Maroussia

To me this is pure decay and body odor, absolutely repulsive.

There's something timeless and comforting about it - and turns out, it elevates both Oud al layl - Arabiyat and Burberry Goddess beautifully. I could have sworn the old formulation was way stronger and pungent than the bottle I picked up today, which smells a lot like orange blossom water, ylang ylang and cosy spice-gourmand notes. Not complaining. I love it on its own, I love it layered. It's just wonderful. Cant wait til this evening when I can put my satin PJs on and a light spray of this and snuggle up on the sofa with a good movie.

This gives me the feeling I used to have when I kissed my mother goodnight when she went out somewhere fancy. I am pretty sure she actually wore L'Air du Temps, which no longer has the velvet feel. But this does. Rich and deep and like mink. I suppose if I was being clinical, it's the carnation and adelhydes, but it's so well blended that I can't actually pick out notes. I continue to be astounded that long lived cheapies like this make popular niche perfumes many times their price smell like scratch and sniff stickers by comparison.

I have seen this perfume in store many times, and the bottle has always intrigued me but never tried it other than just sniffing the the bottle. That isn't where this perfume shines at all, the moment you spray it on the skin she becomes a completely different beast. I saw a few comments mentioning it's similar to Charlie Red which is one of my favourite easy summer go tos. I can see it, especially in the top notes they share an instant familiarity but don't come into it thinking it's the same fragrance. Where Red is bright, clean and fresh, Maroussia is deep, smoky almost even a hint of cigar smoke over citrus, spice, woods and vanilla. I never seem to notice 'animalic' notes in fragrances, but I'm sure it's where the depth is coming from. Maroussia is unique and from another time. It may have been released in 1992 but it easily could have been released in 1932. It's sultry, close to the skin and becomes divine in the dry down. Very nice, glad I grabbed one of these beautiful bottles.

Horrible, heavy, harsh, outdated

If you love retro style perfumes, do yourself a favor and try this! Parfums Raffy sells 1ml decants of this for literally 85 cents with a coupon code. Sparkly aldehydes, delightfully bitter carnation, a bit of civet pinch, and dusty powder. To me this is very reminiscent of Chanel's DNA. In fact, it could have been one of the Les Exclusifs fragrances named No 16 or 1939 or something. I have been wearing this non-stop for the past 3 weeks and am almost 3/4 through my 1 oz bottle. What an amazing hidden gem of a perfume!

I love this scent and usually wear it to the gym. The aldehydes make it seem a bit too cheap for a sophisticated scent so I just use it to be spicy but sporty.

Got this as a gift and I expected to not like it however it’s really really good and I love it so much, I don’t really know how to describe it properly but it’s warm, a bit powdery and spicy. I usually hate powdery perfumes because they give me headaches but this is so good and lasts so long on my skin and my clothes, great performance from a EDT

When I saw the picture of this online, I remembered it from my teens. I didn't wear it so I have no idea how I recognised it, but when I purchased it, it smelled exactly as I expected. So this is where all the good perfumes are hiding - in the chemist locked away in a cupboard for $20 AUD! Take everything I say with a grain of salt, because I had a deviated septum and I'm still recovering from surgery, but at first I was worried it wasn't strong enough. Give it time - it takes a few weeks or so after opening and spraying it around to get to full strength. I don't know how some people are calling it melancholy, it's anything but. It's warm, comforting, spicy, invigorating. It's not in the notes, but the opening is a camphorous cherry blast, which is my favourite part, and in my opinion a very happy smell. Definitely a red fragrance. I think someone described it as cough syrup and it's the closest descriptor I can go with but in a much more pleasant way. It smells like you've crashed a busy, expensive 90's party you were DEFINITELY not invited to, eating cherries and drinking champagne while wearing a fur coat standing next to a warm fireplace.

Very heavy, headache inducing, balmy. Not for me. Longevity is eternal. If you like heavy animalistic perfumes, there is no better price point on the market.

This is the best smell I have ever smelled. It’s absolutely beautiful smell. Still testing longevity? Will report back. Sprayed 4 sprays on my chest and it’s flowing around me. Very unisex! Men this is so gorgeous! I am male BTW. I like unisex smells the most. Jesus Christ is Lord and King of all things!! (Day 1 of wearing it is very long lasting) absolutely the best smell ever. Almost like fabric softener smell. My favorite!

Gotta wear this in the dead of winter. Like right now when the temperatures are nearing zero and the wind blows you over. Smokey, with a church like vibe. Don’t light up a cigarette while wearing this unless you want to smell like a smoke bomb!! Not a fragrance for young girls.

A 1992 perfume with character, absolute Divine, unique, wonderful !!!!!!

one of my favorite perfumes! absolutely stunning. I have a large perfume collection and this is one of my most treasured. If you’ve never put your nose on it you have to try it.😍

Maroussia by Slava Zaitsev Sharp frost, crimson heart, Smoldering in amber light, Winter’s bold embrace. Maroussia is the soul of a Russian winter in a bottle and my very first Russian fragrance added to my collection. It opens with "sharp frost"—a soapy, sparkling blast of aldehydes that feels like a gust of sub-zero air. But don't let the cold opening fool you; it quickly warms into a "crimson heart" of spicy carnation and ylang-ylang. It’s dramatic, theatrical, and unapologetically vintage. As usual, in most fragrances, the real magic is the transition into the base. It becomes a rich, smoldering blend of incense and honeyed amber. It’s not a "church" incense, but a warm, resinous smoke that feels like a lit hearth. As it settles, a creamy sandalwood and musk emerge, giving it a "lived-in" skin warmth that is both sacred and carnal. For the price, the performance is excellent. • Sillage: A heavy, warm aura that commands attention. ++ • Longevity: 10+ hours. It clings to coats and scarves for days.+++ Maroussia is a polarizing masterpiece. If you love spicy, balsamic florals with a "red velvet" feel, this is the winter essential for you! It turns the freezing cold into a glowing, golden sanctuary. Vintage and new versions of this fragrance are easily found, quite affordable and great to compare. If you are aware of any other readily available, lovely fragrances that are from Russia, please suggest them in a comment! I’d really appreciate it’.

Smells amazing to me, my aunts wear these so I grew up with it, smells divine

nie lubie korzennych perfum ,ale to jest ten wyjątek pchną kościołem oblanym likierem wiśniowym kocham

I've almost bought this on numerous occasions; it's the perfect blend of powdery and spicy notes. I'm sensitive to white florals though so I do detect a 'pee' note that is off-putting to me, which has (so far) prevented me from buying it.

Really makes you smell like a Civet. 10/10.

One of the weirdest perfumes I have ever come across. It starts with a very chemical, aggressive cough syrup smell, something people would brew in a prison using expired perfumes and cleaning products. That's extreme but I just want to convey it smells offensive and "alchemical" at first. Because then it settles into this spicy talc/soap and old-fashioned smell. It smells and looks like something that might have been the pinnacle of luxury some day, but that doesn't make sense anymore. I like it for this aspect alone, but it's not something to wear frequently.

Tĥis is such beautiful thick, full bodied spicy scent. It is difficult to find a scent in this price point that does not smell screetchy. In my opinion it is very elegant, not cheap smelling but I think everyone has different associations about what smells cheap. It is also stromg enough. One spray is enough for me.

Civet? CIVET?!?!

I remember this, it is old world luxurous, very musky and slightly powdery and sweet in a lovely way. It would be perfect for colder days, sexy, mysterious and classy at the same time.

From the moment I sprayed Maroussia, I was transported to a dimly lit nightclub in Moscow, circa 1993, where acrylic fur coats are worn indoors and vodka flows like fountain soda. Growing up in eastern Europe, we used the term "Russian shower" to describe that smell of heavy perfume over unwashed, grimy skin. Picture the perfume equivalent of a leopard print mini skirt paired with six-inch stilettos and a suspiciously red haircut. That’s Maroussia! The top notes hit you like a shot of stale liquor, followed by a cloud of synthetic florals, cheap incense, and the distant memory of your aunt’s hairspray from 1987. There’s a hint of forbidden mystery, and by that I mean the kind of mystery that asks for payment in cash and doesn’t provide receipts. If you’re looking for subtle elegance, run. But if you want to smell like a villainous mistress from a Cold War telenovela, Maroussia is your girl. She’s not classy, but she is unforgettable. Needless to say, mine is listed on Mercari on the bottom shelf of the clearance rack. Enjoy!

When I smelt it from the bottle before spraying it smelt exactly like Imperial Leather soap which is based on Russian Leather, however when sprayed it has a lot more going on but still has that beautiful soapiness to it. This is gorgeous and surprisingly not too heavy. It opens with aldehydes and very quickly becomes primarily carnation and tuberose with a base of civet and sandalwood. It's very spicy, woody and animalic to me. It's beautifully warm and cozy. I love it.

Maroussia is classic, elegant, and luxurious. Some review said this perfume smells like a fancy hotel in winter, and I agree. Unfortunately, I cannot tolerate the tuberose in this, I am not even sure If it's actually the tuberose since i haven't smelt tuberose in real life. But it's the same note in Lou Lou that makes me dizzy and nauseous. It's a shame that I cannot enjoy these two beautiful fragrances.

I used to love to smell this perfume when I lived in New Zealand in the late 1990s. Among other "chemist" perfumes like "Charlie" (red and blue), this one was somewhat special, and I really enjoyed wearing it. I think it is a great value.

A few months ago, some women on a perfume forum were discussing the perfumes they imagine prostitutes wear, and this perfume was mentioned several times. That's how I discovered it. I have fallen in love with many perfumes from across the globe by this point, so I am thrilled to be testing my first perfume from Russia. The fragrance opens deceptively light and aldehydic. The top is fruity, creamy, and sweet, from mandarin and peach. The heart is densely floral, with carnation, ylang-ylang, wafts of heady white florals like tuberose, jasmine, and orange flower, some soft rose, and an undercurrent of powdery purple flowers. As the perfume develops, it feels fuzzy, smoky, spicy, and woody, with the santal, clove, and purple florals taking center stage. To my nose, the most intensive aspect of this perfume is the santal, it's beautifully rendered and imparts a dry, dusty texture. The ambery base gradually comes forward, it's powerful, but it doesn't feel dense or syrupy. It's musky and has a lot of civet, but it somehow doesn't veer in a dirty direction, instead it's more of a subtle warmth. A few thoughts: The perfume will undoubtedly impart a cosmetic impression. It's soapy, powdery, and highly abstract... it smells "perfume-y" in a distinctly 90s way. It's a lovely scent, but there's not much in the way of realism. I consider Maroussia to be a balanced, well-rounded perfume. It's dynamic and layered, but it doesn't go too far in any direction. The whole is cohesive, sophisticated, and greater than the sum of its parts. It doesn't smell like anything else I've tried, but it vaguely reminds me of many perfume classics. I detect touches of Chanel No. 22, L'Air du Temps, Dune, Loulou, Samsara... It's certainly familiar, but it smells distinct and unique. An inexpensive, beautiful concoction. I suspect my mother will love this perfume, I must have her try it. My first foray into Russian perfumery, and I'm very impressed. Maroussia is not at all my idea of what prostitutes smell like, but then, neither is Shalimar, Habanita, or Tabu.

This is Samsara wanna be 😃 fresher, more floral, no sandalwood overdose take on Samsara. Any other time I would have loved this but I feel like I've grown out of loving vintages.

Similar to Kobako and LouLou. Spicier than those, though. I like it!