Cuir de Russie Eau de Parfum
Chanel (2016)

I'm wearing a sample I got from the Chanel shop on the Champs Elysées. It's more feminine than I expected and I'm not a fan of the aldehyde top notes. It makes me want to revisit Knize Ten of which I own a full bottle and which has the pleasing masculinity of an elegant non-commissioned officer. Still, Cuir de Russie would be very nice on my wife or mistress.

This is Anna Karenina captured in a fragrance. Old world, aristocratic women. It feels like that old-era Russia in the winter time. A masterpiece.

While many seem to bemoan the loss of everlasting, sparkling aldehydes and the animalic twang of the EDT, I am not aware of what was lost as I've only laid my nose on this EDP, and I discern a well-mannered yet effulgent blend that smells great on my skin.

Cuir de Russie EDP is bright and vivacious to start, with a clean and somewhat soapy quality courtesy of orange blossom and aldehydes classically paired with ylang-ylang, but this sooner turns to this soft, smooth, velour-like heart. The jasmine and sweet tobacco which renders a precious tonality, the contrast between the two lending to the "clean-layered-over-dirty' sensibility through the dry down.

The birch tar here is but a drop, leavened by musks that seem to not only carry the leather but also the florals, close to the skin, for a number of hours, with whatever has graced fabric lasting even longer. It is a persistent but nuanced ambience that is the hallmark of Chanel it seems, and which may often be mistaken for lack of performance. However, that isn't the case at all, it is more a translucency. One doesn't prefer something visual merely because it is dense and opaque, right? Herein lies the problem of defining value while disposing of experience.

Once again, I haven't smelled the EDT, but with this EDP, the experience has proven more than worth it, and I look forward to revisiting it time and again.

I sure am glad I tested this before purchasing. I love the EDT, although it took me a couple wears to fully appreciate it. But the EDP is way to feminine "perfumy" in the 6+ hours drydown range. I'm glad I have a large decant of the EDT, because the EDP is unwearable for me in the late stages.

I'm on a big leather bender these days. This leather is soft and lovely. The qualities of the ylang + jasmine + aldehyde blend in this reminds me very much of how Patou balanced on the same tightrope with Joy. Not that the two frags smell at all alike. They don't. But they certainly share a sensibility. Just a hint of anamalic I'd characterize as kitty pee, but I'm a city girl - I wouldn't know barnyard if it bit me.

Now this is gorgeous and opens up with a creamy buttery ylang ylang followed by a very refined supple almost suede like leather.

As time passes you can smell jasmine,dry woods, iris all woven tightly together that the scent shimmers on your skin. Smell it one moment you get the leather, smell it again and you can smell the jasmine. It is a beautiful classy multifaceted fragrance.

Deep into the drydown after many hours I can even smell a soft and sensual animalic scent on my skin.

This scent lasted seven hours on my skin and the projection and sillage was decent.

I have to say this is one of the most luxurious and classy fragrances I have ever smelled. Bravo to Chanel this is just a beautiful refined gem of a scent. Big thumbs up!