Cuir de Russie

Base note
CAS# mix
Manufacturer: Synarome 

Odor description: leathery, smoky, opulent, aldehydic and floral nuances

A classic leather base from the legendary French house Synarome — one of the most iconic accords in perfumery history. Cuir de Russie, or "Russian leather," draws on the traditional Russian method of tanning hides with birch tar, a technique that has inspired Europe's greatest perfumers since the 19th century.

This is a rich, intensely characterful composition: the opening sparkles with effervescent aldehydic notes that give way to a delicate heart of orange blossom, softly balancing the rawness of the leather. The base unfolds as a powerful, smoky leather built on birch tar, wrapped in woody facets of cedarwood and vetiver, and finished with warm, ambery undertones.

Within its scent echoes the elegance of classic French perfumery of the 1920s and 30s — this very style of base lies behind legends such as Chanel's Cuir de Russie (1924), Caron's Tabac Blond, and Piguet's Bandit. Synarome's Cuir de Russie evokes the inside of a fine leather glove, pipe smoke drifting through a library, the trace of a horse's saddle, and a heavy woolen coat — opulence in its purest form.

Use: an excellent base for leather, woody, chypre, and oriental compositions. It lends fragrances depth, character, and timeless elegance, performing beautifully both as a standalone accord and as a structural element within more complex masculine and unisex creations.