Fragrance comparison

Pretexte vs Cuir de Russie

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 53 ratings analysed

4 wins

Pretexte

Lanvin

4.5149 votes

Rank #12,145 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

57%scent match

Closely related

Cuir de Russie

Bienaimé

5.004 votes

Rank #42,805 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Pretexte takes 4 of 4 categories.

Pretexte
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Cuir de Russie
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Pretexte4/4

Cuir de Russie0/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Pretexte
Sillage & projection: Pretexte
Value for money: Pretexte
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Pretexte

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

PretexteLanvin

Cuir de RussieBienaimé

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.51/ 5 · 49 votes

Have 44%Had 6%Want 50%

5.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 16%Had 0%Want 84%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

68%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

34 votes

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate90

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityPretexte

SillagePretexte

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price value38

Category winnerPretexteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

amber92%

leather84%

animalic77%

floral69%

aldehydic61%

woody100%

musky92%

amber84%

animalic77%

leather69%

aromatic61%

Scent match57%Closely related · both woody, amber and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesNarcissusBergamot

Heart

OpoponaxRoseCarnationIrisHawthornHay

Base

CivetLeatherOakmossCastoreumTonka BeanSandalwoodPalisander RosewoodPatchouli

Top

BergamotClary SageCassisLemonNeroli

Heart

RoseJasmineIrisLabdanumTuberoseOrange BlossomOpoponax

Base

LeatherMuskCivetBirchCastoreumStyraxSandalwoodPatchouli

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Opoponax, Rose and Iris. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer0

Fall100

Winter80

Day40

Night100

Spring67

Summer67

Fall100

Winter100

Day67

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex25

Women75

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#12,145

PerfumerAndre Fraysse

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#42,805

PerfumerRobert Bienaimé

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerPretexteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Pretexte by Lanvin is a bold oriental floral from 1937, defined by its complex leathery and animalic character. This scent opens with bright aldehydes and narcissus, shifting into a deep, dark heart of opoponax and hay. It remains a legendary piece of vintage perfumery for those who appreciate woody, resinous composit…

Reviews →

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 →

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, Pretexte or Cuir de Russie?

Pretexte takes 4 of 4 categories. Pretexte is rated 4.51/5 from 49 votes; Cuir de Russie is rated 5.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Pretexte for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Cuir de Russie for a woody and musky character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Pretexte or Cuir de Russie?

Pretexte lasts longest (Pretexte 79/100, Cuir de Russie 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Pretexte or Cuir de Russie?

Pretexte projects furthest (Pretexte 69/100, Cuir de Russie 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Pretexte and Cuir de Russie smell similar?

Closely related: a 57% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and animalic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Opoponax, Rose and Iris.

Is Pretexte or Cuir de Russie better for summer or winter?

Pretexte suits evening wear; Cuir de Russie suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Pretexte and Cuir de Russie?

Pretexte has top notes of Aldehydes, Narcissus and Bergamot, heart notes of Opoponax, Rose, Carnation and Iris, a base of Civet, Leather, Oakmoss and Castoreum. 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.