Cuir de Russie Chanel 2007 Eau de Toilette

Cuir de Russie (Eau de Toilette) by Chanel

8.1 / 10 308 Ratings

Cuir de Russie (Eau de Toilette) is a popular perfume by Chanel for women and was released in 2007. The scent is leathery-animal. The production was apparently discontinued. Pronunciation

Main accords

Leathery

Animal

Floral

Woody

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Orange blossom

Bergamot

Mandarin orange

Heart Notes

Jasmine

Ylang-ylang

Rose

Base Notes

Birch wood

Perfumer

Jacques Polge

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

8.1308 Ratings

Longevity

7.6223 Ratings

Sillage

6.7223 Ratings

Bottle

8.3212 Ratings

Value for money

6.718 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 03.05.2023.

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10/08/2020

Susan

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Susan

Top Review 27

Royale Elegance....

My motives for testing this fragrance were initially purely factual. There are some classics that one should have smelled m.m.n. to get an idea of the developmental history of perfumery.

I considered the chances of possibly coming across a personal "Holy Grail" here to be extremely small. In classifications such as leather and animalistic, there is usually very little temptation for me.

How was I wrong...!!!
Cuir de Russie is of an elegance and glory as I have rarely perceived in a fragrance......

It is not just the elegance of stylishly dressed ladies with excellent manners.....it is the elegance and grandeur of centuries-old dynasties.....royal elegance.....the elegance of self-confidence and awareness of one's position in the world....the elegance of one's own personality and complete rest in it.....the elegance of deep roots......

The leather note in CUIR DE RUSSIE is immediately perceptible to me. Embedded in fresh hesperides, surrounded by white flowers and softened by aldehydes as only Chanel knows how to use them, this leather shines in such an unbelievably sensual softness that I am speechless.....

This leather has absolutely nothing to do with boots, biker jackets or rough-and-ready Cossacks......it is butter-soft, transparent, slightly soapy and especially in the base deeply warm and feminine....Animalik I do not perceive at any time....for which I am very grateful ;-)....

CUIR DE RUSSIE is one of my most wonderful discoveries of the last years, and I thank CRAVACHE not only from my heart, but from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to test it :-).......

11/19/2018

10
Bottle 6
Sillage 7
Longevity 9
Scent

Duftsucht

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Duftsucht

Top Review 15

Sweaty Cossack Boots

I am certainly not the only one who has the following associations with Cuir de Russie, described as leathery-animalic: Cossack boots worn out with corresponding olfactory side effects of long walks and possibly feet rubbed against woollen stockings that have not been washed too often.
Yes - I plead guilty that the name was sufficient, that I disregarded Cuir de Russie shamefully for a long time! Leather? Not really one of my favorite directions! Animal? To all scents, which show shuddering in the pyramid Zibet or similar, I make a respectful bow!
And there it was, in front of me, a little sample with the inscription "Cuir de Russie". If it hadn't come from a perfumery where really and truly ALL the samples I've tested so far have immediately led to eager price research - or even more often to global research on any remnants of the noble fragrance that may still be found in a remote corner of the world - I might have disregarded the sample. So a droplet took a seat on my wrist and I can tell you again what I do not smell: NO leather and NO animal! Instead a fresh floral glow with a soft citric note, which I can't clearly locate. Bergamot or mandarin, which tell me the pyramid, I would not have typed now, but it fits quite well. And flowers, white, but not too luxuriant or even overwhelming for my nose, but a finely tuned translucent bouquet. In the first hour Cuir de Russie is clearly a floral fragrance for me - and a very noble one at that. Then, on quiet soles and hardly noticeably something is added: Help, it's not gonna be an animal sneaking around the corner, is it? Well, yes and no. I'm starting to develop at least a little understanding of why the fragrance is classified as leathery animalic. Glove leather, velvety soft, including delicate, seductive skin washed with fine soap and lightly powdered. For a few minutes of shock I add a tone that I dislike very much - almost like tar or petrol, but which flies away almost immediately without leaving any residue.
From this moment on, Cuir de Russie has completed his change of character from an almost innocent playful-floral beginning to a sensually tender depth. The scent veil becomes ever closer to the skin, delicate, ivory to sepia in colour, a hint of restrained elegance floats in the air.
Oh, woe - I think it got me, the Chanel virus. I had already feared it when I suddenly discovered my interest for delicate soap during the test of No. 22 and it is sealed with Cuir de Russie. Here will surely still follow some enthusiastic new discoveries and an increase of my wish and noticing list!

05/18/2015

jtd
484 Reviews

jtd

Top Review 11

Cuir de Russie

Most of what has been written on classical perfumery falls into three categories: the description, the tribute and the complaint, also known as anger passing for nostalgia.

Take Chanel no 5:

• The description: Soapy. Bubbly. Old Lady perfume. Flowery. Feminine.

• The tribute: The greatest perfume ever made. The ultimate fashion accessory of the 20th century. The perfume that launched thousand ships.

• The complaint can be sophisticated or simplistic, but the meaning is the same: something I am entitled to has been taken away from me and I'm bitter. Blame political correctness for taking animal products off the perfumers palate, blame the governmental nannies for taking away nitro musks. Wherever I point the finger, though, I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to wear this anymore.

Cuir de Russe is a seminal work from one of the acknowledged founders of contemporary perfumery, Ernest Beaux. Describing it, idolizing it or bitching about its current state doesn't seem sufficient.

So what can I say about it? It is one of the few remaining examples of the sub genre after which it was named. The Russian leathers were defined by their specific combination of the hard and the soft. Rough leather notes, typically created with great helpings of birch tar, are balanced by dry floral notes. They combined the rugged and the refined and played on the Franco-Russian mystique of the early 20th century. They conveyed the sensibility of an era where sophistication was not defined by effete finery, but by an almost swashbuckling pursuit of 'the finer things'.

Does Chanel's Cuir de Russie meet these expectations? Tough to say. Perfume's capacity to evoke a broad sensibility is a function of many factors, from accessibility and social expectation to marketing, cost and personal habit. The Russian Leathers's connotation of class and privilege was likely a smoke-and-mirrors game at the start of the 20th Century. In the second decade of the 21st it is virtually mythology, which Chanel maintain with their heritage pillars: No 5, Cuir de Russie and Bois des Isles.

Cuir de Russie must meet a two-part goal for Chanel. It must remain coherent with the image of Chanel's history yet be desirable to the buyer who doesn't know or care that the perfume has a history. This is the precipice where many vintage perfumes die. They are reformulated, whether due to materials or strategy, and they lose the buyers. Caron's strategy has been to reformulate their heritage products drastically (eg. Narcisse Noir). Vintage lovers protest that their favorite perfumes have been gutted and new younger buyers have little interest in 'old lady perfumes.’ Taking a different tack, Guerlain reissued Vega as true to its original form as possible. Buyers who didn't care about its historical significance didn't buy it and it has been discontinued.

Caron is the cautionary tale and Chanel have paid close attention. Cuir de Russie 'ain't what she used to be,' but is an exceptional perfume that is precicely calibrated for 2015. The reference to the past is apparent but the perfume isn't nostalgic in the least. Neither is it adorned with olfactory signifiers like fruit notes, lingering woody ambers or cotton candy that that would suggest a cynical attempt to trick a younger demographic. The juxtaposition of leather with flowers is the idea at the heart of both the vintage and the current formulations of Cuir de Russie. The current version focusses on the same concepts that the original did rather than try to recreate it. In emphasizing evolution and continuity Chanel have made the current Cuir de Russie what it always was: a reference point and a standard against which other perfumes are measured.

An excellent leather perfume has been evidence of quality and distinction for niche and classic houses. Robert Piguet are 'known' for Bandit, as is Heeley for Cuir Pleine Fleur and Balmain formerly was for Jolie Madame. Cuir de Russie might not be a best-seller for Chanel, but it is critical to their image and their perfume portfolio. Jacques Polge, who oversees the maintenance of the line and is responsible for its current composition, gets high marks for the deliberation and subtlety that make the contemporary Cuir de Russie an exceptional perfume.

from scenthurdle.com

02/22/2021

6
Pricing 10
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 7.5
Scent

Nordnase

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Nordnase

Very helpful Review 8

Leather ? Leather !

This fragrance was my signature scent for a while, but it's too special to have on all the time. In addition, I wear whenever possible and depending on the situation, condition and mood a different perfume, so it's hard for me to commit to one.
Life is simply too diverse for only one fragrance. One has already so his direction, but I also like to try out new things and you can also change his mind / expand.

Chanel is a world-class brand, it accompanies me alongside Lauder and Dior for many years, so many special fragrances have already been created. No. 5 is the classic, which I also own, but this one is very special.

It starts briefly with bergamot, florals as well as a slight citrusy freshness.
And then I'm standing in the forest. Only birch trees and delicate green around me. Wonderful. With extravagant, fine and noble leather boots I roam through a sun-drenched clearing. I have very fine, glove-soft leather on my feet - you can hardly feel them. Every now and then a blade of grass gets caught in my boot, and a rose actually poked me. But it was a wild one. Dewdrops reflected in its blossom.
(Jasmine and tangerine I can not perceive olfactory)

The fragrance is fine and noble, and although not stated in the fragrance pyramid, the leather notes predominate in a noble and unobtrusive elegance. I find suitable for both ladies and gentlemen.

An unsweet droplet for special occasions, if there should be the times sometime again.
Otherwise, the office becomes a leathery birch forest... ;-)

02/13/2013

9
Scent

Greysolon
74 Reviews

Greysolon

Top Review 7

The musical theater of Cuir de Russie

I remember the first time I tried Cuir de Russie and, like Missk (excellent review, below), having read all the hype I was prepared for a huge leather bombshell. Instead, I was surprised how deep, beautiful and restrained it seemed. On the other hand, I was also surprised, like Drseid (another excellent review, below), by the anamalic strength of Cuir de Russie. Would others find it too strong and objectionable? After wearing Cuir de Russie a few times I realized that the leather accord wasn't perceived by others in the same way I perceived it on my skin.

After thinking about it, I remembered a principle I regularly use as a musician but hadn't thought of in relation to wearing or creating perfume. It has to do with how a fragrance performs in respect to projection. I’m not referring to projection as we think of it when wearing perfume; that is, simply being loud or soft. Rather, I’m referring to projection as musicians think of it. Emphasizing certain notes in the music -or in this case, perfume- to create an overall effect intended for an audience.

For example, if a musician wishes imbue a piece of music with a particular character -let’s say a quick, rhythmic dance- the musician will have to stress and articulate certain notes to project that character across the threshold of the stage to the audience. On stage the musician may hear these elements as exaggerated to the point of being out of character. But the audience will perceive the character of the music in the context of being agile and dance like because distance has tempered and blended the exaggerated elements.

As fragrance junkies, I often think we spend too much time with our noses pressed to our wrists. We forget that we're performers on a fragrant stage. That means we're likely to smell certain notes and accords in an exaggerated sense. We need to remember our audience may require this level of emphasis and projection to appreciate the overall character of a fragrance. So it's understandable that someone wearing Cuir de Russie for the first time may find the anamalic accord too loud or out of balance. But that exaggeration may be intentionally formulated into the fragrance so the character of leather is projected across the threshold of our stage into the theater of scent.

So much has been written about Cuir de Russie; love, hate and everything in between. But it is a classic with good reason. It may not be for everyone but I love wearing it. It’s warm, with deep, dark florals, and, admittedly, a leather accord that can smell like you're actually in the saddle. Just remember, when wearing perfume, the world is your stage and sometimes a little exaggeration is necessary.

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