, it would be perfect: I have 5 ml decant, but the price and poor longevity are too limiting ever validate buying a bottle. But, sigh, its just so, so good!!!!

Really a gorgeous scent, but it need to have a better applicator. I put mine into a spray bottle and then I can pick up on all the notes and get better staying power. The cranberry - pine combo slays me. Just says winter to me. Fall and winter is when I usually wear it because it is sweet, the heat amplifies it. Besides MPN, which I don't have, it's my favorite from Les Parisiennes line. Wish I had bought more of the line before it was axed.

This is my ultimate fairy fragrance. Such an ethereal blend of vanilla, pine, and cranberry. I really imagine the most enchanting forest fairy would wear this beautiful creation. The blend of notes is so unique, I feel like you can't put this in a box with other fragrances to compare. Gorgeous composition and masterfully crafted.

What a wonderful vanilla pine combo. This is my first Guerlain love and immediately ordered. It goes from a fruity, licorice vanilla into a conifer forward candied berry vanilla on me. In the Florida heat it is light enough and projects quite well. This is certainly a treasure IMO.

Absolutely love this fragrance. Very unique. If anyone that didn't care for this fragrance, would like to get rid of it, I am VERY interested 😊

Lovely hippy chic blend. Happy and carefree. I wish it had a tiny bit more pine notes to tone down the sweetness.

Mildly fruity, aromatic greeness on a base of woody vanilla. Gorgeous. -

Some of the most natural smelling fragrances ever.

Have you ever heard of Chuk and Gek? This short story /written by Arkady Gaidar/ describes the story of two brothers and their mother who have to survive ten days in the guard ́s hut in a wilderness of Siberian taiga. This fragrance reminds me of this story for a few reasons. In the story, there is an impressive description of the taiga biome, its lichen woodland with spruces, firs, pines & wild cranberries and bilberries. And these notes are prominent in this scent - fresh green needles, moss, lichen, honey-sweet resins & juicy berries /and the whole impression refers to the typical absinthe aroma/. And there is something like a light aura around this wild, green & herbal heart, consisting of vanilla, white musk & mild sandalwood. And yes, you can notice swirls of caramel in this composition, it ́s like if you were eating brittle while walking through the coniferous forest. Baiser de Russie is green, sweet & rich. It ́s a journey from Moscow into the wild. Have a safe trip!

I have to agree with @brumbarche's insightful review. Baiser de Russie has a captivating opening with its refreshing absinthe note mixed with pine needles and jasmine. The gourmand undertone is there but it plays really well with the aromatic tops. Truly exceptional and I couldn't stop sniffing the blotter. Unfortuantely in the drydown all the interesting new nuances dissipate and I'm left with the much less exciting Guerlainade and vanilla, with a bit berry... now if Guerlainade is your jam Baiser de Russie will be your new BFF as a contemporary gourmand, but alas this isn't for me. I wish they made the pine note last and tuned down the vanilla. I'd find this a more interesting Guerlain that stands out from the pack.

There’s something Old World about Baiser de Russie. It conjures within me the image of 19th Century Russian aristocrats on a hunting party in the woods, the work of the pine note. In the long distance, hounds echo as caramel laced delicacies and green fairy absinthe are passed about, a platter of sugared cranberries set neatly to the side. It is quite the genteel treat. It’s currently available at both the London boutique in Covent Garden and at Harrods in Knightsbridge as a Guerlain Exclusive!

So, I heard that this one and some other patrimoine collections are going to be discontinued (where I live) so I ordered some perfumes in the color bee bottles before it’s gone. This scent is not my usual choice since I’m chypre lover, tho I think it’s good for winter. Too sticky sweet to wear in hot humid Tokyo summer. Btw, those color bee bottles are fun, and practical if you choose dark color like black, blue to shut light. And matte white is looking just like l’heure blanche.

Evergreens, tart berries, and a bit of something woody or vanilla that gives it a powdery finish. It feels very bright and clean to me, like a walk through a forest on a sunny day in early spring. I don't really get the gourmand notes until well into the drydown, and they're very faint. I'd describe this primarily as a tart, fresh berry scent. Definitely not blind buy friendly! I can imagine it smelling like a car air freshener to some.