Skip to main content

Chanel Cuir De Russie Eau de Toilette

I had a difficult time deciding on Cuir De Russie. I have been systematically sampling ( and purchasing ugh!) some of the more infamous leather fragrances as of late. I have tried this Chanel before, but not so much to review it and more to just smell it without having to dissect it. For me, concentrating on a scent as opposed to simply wearing it for the sake of....well, wearing it.....is a different perception.

Cuir De Russie is a little more floral than I remember it to be. That's not a negative. This is the 5th time I've sampled the vial and I waited until there was none left. Going into it, all I could recall was leather with an animalic slant to it. I'm happy to say there's more to it than that.

The opening is an enjoyable citric accord with a hint of shimmer and that has just a bit of bite to it. I can smell iris and carnation within moments appearing from the heart accord. It's not a dominant takeover, but it is enough for me to notice quickly. A jasmin soon teams up with the iris and these 3 notes compliment both accords as they unfold. This introduction may lean a tad feminine, but not enough to deter men from pulling this off effortlessly.

The base is where the leather comes into play for me. It's on the darker side, but less animalic than I wanted to remember it. Once again, that's not a negative. The van-amber duo that comes to dance with the leather isn't a loud combination and their supporting roles add a dash of resiny sweetness. These 2 soften the leather but never steal the limelight. The transitions in Chanel Cuir De Russie are enjoyable and I like that this fragrance isn't a leather bomb from the get go. It transforms on my skin and becomes a leather scent by way of a well done citric floral array. Either gender will smell pretty damn good wearing this.

Thumbs up from Aromi for yet another excellent Chanel fragrance.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...

Chanel copying Guerlain. Why?

                      Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion , Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking. Chanel has a great fragrance history. Not as hallowed and old as Guerlain but for past three decades it has far outshone Guerlain. In my view, no other perfume house has come close to Chanel’s excellence in this century. This makes their recent approach of echoing Guerlain classics somewhat perplexing. Have they run out of fresh ideas? Is Roger Dove at the helm of their fragrance division, or have they perhaps...

La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme by L'Artisan Parfumeur

I read many reviews before or after I do my own and I seem to be at complete odds with the house of L'Artisan. I have previously said on basenotes that for me, L'Artisan Parfumeur is the most over-rated house I have come across. La Chasse Aux Papillons Extreme does nothing to sway that opinion. Yet another linear, floral dominant scent that does nothing to stir me up or inspire me in any way. This house has "pleasant" nailed down to an art form......but damn...can't we go beyond that? The only attempt at polarization so far has been Dzongkha ....and I found it a jumbled mess. At these prices, move me, anger me, hate me.......but please don't bore me. Extreme in a nutshell is a toned down tuberose with assorted "blossom" thrown in the mix. Is it bad? No, it's an acceptable floral scent that's very timid and just lays on my skin smelling like....well....a toned down version of tuberose with blossom this or that added to it. I'm almost a...