Fragrance comparison

Cuir de Russie vs Soft Iris

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 80 ratings analysed

Cuir de Russie

Bienaimé

5.004 votes

Rank #40,626 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Soft Iris

Marks & Spencer

3.7476 votes

Rank #18,160 White FloralIris

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Cuir de Russie
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Soft Iris
Choose it for a white floral and iris character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Cuir de Russie2/4

Soft Iris2/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Cuir de Russie
Sillage & projection: Cuir de Russie
Value for money: Soft Iris
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Soft Iris

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Cuir de RussieBienaimé

Soft IrisMarks & Spencer

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 16%Had 0%Want 84%

3.74/ 5 · 76 votes

Have 58%Had 14%Want 28%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

13%Love

59%Like

21%Ok

1%Dislike

5%Hate

76 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityCuir de Russie

SillageCuir de Russie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value38

¤ Price value91

Category winnerSoft IrisBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

musky92%

amber84%

animalic77%

leather69%

aromatic61%

white floral100%

iris92%

woody84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

amber61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

BergamotClary SageCassisLemonNeroli

Heart

RoseJasmineIrisLabdanumTuberoseOrange BlossomOpoponax

Base

LeatherMuskCivetBirchCastoreumStyraxSandalwoodPatchouli

Notes

IrisJasmineBergamotOrange BlossomVetiverAmberPatchouliTonka Bean

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Jasmine, Iris and Orange Blossom. Durations are only published for Soft Iris, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Spring100

Summer49

Fall49

Winter42

Day100

Night21

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Men0

Unisex9

Women91

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#40,626

PerfumerRobert Bienaimé

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,160

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerSoft IrisHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cuir de Russie by Bienaimé is a Floral Aldehyde fragrance for women. Cuir de Russie was launched in 1935. The nose behind this fragrance is Robert Bienaimé. Top notes are Bergamot, Clary Sage, Cassis, Lemon and Neroli; middle notes are Rose, Jasmine, Iris, Labdanum, Tuberose, Orange Blossom and Opoponax; base notes ar…

Reviews →

Soft Iris by Marks & Spencer is a gentle floral fragrance centered on powdery iris, orange blossom, and jasmine. It opens with a bright splash of bergamot before settling into clean white floral layers over an earthy base of patchouli, vetiver, and warm tonka bean. The overall feel is polite, fresh, and slightly sweet…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cuir de Russie or Soft Iris?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Cuir de Russie is rated 5.00/5 from 4 votes; Soft Iris is rated 3.74/5 from 76 votes. Choose Cuir de Russie for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Soft Iris for a white floral and iris character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Cuir de Russie or Soft Iris?

Cuir de Russie lasts longest (Cuir de Russie 60/100, Soft Iris 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cuir de Russie or Soft Iris?

Cuir de Russie projects furthest (Cuir de Russie 50/100, Soft Iris 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cuir de Russie and Soft Iris smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and amber accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Jasmine, Iris and Orange Blossom.

Is Cuir de Russie or Soft Iris better for summer or winter?

Cuir de Russie suits evening wear; Soft Iris suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cuir de Russie and Soft Iris?

Cuir de Russie has top notes of Bergamot, Clary Sage, Cassis and Lemon, heart notes of Rose, Jasmine, Iris and Labdanum, a base of Leather, Musk, Civet and Birch. Soft Iris features Iris, Jasmine, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Vetiver.