Bienaimé, Bienaime, Cuir de Russie, 'Russian Leather', 60 ml. or 2 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1935, Paris, France ..

Robert Bienaimé studied the chemistry of perfume in college and excelled. Within three years Bienaimé had mastered the basics of perfume creation and had adopted a creation style of his own. He worked initially for Houbigant, and continued to create for Houbigant until sometime shortly after the financial meltdown of 1929.

After the death of Paul Parquet at Houbigant, Robert Bienaimé became co-partner with Fernando Javal, son of the late Alfred Javal, Parquet's partner in Houbigant who had worked the marketing and production sides of the business. The Houbigant firm briefly took on the Javal name and then became Bienaimé Houbigant. During these years of expansion Bienaimé brought to Houbigant the talents of Paul Schving, Paul Leroux, Raymond Kling, André Copaux, Degont Desplanques and Marcel Billot among others.

In 1935, Bienaimé launched his own Paris fragrance house, originally located at 396-rue saint-Honoré, Paris, where Bienaimé began to create fragrances under his own name. Bienaimé fragrances continued to appear during the 1940's and existed until 1950, but it would appear that the house did not survive for long after the war. Bienaimé also launched a cosmetics company under the name Robel. In spite of considerable activity in support of various industrial processes and other institutions, Bienaimé continued his involvement in his own perfume company until his death in 1960 at the age of 84.

Robert Bienaimé is one of my favourite perfumers of all time. He created' La Vie en Fleurs' in 1935, right at the same time he launched 'Fleurs D'Ete'. Both are the most beautiful feminine florals. As perfumer for Houbigant from around 1910 to 1935, Robert Bienaimé created fragrances such as Lilac, a single flower fragrance and, one of Houbigants all time best sellers, Quelques Fleurs, a floral bouquet.

When Robert Bienaimé launched his own perfume house .. Parfums de Bienaimé .. in 1935, among his first successful creations was his Cuir de Russie. At the time, this "Russian Leather" theme was popular, having been used to great effect by Chanel, Guerlain, and others. Unlike today when fragrances must carry unique names, in France in the first half of the 20th Century, a number of marketers might hit on the same, or a similar, name.

"After five to ten minutes Cuir de Russie recalls fumed rawhide, the soft scraped skin, smoked to a light brown color but not soaked in birch tar. Resinous notes of cistus and styrax, smooth and transparent, appear cautiously, and if smoked birch tar is present, it's in a very minor quantity. The animalic character is complemented by a very natural soft musk and warm civet. Some orthodox smell of styrax and benzoin is added to the leathery facet. Later, beneath the resins are found bitter woody chords: notes of oakmoss and vetiver, with smooth warm balsamic notes and possibly orris—smells like a lacquered table, partly covered with leather.

In the last gasps the perfume gives slightly sweet warmth, but not that of flowers. Instead it's the warm, undyed underside of a leather belt, just taken off the body, and a thin benzoin sweetness reminiscent of Soviet sugar dragée.

Top notes are Aldehydes, Orange Blossom, Bergamot, and Mandarin
Heart notes are Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Iris, and Labdanum
Base notes are Oak Moss, Vetiver, Cedar, Styrax, Leather, Amber, and Vanilla

The composition starts with aldehydes moderated by mild nectar of classical trio of rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang. The ending comes as smoky, animalistic note of dark leather.

Offered here is a wonderful heavy crystal flacon of this fabulous perfume. It has been opened as the baudruche or onion skin seal is missing, but it has been barely used. Very rare and very delicious .. This is an excellent Cuir de Russie .. Superb! Comes with its original presentation box, though there is an inner part to the box that is missing .. the oval stand for the bottle.