Fragrance comparison

Cuir de Russie vs Vetiver Royal Bourbon

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 530 ratings analysed

4 wins

Cuir de Russie

Guerlain

4.2041 votes

Rank #13,806 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Vetiver Royal Bourbon

Oriza L. Legrand

4.03489 votes

Rank #1,067 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cuir de Russie takes 4 of 7 categories.

Cuir de Russie
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.
Vetiver Royal Bourbon
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Cuir de Russie4/7

Vetiver Royal Bourbon3/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Cuir de RussieGuerlain

Vetiver Royal BourbonOriza L. Legrand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.20/ 5 · 41 votes

Have 14%Had 7%Want 79%

4.03/ 5 · 489 votes

Have 76%Had 24%Want 0%

Category winnerVetiver Royal BourbonRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

27%Like

2%Ok

0%Dislike

12%Hate

41 votes

41%Love

36%Like

12%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

280 votes

Category winnerCuir de RussieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityVetiver Royal Bourbon

SillageCuir de Russie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value69

¤ Price value62

Category winnerCuir de RussieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

musky77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

aromatic100%

woody90%

earthy80%

green70%

fresh spicy60%

tobacco50%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

LavenderRosemaryThyme

Heart2 to 4 hours

IrisBirchBenzoinLabdanumStyrax

Base6 to 10 hours

CivetResinsMuskOakmossVetiverAmber

Top

PeppermintThyme

Heart

Bourbon VetiverTobaccoImmortelleJuniperIris

Base

VetiverOakmossSandalwoodLeatherLabdanumStyrax

InformationalShared notesThyme, Iris, Labdanum and Styrax. Durations are only published for Cuir de Russie, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring60

Summer80

Fall90

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter47

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCuir de RussieMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men17

Unisex75

Women8

Men65

Unisex34

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,806

PerfumerAime Guerlain

Launched—

Reviews6

Overall rank#1,067

PerfumerHugo Lambert

Launched—

Reviews143

Category winnerVetiver Royal BourbonHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Cuir de Russie by Guerlain presents a classic interpretation of Russian leather built on smoky woods, aromatic herbs, and rich animalic warmth. The fragrance begins with a sharp, herbal opening of lavender, rosemary, and thyme. This brisk, aromatic start swiftly gives way to a heart of earthy birch, powdery iris, and …

Reviews →

Vetiver Royal Bourbon is a green, aromatic vetiver with a bracing herbal opening and a dry, woody heart. Reviews point to grassy brightness, thyme, mint, tobacco, immortelle and moss, with a polished old-school feel rather than a soft modern sweetness. It suits vetiver fans who like fresh, earthy, slightly medicinal c…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Cuir de Russie or Vetiver Royal Bourbon?

Cuir de Russie takes 4 of 7 categories. Cuir de Russie is rated 4.20/5 from 41 votes; Vetiver Royal Bourbon is rated 4.03/5 from 489 votes. Choose Cuir de Russie for a amber and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear. Choose Vetiver Royal Bourbon for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Cuir de Russie or Vetiver Royal Bourbon?

Vetiver Royal Bourbon lasts longest (Vetiver Royal Bourbon 78/100, Cuir de Russie 75/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Cuir de Russie or Vetiver Royal Bourbon?

Cuir de Russie projects furthest (Cuir de Russie 76/100, Vetiver Royal Bourbon 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Cuir de Russie and Vetiver Royal Bourbon smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and earthy accords. Common notes include Thyme, Iris, Labdanum and Styrax.

Is Cuir de Russie or Vetiver Royal Bourbon better for summer or winter?

For summer, Cuir de Russie is the stronger pick. For winter, Cuir de Russie is the stronger pick. Cuir de Russie suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Cuir de Russie and Vetiver Royal Bourbon?

Cuir de Russie has top notes of Lavender, Rosemary and Thyme, heart notes of Iris, Birch, Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Civet, Resins, Musk and Oakmoss. Vetiver Royal Bourbon has top notes of Peppermint and Thyme, heart notes of Bourbon Vetiver, Tobacco, Immortelle and Juniper, a base of Vetiver, Oakmoss, Sandalwood and Leather.