Ernest Beaux composed Cuir de Russie for Gabrielle Chanel, who launched it in 1927. Born of her affair with Grand Duke Dimitri and of the Paris of the Ballets Russes, it is sold today as an eau de parfum in Les Exclusifs de Chanel: an ambery, leathery floral made of birch wood, cistus labdanum, jasmine, and ylang-ylang.
The sober Les Exclusifs de Chanel bottle, in 75 and 200 ml; the extrait keeps the original bottle, with a white label and a faceted stopper.
Cuir de Russie comes in the shared Les Exclusifs de Chanel bottle, which the house describes as restrained, with the sobriety of the uniform created for the collection. The eau de parfum is sold in 75 and 200 ml; a soft oil for body and hair completes the collection.
In 2007, Elena Vosnaki described the gigantic, spare 200 ml bottles of eau de toilette, sold in Chanel boutiques and a few selected stores. In 2009, Angela mentioned these very large bottles, which in her view justify sharing a purchase.
The extrait, in the Les Extraits de Chanel collection, keeps the original look of the house’s parfum bottles, with its white label and faceted stopper. The house seals it by baudruchage, a traditional perfumery craft, and offers it in a refillable 30 ml.