Maroussia Slava Zaitsev for women

I used to wear this back in 2022. It's a sexy, feminine 80s gas station scent for when you want to dress up a little bit trashier and evoke nights of passion once experienced in the heart-shaped tubs of Poconos Mountains honeymoon resorts. Very Scorpio. I find that the scent becomes cheaper with every wear but I still like it.

Creamy sweety powdery gorgeousness!
I love this, I can't believe l got it for just £10 it's almost a crime.
My Russian friend at work recommended this the other day, we spend ages talking about perfume.
She knows the sort of fragrances l love.
It arrived today, it's wonderful, it has very striking similarities to Boucheron pour femme it's the orange blossom, ylang-ylang, tuberose, vanilla, sandlewood, and Amber it makes them almost the same perfume which is fine by me because Boucheron is one of my favourites.
The way this differs from Boucheron is where the heliotrope and iris comes in and makes it powdery and floral vanilla sandlewood, whereas Boucheron is soapy floral vanilla sandlewood.
It's a fabulous perfume, the bottle makes it look a bit cheap, it needs more gold on it to posh it up a little a gold lid would look much better aesthetically.
Its a sweetie creamy powdery marshmallow, marzipan-ish gorgeous scent, it lasted on my skin quite well too. I bet men will love smelling this on women. It has hypnotic poison almondy vibes.
I love this perfume and love the price even more. Its up there with my favourites. I give this sexy Russian a 10/10.

Someone will always mention that I smell like someone they know when I wear this fragrance. It’s probably their mothers or grandmothers.

This fragrance is nice. Almost a guilty pleasure. It opens quite strong like many perfumes from that time period do but it dries down into such a clean, soapy smell. I feel put together wearing this. Just do not overdo this one.

The original 90s version was a warm spicy amber cola. Just brought it from the Chemist Warehouse. This new version smells thin and powdery like Tabu and an unwashed toilet. I feel so sick and headachey had to wash it off.

Maybe I was naive hoping that this scent is like it used to be. The bottle is different and it smells horribly.

In the eighties, it was a great perfume. Now it’s horrid. I washed it off immediately.

When I was a young girl my sister and mum had a bottle of this exact perfume I loved how different it was compared to the other perfumes we all had. It reminded me of a red ruby. It smelled like cinnamon sticks when I was younger. I'm not sure if it still smells the same but it has a distinct musky cinnamon smell with some floral notes. Sometimes I would put so much on it made me smell the whole bedroom. I wish to buy a perfume for myself tomorrow to see if it still smells the same as I once had smelled it years ago

I'd wear this if I was going to meet Rihanna & Rocky. Bumped into this one on the bottom shelf at a closeout store in Paris. Tested and couldn't stop smelling my wrist, drawn in how many turns it took. Odd but lately I've been into scents that take me on a journey. I didn't buy but thankfully I was able to find the info on this on my 2nd Google. I'm an amber and orange blossom fan, so that tracks. The combination of florals and animal notes make it complicated and kinda weird. At less than 10€, I think I'll have to go back to get a bottle & have a little fun.

This purchase was nostalgic for me! My first even perfume😁. It's a very unique scent never smelled this type of scent ever since. It's not strong and longtivity and projection is moderate. But he it brings me back in time so i like it.

Many moons ago, After a long love affair with Tabu, My heart was to wonder.
My olfactory scenes went wild, My heart skipped a beat, I fell deeply and madly in love with Maroussia. 😍
Our love affair went on for a passionate 12 years Until my heart was again to wander when, I fell for the much younger seductress La Vie Est Belle
But Belle being too bombastic for this ol' connoisseur, my heart grew away from her, thats when I fell for The Divin Enfant! And I see Habbanita on the side 😊 I'm naughty I know.

But I will always fondly have Maroussia in my collection, because she has done me proud. She will always be my beautiful Babushka.
Love you Marrousia. ❤

I am very happy with this purchase. In the opening Maroussia smells similar to Giorgio Beverly Hills, lots of tuberose but lighter, sweeter and more citrusy than Giorgio. Then it evolves and turns into a very wearable and modern oriental fragrance. It is very versatile, I can see myself wearing it all year round and for any ocassion.

Smells like old lady, but not in a bad way. I imagine people who wear this to be finely aged, with lovely, wispy white hair. :)

This was the bottle in my mothers perfume selection I always had to sniff when I was little growing up in the 90ies. It was so intoxicating, rich powdery and so exotic like incense. The smell would ooze from the bootle, sillage insane. I have her old bottle, but couldn’t and cannot remember where I put it, so when I found one cheap, I bought it for nostalgia, but it’s nothing compared to the old one! I think the old one had a gold neck, where this new one is red like the bottle. It’s nice, powdery and a bit exotic, but quite weak in sillage compared to the old one. I have to rummage through my basement, hopefully I’ll find it. Would love to mix the two. This new one, is an easy wear, because its quite unoffensive.. the old one would let your presence be known with trumpets! 😂

$15 at Chemist Warehouse (haven't purchased though), strongly soapy (aldehydic). Feels urban and unisex. I like the style.

I literally knew nothing of this perfume, and just grabbed it as a way to get free shipping. I'm sure we've all been there...you're only about $25 away, and you just pick anything lol.

Got my delivery and OMG!!!!! I am completely floored. This is one of the sexiest, most alluring scents I've ever smelled! A lifelong Perfumista, I've had more perfumes than I can even remember...but only a few stand out. This is definitely one of them! It's everything I want in a fragrance. Bold, feminine, sexy, and unique! I tend to enjoy what I call "grown woman" fragrances, but this one takes it to another level! This is rich, beautiful, confident, self-assured, and fearless...grown ass woman! A baroness. Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in the "don't fck w me fellas" scene! Joan Collins and Dihanne Carroll! Cruella DeVille. And any other fabulous bitch you can name!

I can't believe I've never heard of this, nor can I believe the price! I am majorly impressed...and I can totally see this being my signature scent!

Absolutey BEAUTIFUL ❤️

RIP, maestro Zaitsev((
Maroussia - my love.

I LOVE ambers. Like love love. If I don't have anywhere to be I overspray Obsession/Histoire d'Eau Mauboussin and bask in the ambery awesomeness but this one... is too much for me. I'm not sure if it's just me but it goes a bit bug spray on my skin. Unboxeded it, sprayed it, and put it in the back of my cabinet for reference. If you're the kinda collecter that likes to experiment and find odd note, then give it a sniff. Don't pick this one up if you of more interested in smell-good compliment-getters.

I'm interested in trying it again in a bit to see if my taste changes.

I tried it out at the store, and it wasn’t as repulsive as certain others can be. It’s true, the aldehydes in this one are unobtrusive. Some of the notes, probably the powdery ones, kept drawing me back to the paper strip in the following days. I thought it was good for sniffing on it (a bit like one can enjoy a smell of paint briefly) rather than wearing it and bathing in its aroma. I did buy it. For fun, too. I decided I needed to have it ‘for reference’. I’m giving it a proper wearing, and it’s much lighter than I expected. What is it that can smell like tobacco, the carnation? I think it’s a masculine scent. I smelled Dracula the other day, and these two fragrances seem to me a bit like each other in style. It’s vintage (and older than the 90s or even the 80s) but inoffensive, like Gloria Vanderbilt. It shouldn’t bother people around because it does not seem to project much. (The neck on the bottle is of the same colour as the bottle, by the way, not golden like in the image.)

I bought this for fun, since i’ve heard so many legendary stories about this perfume. It’s very affordable too. I shy away from perfumes that has a long list of notes, in most cases I wont like them. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was damn afraid of those aldehydes I can’t stand. Upon first spray I felt the aldehydes, but they were faint and lingering. Then some smokiness and spicy notes, and after that vanilla sweetness which stays linear in the dry down. It’s quite powdery, probably due to the iris and heliotrope (which I love!) but I don’t think it too vintage. This could definitely work even today. If an influencer made a post about Maroussia I truly belive it would become a hit. So all in all I don’t hate this perfume. It’s actually pretty nice and mysterious. The longevity is bad though.

I remember buying this perfume on a holiday to Spain with my sister and girl pals in the mid 90's and coming across this perfume in the many perfumeries we visited. Even back then in my younger days I had a love of all things fragrant. This was always relatively cheap to buy but the scent gives off a much more expensive vibe. When I arrived home from that holiday everyone was asking me what perfume I was wearing and where they could get it. So the next holiday to Spain I had orders from friends and family to bring home bottles of the stuff.

I moved on over the years to more expensive fragrances and forgot about Marousssia until I walked into a Chemist Warehouse and low and behold there it was. In exactly the same packaging and bottle so I ran to the checkout with it thinking I had found the secret to the fountain of youth. Unfortunately like all vintage perfumes (and me) it is a shadow of its former self. I just spray this beauty copiously. Not so happy with the initial spray of this new formulation but give it time to develop on skin and the dry down is magic.

I don't understand the main notes according to people here reported.
for me this is a perfume based on Héliotrope, iris and orange blossom plus other dirty notes given perhaps by musk and animal ones and by fat flowers like tuberose & co. Light spicey.
That's it.
I find it wet, humid, innocent smell with far traces of sensuality.
As many writers here underline Maroussia it seems more like a grandmother's perfume, but not the grandmother who dresses to go to the theater, but the simple grandmother who irons starched shirts and folds them to put them inside the drawers.
Nice, comfortable, nostalgic, and I repeat innocent but not so clean, some dirty sensual sides, but not so erotic.
A powdery orange blossom scent.
Very well made. Unic.

The intense clove and cinnamon scent overwhelms me. I don't like it, never buy it again.

Love at first sniff. Mysterious, dark, but soft and comfortable. Not harsh and - for me, at least- not headache inducing.

It's a classic, for 35+ women. The bottle definitely suits the scent. The smokiness is to die for. This is a rich Russian woman's scent, even though it's like 15 euros 😂.

A little harsh and dissonant in the opening, but it’s settles very nicely into a powdery warm, spicey vanilla with some floral touches. Smells extremely feminine and seductive. Very excited that I’m so pleased with something so inexpensive. It has a bit of a decadent feeling to it. Maybe opulent is a better word. It smells like a Baz Luhrman movie.

I’ve wanted to try Maroussia for a long time, but somehow never got to it. I’ve always been attracted to the dark red bottle and since the reviews are not unanimously condemning it I felt like I should try for the price, so yesterday I finally snatched up a bottle.

On first spritz it was nice, intense, warm and intoxicating. I recognised the scent from my youth.

A few moments later it turned into the stale bar soap smell other reviewers have mentioned. I was a bit disappointed, but I don’t give up that easily so I just applied two more spritzes to the hand I was testing on.

BIG AHA MOMENT! Now the true scent came through! Warm, sweet intoxicating, Smokey, rich! I see the dangerous sexy lady others have described, she smokes indeed, her lips are bright red. She wears fur, she’s elegant and dangerous, oh so dangerous.. perhaps she’s a spy in an old school bond movie. She’s all that.. she reeks of sex, perfume, smoke, some cinnamon, some liquor, scotch perhaps or rum.. she drinks her liquor straight..

There’s a dusty smell too, like old books, something musty, the inside of an old purse (not in a bad way).. there’s a metallic smell that becomes stronger and suddenly I smell rich, thick syrupy red blood! The lady is probably a vampire who survives on blood, cigarettes and scotch. The imagery I get from this scent is one of the strongest I’ve experienced!

Unfortunately there’s something off putting in the smell. At first it lingered in the back ground and I didn’t mind but the metallic scent keeps getting stronger and the scent becomes headache inducing and nauseating. I tried to ignore it because I’ve never gotten a headache from perfume, so I’m not prone to it, but it slowly becomes unbearable. I’m now reminded of the crowded busses of my youth that gave me horrible motion sickness.
I’m trying to get away from the scent and realise I can’t wear it. It’s too much.

Still I don’t want to give up, and in a last desperate attempt I layer it with cabochard. OH THE RELIEF!!
I’ve been trying to find something to layer with cabochard that brings out its earthy, mossy notes. On my skin it’s purely a very very clean soapy smell with a hint of leather/smoke, and I wish it would smell dirtier. Whatever I tried to layer it with, cabochard just made it smell clean and soapy instead.
Well this was the magic I needed! Cabochard tones down maroussia’s sickly sweet metallic nauseating smell, and lightens the soapiness, making it less stale.
Instead of dusty old books and cobwebbed rooms, the scent is now more foresty in a mossy, herbal way, yet with sweet flowers blooming in the moss.

They go extremely well together and bring out some of the best qualities in both. And best of all no nausea and headache. This morning I woke up to the most enchanting herbal scent on my hand that reminded me strongly of mitsouko! Now THIS I will definitely wear!

Update 2:
Ignore everything I’ve said before. I can’t wear this. Even layered with liberally sprayed cabochard the off putting headache inducing, nauseating smell still comes through and makes me feel queasy and unwell. I tried it on again today and had to take a shower to get rid of it. Layered with cabochard it does smell great, but it just makes me feel sick 🤢

My little bottle of Maroussia was bought in France in 1992. Bought where it was made, it's still in its box, having been stored on its side for 30 years. It hasn't changed a bit.
The scent reminds me of young love, and pining for my then boyfriend, who lived in London. Oddly enough, I didn't wear it around him, nor did I wear it very often; I just used to sniff the cap. (I felt it was too mature for me, but I liked smelling it).
I wore it today and it reminds me of the tiny room I lived in in Caen University. I get a very Guerlain feel to it, and it reminds me of Samsara, with a tinge of Vol de Nuit. (I'm not wild about the iris, but it's less noticeable than chez Guerlain). There's a green note there, and I'd swear it had some galbanum, although it's not listed, as it has a vague hint of Must de Cartier (which, by the way, is beautiful with Look by Vera Wang; a weird synergy between them gives a magnificent result).
All in all, this is a complex scent which smells way more expensive than it costs. If it smells soapy on you, try to get a vintage sample to compare. I'm very sensitive to coriander myself, but I don't get soapiness from my vintage bottle.
Was it worth keeping for 30 years? Yes. Sometimes, your gut instinct is right. It was too mature for me then; it's not now.

First imression when I wore it - this is Red Moscow!!! Later: 100% Marousia is much better, elegant and wearable version of Red Moscow. Has same pyramide as Red Moscow with few more components that add more mysterious depth and volume

I love a cheapie and anything that hints of "vintage" so it's a wonder I haven't bought this til now, really.

One first spray it's VERY familiar but I can't for the life of me say what it smells like. Over the next few hours all I'm getting is memories of my mother. Which is bemusing as she only ever worn two perfumes in my life time ( and a couple more in her's ) and it's neither of them.

Hoping for a clue, I read a few reviews ( I don't normally before writing one ). A few mention "soap" and "detergent" so it could be that but, no, least not alone. She did love doing the washing ( she's grown up with a twin tub, and before that a dolly tub ! The automatic was still a delight 😂 ) and liked nothing more than sheets straight off the line. But... she'd used a particular brand of washing powder and softener for at least 20 years so, no , not that. Maybe "clean" and something.....?

Then I woke up the next day, the jumper I'd worn on the chair next to me and a dream of my mum kissing me goodnight, fading....

Elnett hairspray. It smells like Elnett hairspray.

The aldehydes in this make me dizzy.

Storytime: I used to have a roommate who over sprayed this. She got it from her cheating ex boyfriend. He had several girlfriends who he kept getting in touch with whenever he needed something, so they 1: all became exes, and 2: started a groupschat. Sharing that he send them all the same message.

Not only did he give them the same bad, manipulative treatment, but he also gave them the same perfume. Thisone. Which he got for sale in the Action for 5 euros, where it always is. He told my roommate it was a fancy perfume, and because of the bottle and packaging being a little interesting, she thought it was true, and very expensive. So she wore it. When I pointed it out to her, she said nah he must have gotten it in another store and paid full price, felt bad for him.

After she broke up with him, it ended up as an airfreshner in the bathroom. Anyways. Memories. Don't gift this to any girlfriends. (And don't be a cheating .... but I don't need to tell you that).
It's a bit of a mature scent to me, but again, I don't like it, probably biased for the above reason.

God I wish I was powerful enough to wear Marrousia…
But I am not powerful enough to wear Marrousia

Maroussia, what a beauty!
I bought it last winter, often wore it in bed after shower, it’s so comforting, but I felt it didin’t really live outside, more like skinscent. Our winters are -20 to -30 degree celsius. Now it’s early summer, rainy days cooler days +15 degree celsius and this is perfect weather for her. She is different, stunning and has depth, without any trying to be, she just is.
For sure has slight vintage feel, but just the right amount, making it timeless and unique in this modern time. I love it.

The passionate, contradictory reviews made me impulse buy this. For just fifteen dollars, I had to at least try it. 15 bucks to smell like a beautiful walk in the icy, unforgiving Russian tundra? Or maybe to smell like the heady incense and cedar planks of an old church? What about an androgynous, powdery floral? Maybe it’s a citrus bomb wrapped in a gentle musk? There might even be an aggressively funky animal smell! I had to try it!

I wish I got any of that. I wish I got any smell at all, even one so unique and unlikable I’d wash it off immediately, instead of what I got, which is just… stale handsoap. Not even nice handsoap, like at a fancy restaurant? Oh no, this is the industrial handsoap in a cramped bathroom at the train station, the kind that comes out of those giant metal dispensers and sucks all the moisture out of your skin. It’s the same in cold weather, it’s the same in hot weather; I’ve given it such a fair shot and it’s the same every time. I wish so badly I could smell anything else, but to my nose the aldehydes & the heliotrope just gang up to make a depressing soap smell and there’s nothing, I mean literally, nothing else my nose can detect. Out of 20+ notes, many of which are my favorites in perfume, I get nothing.

I still kind of love it for the cult factor and the cheapness of it - it’s kind of neat that everyone smells something completely different from this perfume, but it’s one I’ll never personally wear, because the wheel of fate spun and decided I’d be stuck with sad soap.

Took a bit for my nose to acclimate to it but it's a really lovely smoky powder scent, the drydown almost smells like baby powder. It has a kind of coldness to it, very mature, but not difficult to get close to

This was an impulse purchase sometime around July of 2021 as Melbourne was slipping into it's 5th or 6th lockdown and I was in need of simple comfortable luxuries, before I really got into fragrance.

With it's incense-y quality, it's got a lot in common with Tabu. Both have an androgynous, animalic and timeless energy. However where Tabu can be quite acidic and cool (especially in large amounts or on a test strip), Maroussia is sweet, comforting and warm. It's heady in summer and decadent in winter.

It's quite unique compared to a lot of the vintage scents I've tried. It has a modern fruity floral and gourmand energy that is closer to Beyonce Heat Kissed and Ariana Grande Cloud, than Red Door and 273 Rodeo Drive. It does share many notes with Charlie Red, but Charlie Red has more of the harsh 80s florals, probably synthetic gardenia and rose.

Maroussia is a comforting scent for bedtime and evenings. It is the perfect complement to strong black tea, a hot water bottle, a pet (or soft toy), a good book and maybe a brandy... or cigarette.

(Purchased in Australia from Chemist Warehouse)

I feel like I do get where people are coming from for the most part. I do really adore this perfume and it was one of my first perfumes! I could appreciate a man who smells like this lol. Feel like it is a bit detergent/soapy, but definitely more amber/warm-spicy, and powdery. Pay more attention and you get the vanilla and florals.
To me it feels old but not too mature-- or whichever way around-- and quite, I don't know, darker, sexier. Affordable, too, but certainly not everyone's cup of tea, so not like, a compliment getter.

I was soooo excited to finally try Maroussia …
And it’s not what I was expecting
It’s a nice scent , but all I get is some washing DETERGENT and SOAP :(
I normally love soapy perfumes like Chanel 5 is one of my favorites… but here the detergents are so strong and like from 70-80s shop?
Anyways it’s still nice scent just not form me ..:( I don’t get any darkness or church like vibe nope it’s just washing detergent:(

For a long time this was my signature scent, basically on and off during my early 20’s I went through 4 bottles of this and currently have one.

It’s very strong, I used to find the bottle pretty (now it does remind me of the nightmare the world is facing and I don’t really love it anymore) and has a unique scent, vintage smelling but not old lady like.

It makes me think of a mysterious woman, smoking in the corner of a dark room, velvet curtains, a woman who isn’t afraid to make herself seen but still keeps a distance.

Perfect for winter and the longevity of this is incredible, if sprayed on clothes it can last there for months so go light on it, or don’t we only live once.

this scent was for me a scent for a marvellous woman in a movie of the past in Moscou, heady flowers, powder, fur...black high boots...But to day, i look my red bottle and think it is the scent for the nightmare of this black spring. Why ?

I was hesitant to try this one as it is so heavily laden with notes, especially the florals on a super rich base.
I figured, meh, for 15 bucks if I don't like it maybe someone at Goodwill might.

At first, the heady yet muted bouquet of flowers are evident and they are engulfed in, to me, a warm and wonderful sweet cinnamon-y smell.
On me, it's all close to the skin but never fading.
Dries down to a lotion like scent.

I've heard and read wearers of this fragrance describe it as cozy, comfortable and perfect for winter time.
Has a unique flare.
Like comfort food but a fragrance
Could be unisex.
It may be an acquired taste, which means tbyb.
This kind of fragrance I'll reach for when in the mood.
Pretty, deep ruby tone bottle.

✨

smells like freshly washed pyjama pants. the soft, fuzzy ones. cozy.

This scent is....for lack of better words....beautifully sad and melancholy. However, I want to say right away, that after 2 hours it sweetens up and actually becomes much more mass pleasing. Even for the first couple of hours, it is a scent that feels like it has an entire timeless fictional yet historic novel that accompanies it. I know this sounds dramatic, but the scent is so different. When you smell it, you will have the same visual experience. It feels like it is transporting you somewhere....dark....mysterious...sad....lonely...misty....magical....longing....gothic....historic. When you know, you know. I do say, I prefer to smell this as a guilty pleasure from the bottle as opposed to wearing it. It smells like I am in an ancient antique shop where there is a mystery item on a dusty shelf that has magical powers, or I am in a fancy, yet abandoned parlor of a Victorian mansion. I have never had a perfume that evokes such imagery, but this one does. I would definitely say....just buy this. Even if you don't like to wear it, it is definitely an experience!

I blind bought this since it’s inexpensive and I’ve been purchasing vintage fragrances lately, looking for my undiscovered gems. I don’t hate this, but I don’t love it either. To me, it smells like the clean laundry of a chain smoker. Like an aging aunt who never married or had kids and was once quite the artist and traveler, but now has slowed down and spends all of her time painting and chain smoking in her home, which is full of cool old junk she’s collected over the years. The scent isn’t wearable for me, but I wouldn’t call it bad. It’s definitely not what I was expecting.

Its crazy how fast time passes. I come here often to read the newest reviews. This is my second or third review. I also just wore this for the first time this winter 2022. I am writing to say this perfume only gets better with time and I only needed 2 tiny sprays of this to produce the most amazing , dark, warm balmy scent. I bought 2 bottles about three years ago and they have NOT went bad. In fact they smell deeper and more mysterious. AMAZING! I keep it in cold dark place in a cabinet free from humidity. This perfume is for a mature women not young girls in my honest opinion and I never say this. This scent is very sensual. It takes the right person to pull it off and I am not sure I am even that person hahah but ohhh how I love Marioussia! Its timeless. Its the balm that draws me in. It is intense and incredible in the winter. If you can , try it. Its inexpensive on ebay under 20 bux for huge gorgeous burgundy bottle and it lasts on the skin forever its so well worth it.

The first time I ever really noticed a scent was in English class in grade 11. The year was 1992 and the culprit was Maroussia in the shape of my new English teacher entering and within seconds completely commanding the room. Coming from a family where 4711 Original Eau de Cologne was the height of womens' fragrances, Maroussia was an otherworldly experience to say the least. I was repulsed by how loud, intense and insensy it was (mostly due to the more than generous application by my teacher) and absolutely fascinated at the same time.

I got my hands on a tiny test bottle, a little red gem that I opened on a daily basis for a while just to sniff the luxurious content. But I never wore it. To me it would forever be connected to that loud and confident middle age women making a big entrance. I myself was pretty much the opposite of that at that time so, no, despite the spell it cast on me, Maroussia was not made for me to wear. I don't know what happened to that tiny red bottle. Maybe it still exists somewhere deep down in one of my Moms overstuffed drawers back in Germany. It would be great to smell it again or even try it on. Maybe I've become exactly that confident middle age women that can pull it off.

Maroussia( it is a girl's name, derivative from Mary) is a looker and a smoker. She is fresh from the shower still smelling strongly of some luxury rose and carnation soap, her makeup and hair are on point. She is standing elegantly outside of a fancy hotel on a cold winter day, dressed in firs and taking a smoke. One can not help but stare, she is gorgeous. Cold sigarett smoke, mixed with the barsoap smell on a cold day. I do wonder what the brief actually looked like.

I 've never smoked, but strangely enough I find this perfume very attractive, especialy in winter. Also one other that has cold sigarett smoke mixed with dense sweetness and leather - PG Cuir Venenum 03.

Compliments for Maroussia are usualy flirty, so that is to be expected. I did not know that it is from 1992, a lifetime ago, and bought it first now, for a song, just to try. It turned out to be wonderfully sensual.

I had a bottle of this 28 years ago and loved it! So I purchased it right away when it came on sale in my country. It really brings back memories of my youth and carefree days. I do not think this smells vintage or old lady, it is a gorgeous scent for the price. My mum loves it too, so I picked her up a bottle of it.

Bought this because lot of people describe it as dark, incensy and even gothic. I don't agree with that at all, to me its not obnoxious enough for that describtion. It definitely has tiny bit of that vibe but its a pleasant, airy, daytime perfume, suprisingly well blended for its price. To my nose its mostly aldehydes and air-freshener-esque ylang and tuberose. Pretty and ethereal, love it.

I am slavic and this perfume brings me back to my baba's house. Powdery and incensey. It smells of a time before. Something in the air, something ancient and magical? It smells like my family but also there is a coldness and a distance to it. It also reminds me of Orthodox churches. Deep and dark. Spiritual almost but in a very intense way. Its mysterious certainly. And I don't think would appeal to most people who just want to smell nice. This is a statement. The civet adds that primal touch. It's true, it is a very slavic smell.
6/10

This is an old school, sweet powdery fragrance with a floral touch. It’s not my cup of tea, but it’s pleasant and comforting. If you like this kind of vintage scent, this is a safe blind buy. On my skin, it’s pretty linear and soft. Inoffensive, i would say.
It reminded me of Alaia Blanche.

Maroussia takes me back in time. I can not put my finger on it, but I have smelled this before and somehow it makes me very nostalgic. Oh, what I would give to know who wore this beauty around me, it must have been someone I was fond of.

I agree that Maroussia is a gem for the price. Very sensual and rich, also warm and comforting. Surely not everyones cup of tea, as in not everyone could (would) wear it, but I doubt many would mind smelling it on others.

You just know a scent is special when all the reviews here on Fragrantica describe it with feelings and adjectives rather than by notes

Update: This is so unique and gorgeous. It is also very strong, so be careful! It is stronger when it blooms after half an hour than it is when you first spray it. Unfortunately I can't wear it. It is just too much and ends up cloying, which makes me a bit sad because it's really one of a kind.

I loved this as a teenager 30 years ago. It felt rich and grown-up and sophisticated for warm summer nights driving around with friends. Fast forward and this is a very affordable perfume these days. So I picked up a bottle for nostalgia reasons. I spritzed some on the other day and shortly afterwards my husband asked what that aftershave smell was? Ha ha. It’s smells like a cheaper, sharper version of what I remember, but the key elements are all there. It’s fun. It’s not amazing or complex or beautiful. But it is quite different to the typical sweet celebrity concoctions that are popular now. I won’t be wearing it very often. Maybe to bed every now and then.

Wow! I am just mesmerized! This is dark, mysterious seductress of the night. This is Louise Brooks with her kohl-rimmed eyes and raven black bob. This is exotic, vampy vixen decked out in a velvet boudoir robe and black satin marabou slippers. Ok that was probably overly descriptive lol but this evokes prose like no other. Maroussia somehow calls to mind palaces in faraway lands and classic Old Hollywood glamour at the same time. It also successfully combines soap and smoke which is really unique. I cannot believe I got this gem for $16!! Maroussia is my first Russian perfume but it will not be my last. If Russia produces aromatic gold like this, I’ll be searching for more. This sensual, oriental, erotic elixir of exotic florals, resins and woods has quickly become one of my all-time favorites.

I so wanted to like this, but after an hour it's still dreary and dank on me. Reminiscent of a past funeral in a middle-ages church nave, with stale incense and wilted carnations, mixed with old candle smoke. An unforgettable scent to be sure, but not for me.

I find this scent wild and feminist : heady, flowers, animal, fur balanced with powder. Mmmmm, ....what a Scent for winter with boots ! ....without civette, my nose find it could be a scent like Narciso Rodriguez Poudrée, and I love NR poudrée.

A romantic,melanchonic and evocative perfume! Very enveloping, like an ancient perfume from other times, it recalls the cold winters in Russia ... a nice surprise, I like it so much! It is a set of notes and emotions. Beautiful!

Sillage: 7./10
Longevity: 8./10
Scent: 8.5/10

Overall: 8.5/10

I can sense an entire story unraveling with this perfume. This was created in 1992, but the composition calls to mind vintage costumes, decor, and styling...perhaps the Great Gatsby era...(or earlier). This is most definitely old world, vintage...I think it is the note of civet that is pulling it in that direction. (Personally, I think they could do without the civet in a lot of these perfumes and update the blend where it is more current).

This perfume resonates more with fall/winter - or at least should be worn in a climate where there are cooler evenings. I'm trying this in the summer heat and opened this in the middle of the afternoon. It is extremely over powering in the summer, particularly in a hot climate. This perfume is heavy and fairly dark with a warm resonance. It really needs a chill in the air, it becomes cloying with too much heat (and could possibly give you a headache).

I ordered this based on the fact that someone said that it smells like Bijan for women - and NO, this is certainly NOT Bijan. This leans more vintage and has some similar notes to Jil Sanders No. 4 or a vintage version of Elizabeth Taylor's Passion - but much more moody, deep, dark, smokey, and melancholy. (There are some notes in the ET Passion which also lean in the direction of Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, but there are also a few notes in ET's Passion which definitely remind me of Maroussia).

This is ok with my chemistry. It isn't turning into something that is repulsive, but I'm not drawn to wearing something this melancholy and heavy in the spring/summer. This would take being in a certain "mood" for me. This is one that could be worn to a vintage film society function and would immediately call to mind the 1920's and 30's - or old world/vintage.

I'm still testing this.
Amazingly - just as I say that it isn't something I'm drawn to, it really starts mixing with my chemistry pretty well.
The summer in mid-day heat is the wrong time to test this one.
I'll have to try this earlier in the morning -- or in the fall/winter.

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Fragrantica Blurb -

The perfume is intensive oriental with the rich floral heart and woody – balmy base. It is not very popular in Russia, but it is praised by the western critics as well as buyers. Aldehydes, bergamot, orange blossom and peach are at the top notes; heliotrope, jasmine, rose, lily-of-the-valley, orchid, iris, tuberose and ylang-ylang in the heart; and amber, benzoin, cedar, civet, musk, sandalwood, Tonka bean and vanilla at the base. The perfume was made in 1992.

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Testing this alongside the perfumes which are closest to this in my collection - Jil Sander No. 4, Bijan for Women, and Passion by Elizabeth Taylor.
These all have similarities and would be considered to be in the same family as the others. They all resonate in the alto chord range with subtle variations which create a unique mood.

Jil Sander No. 4 compared to Maroussia --
JSn4 is much closer in composition and mood than Bijan and M.
Both arrive with the exact same chord range - they are both an alto blend.
They both have the civet notes which are not really my favorites and probably notes which cause this to seem more "vintage" and more "dated". There is a slightly brighter and sweeter quality about Jil Sander No. 4 which appears to be a tobacco type base note. Maroussia comes across more like a blended chord and I can still smell a slight hair oil/shampoo note in Maroussia which is faint, but detectable. (The longer Maroussia wears, the less I notice this hair oil/shampoo note). An hour into the wear of JSn4 - and I detect a cinnamon note which seems to be pulling this more optimistic and upbeat than Maroussia. I've never noticed this cinnamon note, till now - but really like this effect.

Bijan (vintage) compared to Maroussia --
The commonalities, the chord range is similar in the mid-tone and lower notes, but Bijan has a few brighter higher notes which rise above the chord of Maroussia. (The mid-tone earthy qualities of Bijan and this are similar and may appear to be why people are saying that these two smell similar). What is missing, the higher, brighter, more optimistic musky notes of Bijan. After the first 15 minutes of wear, Bijan and this appear more similar. Maroussia has a slight hair oil/shampoo note (which moves Maroussia into more of a vintage category). Bijan is similar, but slightly more fun-upbeat, playful. Maroussia is more serious, business like, pensive...perhaps -- even slightly melancholy.

Passion by Elizabeth Taylor compared to Maroussia --
The commonalities - they are both in the alto range and both have a smokiness about them as if you had been out clubbing for a few hours where the smoke lingers slightly in your clothing. Both have a similar vibe to them, only Passion has a few notes which create more of a clarity; while this is slightly more somber, melancholy. There are some spicy, almost Christmas blend notes within Passion that are missing in M. Maroussia is more earthy with a slight shampoo/hair oil type smell which I detect. This is like the mid and lower notes of Passion, without the brighter Christmas spicy notes which resemble Youth Dew by Estee Lauder. Passion seems more cheerful, uplifting, and playful. Maroussia seems more reflective, somber, and moody.

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Verdict -

Maroussia is a well blended perfume chord which compares well with some of my very favorite perfumes. This is a quality blend and is priced more reasonably. The more I have been wearing it, the more I like it. I'm really shocked that it actually smells like some of my favorite perfumes, but it really does. (The slight hint of hair oil/shampoo fades after an hour of wear where it becomes less noticeable).

Maroussia is more somber, moody, and reflective than the other perfumes in this range. I feel that it would resonate better with fall/winter. I agree with some of the other comments that this is less social and romantic compared to some of my other favorites. But it has its place. Perhaps on a day where you are reading a novel, curled up in front of a fireplace... or watching a classic movie with your film society group.

I would consider updating this and dropping civet from the ingredient list.
I'm not sure that civet is really adding anything to the mixture. I don't like the thought that animals are being used and possibly abused for a perfume. There are better ways to make perfume than torturing animals in any way.

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I bought this, it was reasonable - but I rarely wear this one. I am experimenting with spritzing a lighter, brighter, sweeter perfume over the top of this to give it more dimension and lift the mood from a melancholy note to something that is more upbeat, playful, fun.

Try spritzing a sweeter perfume that you really love over the top of this -- keep trying till you find a blend that you like. I feel that they stopped short on this perfume. They built some really great lower notes that built a nice foundational chord - but this needs some higher alto or soprano notes to pull this whole perfume into a more appealing perfume. This is good on its own in the dry down, the first part of this is what needs a lift - and more brightness.

Maroussia was unexpected discovery for me! Floriental, a bit spicy, but at the same time quite soft, cozy vintage scent. I feel some green herbal notes as well. Love it! Since I've bought it couple of weeks ago, I put aside my expensive niche parfumes collection :D, and now use it almost everyday. This vintage vibe is so calming... It's perfect bedtime parfume for me.

I love this perfume. I have been wearing it since I was 15, on and off. I am turning 33 and this is still one of my favourite scents. A smoky, civet rich floriental. A bit animalic.
Mysterious.

Gloomy, melancholic, powdery, soapy, vintage scent. Maroussia is awesome at calm... and awesome at vicious. It's like I'm holding a woman made of bad moods in my arms. "Moody" is at the core of her identity. "Moody" wasn't a word with which she was familiar, but it meant that her moods swung back and forth for no reason at all.
This is the stuff that my nightmares are made of. Retro bar soap realness! It's eerie, clean, but somehow "sweaty"... and depressing. Also, this will make you smell like a smoker. Vintage powder, cigarettes and your great-grandma's classic fur coat. Dry herbal remedies. It's very "medicinal". Humid, dusty, dry and smoky at the same time. YSL Opium's cousin, but this is a totally different vibe. Put this on... and you'll soon find out that this world turns out to be overwhelmingly desolate. Season: winter / fall (no, "autumn", with a British accent). Time: the Great Depression. Place: step inside this abandoned house, untouched for 40 years... It's like a soapy ash tray. 1-2 sprays. Don't over-spray, for your own good. So, I'm assuming my bottle is old, because it doesn't feel flat / reformulated; this stuff is potent and voluptuous. That civet better be synthetic. Don't want to terrorize my cats, if you know what I mean. OK, based on my observations, my cats did not act strange, which is good news. This is such a lovely inexpensive retro gem. Longevity / projection are great. Maroussia felt crabby and wanted to be alone more often than she felt content and friendly. She said, ”My misery is beautiful. I refuse to be told that it's a flaw." Maroussia tried to mute it with medications, cigarettes and herbal remedies for the sake of society... but if the rest of the world fails to see it for what it is - it will be their loss.

Maroussia is a nice floriental perfume. Nothing particularly memorable but inoffensive. I bought it as people said it was similar to Lou Lou. Other than both being floriental I can't see the similarity (Lou Lou is more unique). I keep this in my rotation but imagine that my bottle will last a long time.

Strong and very intense open. Eighties floral. Almost bitter. Baby wipes. Fades to a very definite powdery fragrance. White floral, maybe Jasmine? Reminds me of a 30 something year old woman in the 1940's going to the cinema at night, wrapped in furs with clutch bag and lover on her arm. Not the fresh, interesting modern scent I'm looking for, but if you want a trip down Memory Lane or to feel like a vintage siren, be my guest: loose yourself in its powdery pleasures... 😉😘

This smells like the scent from the moroccanoil brand. Exotic, warm, floral, deep and well rounded. It's almost polarising, it's strong but soft, feminine yet masculine.

I definitely find it very vintage. It's strong but on purpose. It can borderline to an older lady smell, but an old money rich lady smell. Do I like it? For the price, yes. I found it on the bottom shelf at chemist warehouse and the bottle interestingly caught me. I was looking for an everyday safe perfume BUT this isn't it. This is meant for special occasions and for cold winter days. I would probably pass on this for now. BUT it's definitely something worth trying.

Surprisingly soft and beautifully balanced; powdery carnation, soft sparkling aldehydes, and warm ylang, balanced with a gentle civet, fluffy musk, with warm amber and vanilla. Comforting with a little oomph stays with you all day. Can definitely pull this off in warmer months, it won't get too cloying. Very lovely!

🙂 Maroussia isn't just pretty, it's interesting. one of those scents that somehow balances light and shadow. the bottle's nice, but led me to expect something heavy, "cigarettey", and almost intimidating. not at all. it's fresh yet deep in a haunting, ethereal way. like a sunshower, or the silver lining of a cloud. a bit "soapy", so steer clear if you don't like aldehydes. but still lovely. sillage is good. longevity could be better. for any woman, any time.
no "iron curtains" here.

just the grace and melancholic beauty of russia.

I realized this scent is like fur and powder.... I was told Marylinn was wearing number 5 , and Maroussia lets me thinking that it could be the scent of Marylin, after her bath with Chanel...wearing her fur coat.
It is a luxury wonderfull flowered true scent.

Ahhh, so elegant and gorgeous, unique scent. Expertly, expertly blended. Bit cinnamon-ey, smokey, incense-y, musky, flowery, woody, spicey, but you can't put it strictly in any of these types. Not cloying at all! Solid lasting power. Best blind buy ever for me! The moment I put it on, it really transported me to another world, honestly. 30 mins later, I found myself listening to classical music and watching opera divas in beautiful gowns, performing in historical theaters. Makes me think of cool, elegant, classy women.This scent is pure elegance and class. Modern as well, very unique. If I didn't read that it is released in 1992, I would never thought it is a bit older. You will stand out wearing this! Perfect for evenings, early spring,autumn, winter. Love it, will always buy it!

This smells like Gloria Vanderbilt's cousin, who smokes cigarettes and reads more interesting books.

When I first sprayed this, I almost immediately messaged Josephine, to gripe about the intangibly loud top notes, and the death defying soapy benzoin structure, that exuberantly expresses, like the bell jar itself! (Notes from Josephine is a great YouTube channel, and as a reviewer, possesses a nose I personally trust. And no, I was not paid to say that.) I spent the rest of my day dancing around, here a spray, there a spray...well, you know the dance. Maybe because I've had a very long day, and darkness weighs upon my eyes, and I needed just that fatigue to have it make sense. I truly believe I've encountered this scent before, maybe a teacher, maybe even my Grandmother. The more I recollect its memory, the more I associated this scent with tobacco smoke. You know, the kind that lingers in the fibers you wear and each strand of hair, but you put perfume on, so you're okay. That kind of cigarette smoke. However, as we hit the heart of Maroussia, this smoky scrim seems to smoulder along unfettered. I'm not sure if that is a combination of civet, iris and heliotrope, or just a bi-product of the pyramid entire. I'm also unsure as to whether or not cigarette smoke is all that appealing of a smell to purposely apply. (I knew smoking stunk even when I was a smoker!) Still, and I laugh saying this, it works. And it works really well! Strangely seductive and sexual, it's magnetizing! I'm not going to recite the components to you, because, with this one, I really don't think that's the point. This is a stoic Russian spy, on one last mission to get out of the game. Or a female war corespondent, typing frantically, as bomb debris falls into her hair, and onto the tattered papers she's embossing her words. You wear this for the darkly confident and quietly dominant moments that call upon us all, from time to time. You wear this, because deep down we're all troubled and a little bit trashy, and we fantasize about adventure and heroism, and a sultry night's escapades. This is a "Everything's Riding on You" perfume, and it fuels a sense of grandiosity. So wear it on the next rainy day, when there's nothing left to read or watch, and you can comfortably envision spectacular moments of strength and valor, bold courage and fearless audacity!

A unique lady perfume, the hipacrit born again Christian lady next door use to wear this, it suited her and you could smell it, I liked it, and I love it now its very different, I for some reason don't get good longtivety and projecton like she seemed to have back in the day. Xx

Not sure what it reminds me of, maybe Tresor? Something I encountered as a child, anyway. It is lovely, but I can't say it feels as special or outstanding as it's made out to be sometimes. It's warm and attractive. Those scared of civet need not fear at least with the modern formulations. I was expecting something a little sharp and dramatic, this gives me kind of a dried or poached fruit vibe with some spices. But it's all mixed up. I might make my mom test this one out, I think it would be perfect for her and she's always been fascinated by Russian culture and aesthetics.

Edit: Plot twist - it's amazing but I get the full depth only if I have my nose right against my wrist. I get smoke, woods, spice, some fruit... but "in the air" I just get something vaguely warm??? I'll review again after some testing, maybe I'll get it to work after several sprays.

Love, love, love Maroussia! It's the personification of chilly winter nights by the fireplace. A very mossy and powdery scent that combines the vintage aldehyde/ylang ylang combo of chanel no5 and the spiciness of YSL- Opium. It smells nostalgic, rather than dated. Definitely a scent from another time that's distant, mellow and yet comforting. Maroussia's not particularly inviting, or sultry in the manner of a vanilla based winter scent but it does evoke sober comfort to the wearer and stands out. The sweet notes here are very minimal , just enough to break down the otherwise sharp pyramid and surprisingly enough they're the ones that remain after the actual scent has faded. Expect your wardrobe to have a fleeting powdery sweetness after wearing maroussia regularly. I'm not sure why but the civet here smells so smokey, and combined with the woody notes it gives a totally realistic emulation of the scent of burning wood that cuts through the cold winter air. This is the perfume I'd like to asosciate precious, homely moments with. A casual romantic date, a cosy night with friends or a winter resort holiday. I believe this is not a scent made to impress or fill a room since it's not particularly rich or refined. I would describe it as a casual, more wearable version of the "giants" of retro perfumery like opium and samsara. While it starts sharp, in less than half an hour it has settled into a spicy and soapy skin scent typical of 80's perfumed soaps. All in all, Maroussia is ideal for those who'd love to smell vintage on a budget or those who love bitter scents. It's a rare smell nowadays but full of character , in many ways reminiscent of actual Russians. Detached and solemn.

"Jamie lee curtis is going to enter the hotel room, Shwarzi is waiting for her. She stops before entering, shortens her black tight dress, puts on her lipstick, smoothes her hair back and transforms in front of our disbelieving eyes into a dreadfully sexy spy ... "
Well, believe me .... her scent is Marrrrroussia!

Ever since I can remember I have passed this fragrance by. In my mind it was a cheap smelling 'tacky' scent. But to my surprise, after bothering to smell it - it is gorgeous!

Maroussia is richly spicy, floral and elegantly soapy. If you love big 90's florals - it's a must try. A true bargain for the rose lover.

Sometimes, a woman needs in emergency to smile to her mirror : a bath, a red lipstick, a dress, and... Marrroussia ! Simple, basic.

I should note first and foremost; I am a male, 31, living in a warmer climate.
I purchased this fragrance as a bit of a joke on the weekend while out with a friend; remarking "it might be a nice scent for the car". I paid the grand sum of $5.
I am now wearing the scent at work!
The initial spray is a heavy, soapy scent. Not in a clinical soapy way but more a heavily scented bar in your mother's shower. I find the dry-down deliciously warm, clean and gently spicy. The base is rich and gourmand (amber evident!) while the mid notes and top notes are fresh, clean and rich.
I honestly love the fragrance and want to experiment more (this is only my second wear). The fact that it only cost me $5 is just the added bonus!

Marrousia is one of my favourite perfumes.
Sexy, deep, exotic, oriental, warm, and glamorous. It truly captures Russia in a bottle.
It is quite a heavy perfume but in a good way.
The fragrance is not light and airy or sickly sweet or girly.
Rather it is a grown up womanly perfume - not for the faint of heart.
Maroussia is definitely an evening perfume and not a day perfume.
It would make a great first date perfume or to wear on a night out.
To me Maroussia equals exotic sexiness, confidence and mystique.

It is surprisingly very cheap to buy so perhaps not everyone shares my tastes!

skin test, winter.

a friend i was speaking to commented on me smelling nice, spicey and clean.

this scent is clean soapy note through its middle, the outer layers to the scent are the warm velvety spicey - not curry mind.
spice, velvet warm, feels a little cool, soapy powdery type, the dry down lingered for ages and the whole thing didnt feel old per se, i think this is worth testing if the likes of Opium are too pungent.
you do need to skin test this - i think it smells rank out of the nozzle, it took a card test for me to skin test it.
very good value for money so perfect to try this type of scent and not splurge.
dont be turned off by the picture of the civet in the notes - this scent is not skanky - not B.O. or urine.

I have memories of my mum smelling elegant, oppulent and divine back in the early nineties. She still smells beautiful but none of her fragrances today move me like her glamorous Giorgio Beverly Hills or haunting Maroussia did back then.

Imagine my delight when I found her Maroussia body spray tucked away in a decades-unopened drawer. With still some juice left, I sprayed on my arm, and it slowly developed into the most sensual, woody, warm and spicy scent. I kept sniffing at my arm, and fantasised becoming somewhat of a Monica Belluci in Malèna. She was that beautiful, yes, and I had to find her again.

I was thrilled that she had not been discontinued but is instead available in almost all online stores for a price that far belittles her worth. I bought one. Past the aldehydic opening, it was a warm, spicy and powdery floral with a sweet balsamic drydown. Beautiful, after all these years, though it lacked the stunning that was in my mum's body spray.

In any case, I don't think I'd ever realistically become a Malèna, so this toned-down version suits me just fine. I've worn many fragrances after using her to the last drop, but memories of her spicy, powdery and warm balsamic drydown keeps bringing her back to me. After much disappointment with numerous other fragrances, I've decided to make Maroussia a staple for life.

Is it possible that you can find her in 3.4 ounces for less than $20 today from discounted sites? I need to stock up on her while her price is still surreal. I'd be foolish to pass her by for spicy niches worth a few hundreds.

Oh dear old days , i used this when i was 15 !!!! 1998 and it was my signature back in the days
It smells powdery and unique, i can see a resemblance to chanel 22 style like its the drugstore version but not at all a copy

Planing to get a bottle from FragranceX

Maroussia and I haven't met in a long time. The other day, quite by accident, I saw her at the bottom of the shelf and the old love between us flared up again. Classic. Classic is not aging.
To me she is beautiful, very beautiful, sensual, authentic, unusual, roughly sung. I did not smell anything like her. A real racial Russian beauty, woven from the heat of the Russian steppes and ice of the Siberian taiga. Simple as vodka, complex as schi. When I put it on I get an association with the dark red brocade store of the Bolshoi Theater

This is heavy and beautiful at the same time. IF you can get a full bottle and you want something interesting I am urging you to get it.

I wish I had a back up bottle of this velvety, warm, ambery, alluring, and interesting perfume.

It is borderline seductive worn in the winter in the right place at the right time it is magnetic.

A couple of weeks ago I tried this one in the drugstore because of the positive reviews. I find it really afwul and best way to describe it is bug spray.
Glad didn't buy blind.

I love this inexpensive gem . Smells like dried wildflowers and cinnamon on my skin. Has a retro vibe, but it's not one of those 70/80s types of powerhouses- my lovely Maroussia is light, delicate and feminine. Shines in cold, windy weather- winter is most definitely her season. Wish it lasted longer, though.

here is some rose soap from the seventies, would you like some more soap, here it is more soap with some more soap all the way through

Reminds me of Dzing! at first but rounded out and refined with the tubereuse. Very beautiful, slightly sweet, but mostly warm and resinous. Love!

Slava Zaitsev’s fashion design pieces are rich with brocade embellishments, heavy velvets in jewel tones of deep purple, bottle green and rich reds. Opulent gold braid and thick, wool and fur hats, feature heavily. This fragrance is Zaitsev’s aesthetic in fragrance form. Warm, spicy and comforting. Luxurious, feminine, but not girlish. I like this scent very much and wear it often, although it is not my signature. I can’t wait to see how it wears in winter.

It must be my skin ph, or something, but unfortunately, on me the opening phase smells like hairspray. Unperfumed hairspray, you know the kind! The cheap own-brand one that you can buy for a dollar or a pound. That one.

Then after an hour or so, the 'hairspray' (aldehyde) notes go away, but then it becomes very faint, little more than a skin-scent by that point. I smell something soapy, but a bit spicy, quite nice.

I would really like this perfume, if the dry-down would be louder and the opening phase was quieter. As it is, I will not be buying it, sadly.

Soapy with slight sour citrus water.

Since day one of seeing this bottle, my curiosity peaked! and it never failed me. I get that mild resinous touch mixed with aldehyde, leather, huge chunks of neroli, and bergamot, lily of the valley, with some soft white floral. The civet in here is kept to minimal at first but rises quite big after few minutes in. It's mixed up forming a perfume water that you can splash all over your body with joys and happiness.

This one reminds me allot of Disney fragrances, mostly Superman, or Spiderman. Quite impressive as a 90s blend as it didn't get fully 90s rather than a mixage of 80s animalic, and 90s bubbles.

I noticed that most of the negative reviews said it smelled soapy, and I wonder... The Aldehyde in this fragrance might be what is smelling soapy to some, because its the aldehyde in cilantro that some people find to have a soapy taste as well. I have not smelled this perfume yet, but I want to try it now, because I have the genetic receptor OR6A2, which detects the aldehyde as soapy.

Autumn in France. Maroussia is wonderful. I remember this cheapie sold in supermarket in the past and never tried it . Today the civet, aldehyde and rose are confortable and last all day on clothes.Do not hesitate you could be surprised ! (men included).

That must've been one of the more unusual fragrances I've ever used, and the first thing that I must point out is that Maroussia is so strange and unusual that I wanted to wear it more often than my all time favories so that I can figure out this scent. It's fascinating. I enjoyed the loud blast of fresh carnation. Maroussia is the reason why I now have so much love for that note, yet, I wish there was more of that beautiful carnation throughout the day as I'm wearing the scent. The sandalwood base is exquisite. There's that subtle musky sweetness to it, and it must be the amber and benzoin, which also creates a slightly balsamic twist. Perhaps, I'd love the scent to be a bit less rounded in its sweetness and be a bit more spicy but overall, I'm very pleased with what I got.

Longevity is certainly great but my concern is silage. The scent starts sitting close to the skin far too quick, and you will have to spray the scent again throughout the day. Otherwise, no complaints whatsoever - you get so much bang for your buck here.

I think some of you have the original which was a gorgeous perfume but the newer bottles today are terrible they are basically imperial leather soap. I a so annoyed I got this when it first launched and purchased a new bottle it is a shell of its former self. The bottle is different too. It does smell like fly spray.

Maroussia is a dark velvet witch, smelling dusty amber and burnt secret spices. I especially like her when she opens her red door, and a strong puff springs from her magic cottage. I'm suspicious, I know that soon she will put a bad spell on me, her obsidian jewels, her benzoin balm and her carnations bouquet will disappear in a blaze, leaving me furious, but I always come back, for the pleasure of shivering when I meet Baba Yaga…

This was quite a surprise. I decided to get it blindly because of its price and was ready to be disappointed.... but I ended liking it quite a lot. I love the opening, and it's a pity it doesn't last: the scent soon becomes quite soapy... but not in the frigid clean way certain fragrances do. This is a warm, spicy fragrance and remains so! It has a very vintage feel to it, and smells like a classic. A very happy blind buy

starts off very nice; lightly spiced floriental, soft and gentle but fades into brassy cheap nothing very quickly

I purchased this years ago thinking I needed a unique Russian perfume in my repertoire
. . . sadly this wasn't the one. Although initially, I liked its uniqueness, but it fell out of favor with me as the combination of notes seemed to become discordant.

As I learned more about what notes do and don't work for me (tuberose, civet, peony, ylang-ylang) which seem to be in murderous doses in this fragrance), I had to, sadly, resign myself that I could not carry off this beauty, turned beast. It is intense, yes and clingy. It will not let you go. It is a haunting, deep intense scent.

Don't get me wrong, on the right person's chemistry, this would be a wonderful match, but alas, not for me. Bottle design drew me in as well and as much as I liked it (the bottle) I felt the need to give it away in the hopes that someone else could unlock the beauty of this Russian scent.

So, the search continues for another Russian to grace my collection . . .

A very powdery fragrance. I think it smells like a woman in a fur coat, she is elegant and her face is covered by oversized black sunglasses. She is aloof and is watching a funeral of an old friend from afar with a bouquet of lilies and carnations in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

The carnation/civet combination creates an animalic and peppery, almost fetid smell. The warmth of your skin as you wear it exasperates this accord. I love it. It is cold, mysterious and distinct.

Curiously, it is kind of clinical. I guess that is why I said it was cold. It is almost like when you use baby powder and wipes in an attempt to disguise something unpleasant, perhaps a cat's damp fur smell.

It is not easy to wear and it is not romantic or social. It is lonely, but in that French New Wave cool kind of way.

Flyspray. Seriously smells like a bug repellent.
First 10 minutes a very sharp, dirty, unpleasant smell. Then it becomes better. I can even see some beauty picking through. Cannot survive the opening though. Smells cheap. I wish there was a perfume or at least EDP version.
Blind buy from Fragrance net. 100 ml bottle. Like bottle's design but it is cheaply made. For references: like Cabochard, Creation, Fabourg etc. So it is NOT the complexity that turns me off. Bought it simply because I am Russian. LOL

Powdery and soapy. Fades too quickly and leaves an almost unpleasant smell.

Nice!! I had a coupon for Black Friday, and I used it to order this perfume. This is one of those blind buy purchases I was a little nervous about. Whether or not I was going to like the way it smelled. Just because a few of the comments I've seen here and there. But I'm here to say... I love this! It's really beautiful. Very unique. Wow. This might even end up being one of my favorites.

I bought this and initially liked it, and have been trying it every now and then over the past six months. It has some wonderful warm, spicy and feminine notes that draw me back to it, but lately I have been noticing a distinct bug spray note. I have never received any compliments while wearing it, so perhaps this one will be retired from my shelf.

Harshly animalic, slightly sweet and floral, extremely soapy, but powdery to me only on second thought. Would consider this inoffensive but confident and indeed very feminine.

First time I sprayed this...I was wowed...in a good way.
This one is a tough-cookie for me....there is so much to like about this scent...yet....so much I do not like.
This is one that can change due to body temp...temp in rooms...outside/inside...ect....In at-home a/c environment...I like this....outside in warmth..the scent doubles and the civet musk takes over...!!..
This is like a symphony being played with some musicians playing in tune...and others playing out of tune...LOL.
I will be using this scent again to try to figure it out,but it may be a struggle.

A lovely scent surprise from Russia, Maroussia is quite unique. I can't make out specific notes, certainly not peach or any other fruit. But the fragrance is lovely, smooth and a little spicy. This is a woman's perfume but a man could also wear it.
Maroussia should be better known. It's inexpensive but doesn't smell cheap. I came across it on Ebay and bought it after some research on this site. Thanks, Fragrantica, this blind buy worked out well.
Almost a year after this review was posted my love affair w Maroussia has come to an end. Like some other reviewers have noted, there's a bug spray note that becomes appearant after a while. I didn't notice it at first but over time it became impossible to ignore. Love turned into disgust and I sold the bottle. Isn't it strange how one's perception can change over time?

I purchased Maroussia specifically because several people mentioned it smells like Charlie Red. Red is one of my all-time favorites and this perfume does not disappoint. This smells like Red wearing a pair of designer shoes. I am hopeful with the longevity of this since my one complaint about Red is that it fades too quickly. I love the bottle, it's gorgeous.

I`m in love!

Just bought 2 big bottles of this juice and I`m pretty sure I`ll be wearing the hell out of them this autumn-winter season! At testing I decided I need it in my life and that is it. Rich, heady floriental, as good as Samsara, or maybe even better? It goes perfect with my skin - sweet, lush, mainly carnation and sandalwood and the best ylang-ylang I experienced recently..I get no prominent civet, or else it is not the same civet I already know (and not in favor of, most of the time..) Very wintery, perfect for cold weather as I imagine now in September.
If you like lush, spicy florientals, try it if you get a chance, you won`t regret it!

Maroussia 100ml EDT By Slave Zaitsev:

From Russia With Love?? You May Ask & Indeed Yes Would Be My Reply!! Absolutely Can't Get Over Just How Beautiful This Perfume Really Is!! Have Literally Just Blind Bought This Gorgeous Hidden Beauty After Reading Up On It & Finding Out That It's Actually Actress "Rula Lenskias' Signature Fragrance!! & Indeed I Can See Her Wearing It With Her Beautiful Flame Red Hair & Her Flair & Utter Style!! From The Gorgeous Deep Red Heavy Glass Bottle Till The Magnificent Perfume Inside It This Perfume Scream's Absolute Pure Class!! It's Mysterious It's Sexy & The Naughty Little Russian Girl We All Want To Be Sometimes!!

This Perfume Is Deffo A Warm Oriental With The Most Outstanding Beautiful Ingredients & Deep Musky Trail, With A Really Beautiful Balsamic Allure & Mixture Of Flowers Including Rose/Tuber Rose!! Was Actually Stopped By Eight Complete Strangers & Asked What Perfume I Was Wearing!! Yes This Perfume Would Be Great When The Tempture Turns Cold But Also A Warm Balmy Summers Night Enjoying Great Company & A Nice Meal!! Sillage Is Also Great At Around 12+ Hours On My Skin!! Absolutely Adore It & Deffo As Good A Perfume As Any Top Line Guerlain!!

I love how clean and feminine this scent for an oriental fragrance. I own the EDT, and the top notes all seem accurate to me: clean air, bergamot, and a hint of citrus and peach. I can smell it all! The middle notes are soft, powdery, and floral with a warm, powerful base of amber, musk, and maybe a little allspice. This is definitely a winter fragrance.

Clean, naked skin against a fur coat with some sweet and spicy flowers and a civet snarl. Makes about as much sense to wear in the summer as the aforementioned fur coat, too. I am saving this one for cooler temperatures, and wearing it without the clicketyclack of knee-high pointed-toe stiletto boots doesn't seem right to me either. Truly a treasure.

Very sexy and mysterious! I remember seeing the ad on TV back in the day and was mesmerised by the woman who took off her uniform to reveal her red dress underneath.

This fragrance is warm, sexy and glamorous! This is what I'd imagine a sexy Russian Bond girl would smell like. A real femme fatale!

This one is really outstanding. Like being in an old cold stony cathedral when it's heat outside (I tested it on a hot day).
All of ingredients are fussing into one perfume and it is difficult to name each note.
After spraying: cough sirup (guaiac?) + floral almost indolic note, but more pleasant, like honeydew honey (I guess it is civet) + something like cinnamon? rum? + fruitiness of plum/grape?
After half an hour: there is a grape hyacinth!!

I stumbled upon this perfume while looking up notes. It has many that I like, and given the price point, I figured I'd blind buy it.

Well, I must say that I'm impressed with this little gem! On me, it's thick, woodsy, powdery and somewhat resinous. It does have many notes that I like, but the combo kinda scared me a bit. Thankfully, this is lovely!

As for the scent, if you like CK Obsession for women or Cartier's Must, then you would easily like this. It's got a very similar vibe with the aforementioned. As for comparison to Amouage's Lyric, I can smell it a bit. Both are warm, thick perfumes.

Longevity and sillage are great too! If you love civet and animalic perfumes along the lines of Obsession, do try this beauty. I'm glad I did!

WHERE HAS THIS PERFUME BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE? IT IS MAGICAL AND WONDEROUS! THIS IS A DIVINE PERFUME
♥♥♥ I blind bought this even though a few comments here said not to. I am glad I didn't put buying this perfume off another day!!! .The bottle of a Russian church/building captivated me so I decided to read the reviews. This perfume sounded so intriguing I just HAD to have it! I am so glad I did. I get more compliments when I wear this than ANY other perfume I wear. I cant imagine anyone not liking this its so exquisite! It is 100% a EXTREMELY seductive aphrodisiac potion.

I quickly found THE BIGGEST BOTTLE and bought this Oriental gem of a perfume on eBay for only 13.75, but it smells so much more expensive! It can cost a lot more for this perfume so do not think its just a cheapie, IT'S NOT! This is not a " dirty fragrance", as some are saying. It is not loud or old fashioned smelling either. The ones that are saying it is too strong did not give it enough time to settle on the skin. This fragrance is absolutely magical. At first it's very strong but do not let that deter you because the dry down is a divine sexy love potion. It reminds me of Design at first because of the civet, which I understand is synthetic for ethical reasons. The civet comes on very strong at first but quickly fades. It's a luxurious, sensual, and mature scent.The amber is so rich, balmy, and intense. It has a resin scent that is so soft and beautiful words cant describe it. Even though its very strong at first it quickly subsides. The people that are commenting saying it gives them a headache over-sprayed it or did not give this perfume a chance to settle on the skin. It does NOT smell like hairspray, pickled cucumbers, bug -spray or mothballs. It does NOT smell like post-coital heat nor is it dusty or bitter. It is NOT just a perfume for formal events or for funerals either, but this is just MY opinion.

This perfume suits cold weather because it's so warm and delicious, but it is also is fine for warm weather because of the resin notes that melt into the warm air. It is so sensual and mature.

This is definitely my favorite scent and I have smelled most all of them. Its magic in a bottle and has became my signature scent. No other frag can compare with this one! Its so enchanting. It has a little bit of soapiness but its a clean refinement. There is absolutely no perfume like it. It is so heavenly after it settles into the skin. It's so SEXY. It's definitely my favorite. I would cry is they ever stopped making this luxury perfume, SO I AM STOCKING UP!

I just got the shower gel and body lotion to layer this divine scent. I also bought the cutest tiny bottle of this off of Ebay! It is now on my beautiful vanity.

A few people here reviewing said it smells like CK Obsession but I disagree it does not smell anything like it. It smells SO MUCH BETTER!!!.... Give this fragrance a chance it will not disappoint you!

I was hoping it would smell like a feminine version of the men's cologne Farenheight and I was right!

PS. Even though this scent is far from being gourmand, I think some gourmand lovers would really enjoy this scent. Its a powerhouse. And to the person that said they would not want to stand close to somebody after spraying this perfume I just want to say I would not mind standing close to you AT ALL! And if you're married and your husband does not like it its probably because you smell sexy and he does not want other men to notice you ahahah! Do not let anyone ( including your husband) dictate what you can and can not wear unless it truly makes him have an allergic reaction.


PSS. I am wearing a different fragrance today but my bottle of this is close to me in my work drawer and I just got a wiff of it and regret not wearing it today. I honestly cant believe a scent can smell as good as this.

Update- I notice that if you wear this at night and you go to bed with it on it smells awful the next morning I guess it's the civet... All of the balmy goodness is gone all that's left is STANK. Sorry but it's true.

Beautiful bottle and this fragrance has substance. I was a little worried about the Civet but it works perfectly. It truly is a warm, spicy lovely scent. Great for cooler weather with a heady, vintage feel. It is what I would guess a deeper, warmer scent from Russia would be like and this one did not disappoint. Definitely a great evening warm oriental scent.

OMG omg... this is so dirty sexy floriental. Strong and really intoxicating. On my skin it is mostly jasmine and tuberose, and iris, which transpire... and then, it's civet I think, and it's only very slightly woody-powdery. More bitter than sweet. A rare find, a gem. I think it requires some self-confidence to wear it unashamedly.

Update: an hour and then a day later - after around one to two hours the scent isn't so sharp and imposing anymore and the more 'explicit' notes get smothered. Instead I am discovering some kind of smokiness in the base notes, and muskiness, too. This perfume is so complex and beautifully dark.

One more update: This Maroussia reminds me somehow, and a little bit, of Guerlain's Samsara - most likely because of it's iris combined with ylang-ylang. But Maroussia is sharper, and definitely bolder. Also, I do not know how and why, but all Maroussia's top notes combined give me the clear scent of neroli at moments. ...which is delightful, also.

What a treasure! Where have you been hiding? Perfect to have found this mesmerizing scent in the beautiful red glass bottle. I have a high fondness for oriental floral scents, but this borders....well it doesn't have borders. This perfume has a classic ageless quality. One would think it was from the 1920's & has proved its self = timeless.
I don't feel like dissecting the individual notes of this magical scent. The list is already above. This scent is wonderful in my opinion. It's like a dance, a slow dance, an intimate dance to a wonderful song. None of which you'll remember the details, only the magical moment felt. Picture Cinderella dancing in a ballroom in her powder blue dress. The scents of the floral arrangements that adorn the palace. She then runs to her carriage outside. The scents change to the soft woodsy night. All she has besides her one glass slipper is the moments she'll not forget. But we, we have the magical scent in it's beautiful red bottle.
I will buy a back up of this one. It smells more expensive than it is. Lucky us who love this aroma.

The beggining is very scary and strong. After a while it becomes soft and lovable warm floral orental. It does not last very long on my skin.

This is gorgeous for me I love the bottle I cannot find it anywhere near where I live so I buy it online this perfume is luxurious and elegant with fruit flower and musk notes it last long time it's sexy and sophisticated smell at first of aldehydes and fleshy peach some citrus note then it smell of rose and carnation lots of carnation ylang and heliotrope many flowers smooth soft then it turn into sandalwood musk incense woods lots of different smells all good smells very rich and strong perfume I wear it for evenings is fancy and artistic I like to wear this to dinner party my aunt in Moscow love this parfum too it is Russian but American women will love it

Pure indole-free white flower, violet, tart candy notes, faint incense-like resins, this one is lovely. The bottle is beautiful and wow, very inexpensive. There's a dusting of pollen throughout the scent that reminds me of spring meadow flowers, not anything with scent, but that yellow, dusty/green scent of just-sprung flowers in the sun. While the blend is complex and can initially seem heavy, it wears remarkably light. A lovely surprisingly light oriental. Love it.

Such an elegant and empowering perfume! And a bargain!

Wore it a few years back and would wear it again! Very distinctive and sexy!

I tried this perfume a few years ago, because it was so cheap that it made me curious. I don't know if I was too young to appreciate this perfume at that time, but even now when I think about it I get a headache. The smell was very strong and very old (if that makes any sense). Maybe I can give it another chance when I'm 50+ :)

Love this.
First smelled and bought it last year.

The sandalwood is predominant, and Maroussia is light, a tiny bit sweet, and airy.

Strange though that even though the perfume wasn't made until 1992, I must have smelled something similar to it during my childhood that was associated with Russia, because when I first experienced Maroussia, I thought how Russian it smelled.

I can only smell civet and makes me sick.
On the dry down, it turns somehow powdery, but there's something sharp, maybe it's the carnation,and it's not pleasant on my skin.
I can see why some people like this one. It's elegant, and not pervasive, with an 80's vibe, but it lacks something.
I'll give it a second try, but in winter. This is not a summer fragrance.

An assault on my nose, this made me feel so sick.
Smells like cheap old hairspray, medical ointment and insecticide.
Sample with caution.
Smells nothing like samsara

Maroussia almost killed me when first sprayed for the first time (blind buy) today. I guess it is just a habit to spray a lot when applying perfume - note to self; DO NOT spray loosely when applying Maroussia! SO heavy and heady and almost headache inducing. And that being said from a girl who LOVES Thierry Mugler's fragrances. I guess that speaks volume, when I say Maroussia is just too much.

I blind bought Maroussia because of the great reviews, it was super cheap, and because of a life long passion for Russia.

I primarily get civet. Civet civet civet, so much of it ! Besides civet, I get a heavy aldehyldes, similar to old Chanel No 5 . It also has something lemony which I can't put my finger on, but which turns it into a manly/unisex cologne kinda undertone, which personally I don't like (at least on me).

I can clearly see why it is being praised so much as a Cinderella fragrance which doesn't get nearly the hype it is worth; this is clearly a multi facetted quality fragrance at very little money. EXTREME projection and lasting power - be careful when spraying as this is a sillage and projection monster. It has several interesting layers - unfortunately none of them are my personal taste, but I can see why others fall in love.

Smells vintage and unique and truly is a gem at this price, but personally I can't wear or stand it . It is simply too much. But for the right woman or man (definetely a unisex fragrance) it can be magical. Bottle is intruiging and mystic and ''russian''.

DON'T BLIND BUY THIS :D

As a teen in the 90's, this fragrance, along with Red Door and Red by Giorgio Beverly Hills were THE epitome of glamor. They were everywhere, no escaping them. Hunt for the vintage version of this expensive smelling cheap EDT if possible. It's spicier, muskier and just two sprays would last all night.

Albertos: yes, I think a man could wear this. A good, bright oriental.

Dear! Will this smell be unisex? please reply. I love it Fancy Nights JS.

I am a bit of a snob when it comes to fragrance. Meany years ago I discovered this little red bottle in private bathroom's cupboard (yes, I do that all the time and who says that he/she does not, lies) of one of the nicest and classiest ladies I have ever known. It was in the mighty company of exclusive Chanels, Guerlains and who knows what else. Then it hit me that I have seen it in supermarket and said to myself "How unconventional and unexpected of her, smells nice too" as I realized she wore it most of the time.
This last few years since my obsession culminated I would read a comment on Maroussia thinking fondly of that nice lady and her dirty little secret. I loved dr.Harrison's article and always said to myself I should at least buy it for fun.
And I did. It stayed unopened for months til one lazy pajamas Sunday (reserved for samples). I've spent entire day reapplying it every 2-3 h, almost rolling in it.
What en enchanting melodrama PMS-driven bitch! Russian novel heroine neurotic! Absolutely loved it! Fun, addictive, comfortable with a bite, cheap thrill. And I tried cranky niche ouds and ambers, boring florals.
You dirty, dirty little thing I shall never forget you again! Promise!
And if anyone asks, I shall (dis)honestly say Amouage Opus I, because my friends are even bigger snobs then I am and incapable believing if I said them the truth.

It also reminds me of vintage N°5 extract's dry-down.

Remember when fresh linen was all the rage? That's this. It has earned a spot on the back of the toilet.

After a long love affair with Tabu, My heart was to wonder.
I smelt Maroussia on a friend, My olfactory scenes went wild, My heart did a flip, I fell deeply and madly in love with Maroussia at first sniff.
Our love affair went on for a passionate 12 years Until my heart was again to wander when I fell for the younger seductress La Vie Est Belle!
Now a days, I think most may neglect Marroussia , with so many gorgeous beauties to choose from, but I will always fondly have her in my collection, because she done me proud.
Love you Marrousia. ❤

@mishlava3000 I too smelled mortein flyspray when i first sprayed it. I dislike it very much. However I enjoy reading very different opinions from mine. Amazing how some love & some hate the same scent. Fascinating!

I love this hidden intoxicating gem, I found it by accident when I saw it in a drugstore catalogue, and it looked so different than everything else that after reading some reviews I walked in and bought it, not risking much money as it was very cheap. Love at first spray, it smells so well blended, deep and complex that I cannot pick out notes. I bought backups since, although I'm still at the beginning of this very first bottle.
Despite the opulence and heavy hitter notes, it is not strong, and whenever I wear it I have to refresh it every coupld hours, which I do with pleasure as it is an amazing creation. Warm, elegant, silvery grey smoke, balmy and almost boozy but not in the sweet way. I am working from home today, listening to Die Walkure and drinking hot tea, and it is extremely comforting in this unusually cold winter. Makes me feel warm and safe and cuddly, and makes me feel like everything is, and will be, all right. However, it would suit the most elegant dress and coat in a night out just as well.
I love spraying it and instaltly pressing my nose deep into the scent, intoxicated.

Maroussia is like having a hot cup of tea with lots of honey, spices and a shot of rum after a long walk in chilly air, followed by a long session in a sauna. The skin is still damp and fragrant with a hint of vanilla and baby powder. This is not at all a dirty scent. On the contrary - it is clean, warm, cheerful and unintentionally sexy

Definately get a russian vibe from this perfume, but i feel like its one of those perfumes you have to learn to admire instead of just liking it straight away because to be honest if i smelt this first in shops i would have not bought it, but i blind bought it because of how facinated everyone is by it so now im just tryna accept it and like it. It smells like chanel N5 mixed with moth balls and charcaol. I still like it but not sure if id really wear it.

I nearly blindbought this one, very luckily sampled it first. At first a sharp wave of synthetic notes overpowered my nose and after a few minutes I kept getting wafts of Morten flyspray which I presumed had been sprayed in the chemist. To my disappointment I realised the flyspray scent was in fact Marroussia. By this time my lips were warm and tingling and all I wanted to do was wash it off.

Very potent. Resists soap and water. Definitely try before buying.

MAROUSSIA

Slava Zaitsev

Year

1992

I wore this fragrance from about 1993 through 1994, to court during trials as a lawyer in Manhattan NYC. Maroussia - Russian for the female name of Mary - is a religious experience in an affordably priced bottle. It shares some similarities to "cheap" Orientals like Passion by Elizabeth Taylor, but can also pass for more expensive Orientals such as Coco Eau de Parfum. If you like those scents, and your skin chemistry can handle floral Orientals and incense musk fragrances, Maroussia will exceed your wildest perfume expectations. Indeed it is a beautiful, exotic, spicy, floral, woody, musky and smoky piece of Oriental amber grandeur.

She comes off as very solemn and formal. Wear her with suits, dark clothing for Church, a funeral or important business dinner. She opens with a scent of bergamot & aldehydes, fresh and startling with an old fashioned kind of aldehyde - i.e. Chanel No. 5 - before it settles down and softens into a sweet powdery floral. Some nondescript background florals keep this in the feminine realm, even though it develops into a unisex scent with masculine notes in the latter stage of her performance.

The floral notes are of the soapy floral kind with ylang, carnation, rose, orchid, jasmine, heliotrope & tuberose. The flowers are not the big stars here but one can easily call this a floral Oriental or Floriental. Smells like flowers in a bouquet that are presented before a statue of the Virgin Mary in a Russian Orthodox Church. Other imagery that comes to mind: 1920's divas in furs, someone like Gloria Swanson as she performs in Queen Christina, or perhaps Pola Negri. She is a mature fragrance no doubt about it. In today's context, this is as far away as you can get from the celebrity sugar trash. The woman or man who wears this great unisex Oriental scent is a confident and successful individual who goes after what they want.

There is something strangely religious about this fragrance. The warm incense courtesy of benzoin provides this scent with a regal and Catholic incense type of smell. It's like a perfume for Empress Catherine the Great or because it is unisex one of the Tsars like Nicholas II. When applied with a light touch the fragrance becomes powdery and soapy, with a whisper of incense and florals. When you put too much of it on, the musky civet note comes through and trust me you don't want to smell of a funky civet.

Other notes that come through are the fragrant sandalwood, somewhat like the sandalwood in Guerlain Samsara. There is powder & incense, and spiciness and leathery accord. For me the final touch of amber is very nice. In the end she can turn into a high end soap with an amber-woody masculine air. I like fragrances that are unisex more than stereotypically girly scents. This is also not big on fruit at all though as it opens there is a pretty refreshing citrus floral (orange blossom). Smells expensive, vintage and classy. It is an Oriental beauty and I'm all over those Oriental perfumes.

There were times however when in the dead of New York winter, in those cold courtrooms, I did douse myself in Maroussia to get to that warm coat of musk. It always made me feel like I had gone to Church for prayers before coming to court.

It has a very strong projection and fine longevity. Mysterious, exotic, luxurious and royal. This perfume was never discontinued and you can buy it online in such sites as Amazon.com or Fragrance X Beauty Spin or Ebay. Yes it is a cheaply priced scent but the opulence of the well crafted perfume itself speaks of higher prices, and again ROYALTY. So wear this and don't tell anyone what the perfume is. Keep them guessing.

A most remarkable scent.

I have funny story about this perfume.
About 5 years ago my (now ex) girlfriend had to do major sales pitch to old geezer important enough to her company to give her 2 paid days and allowance to do hair, shopping and whatever to look her best. Only on the morning of meeting she realized she don't have appropriate for occasion perfume. I did some digging in her little collection and picked Maroussia (that I bought her few years before, EDP version). Later she told it was good choice since both client and her boss, older female not known for giving many compliments, pointed out that she smelled really good.
Next day she text me in panic: her boss asking for name of perfume, and she no way could admit that she wore inexpensive perfume to such important meeting. Not long before that I had tester of Amouage Opus I, and thought it was very similar to Maroussia. After her boss bought Amouage, she told my GF that although it is indeed very good perfume, unfortunately it doesn't smell as good on her skin as it was on my GF.
I was laughing at my GF, saying if she ever leaves me I'll tell her boss what have she done!

This is long lasting and a very powdery scent to me. I liked it but having said that my husband did not care for it at all. I won't be buying it again but I do have respect for this perfume.

Blind buy. Did not work in my skin. If anyone in UK wants to swap, pls PM me.

Mon Dieu mais comment ai-je pu passer à côté de cette pépite pendant toutes ces années moi qui suis une parfumista tendance hystérique (rires) !
C'est un bijou !
Sur ma peau il me fait furieusement penser à Miss me de Stella Cadente... Ca en est presque un sosie !
J'adore !! Ha oui alors ! J'adore !!!!

I have loved orientals since I was 12 or so. Lyra, Poison, Jungle d'Elephant, Opium, Dune, Organza, Venezia - these were my favorites while growing up. So in a way i miss those times when strong, sweet, spicy, exotic scents were more readily available and sort of "normal" to wear, and I'm always on a quest to discover a new one.

With that being said I was very curious about Maroussia! My hopes were up, and I was expecting to find a new, exciting, possibly a passionate love. So you can imagine how happy i was to finally test it out today. Just that --- it's not for me.

It's just.. too dusty and too bitter for my taste.
Reminder for myself. Opening: moth balls, heart: bitter herbs, dry down: whispering flowers.

And I don't enjoy writing negative reviews and tearing down someone else's love. But. because I was nearly willing to buy it blind, for the lovely reviews only, I thought to share my experience as well. Maybe it'll save someone to regret.

A blind buy after I saw it on a website and recognised seeing the bottle at an aunt's place in my childhood. Her bottle was empty so I couldn't smell it back then, but the bottle alone had fascinated me (that deep, velvety dark red looked so good on the vanity table!) So now I thought - even if I dislike the perfume, the bottle alone is worth it (considering it's a very affordable fragrance).

I had a pleasant surprise upon spraying some on my wrist, although it's not at all what I had expected, namely a heavy, spicy oriental, maybe with some unpleasant sharp woodsy notes.

The opening is very, very soft and delicate and I could smell no aldehydes (which is a huge relief), powdery-floral and then after a while got a bit creamier and warmer, but still delicate and discreet.

It's classy yet very youthful-feminine, almost shy... Love it, it was definitely one lucky blind buy :)

Quite possibly my favorite orange blossom based scent.

Resinous, woody & creamy. Delectably sweet cinnamon, marzipan, orange blossom & sandalwood.

Tenacious, though with soft projection. Can last for up to 8 hours on my skin, albeit delicately, but I always apply three sprays per wrist to make it a little more noticeable.
Up close there's lots of amber and cinnamon. There's a rather biscuitty & edible style to this scent - reminiscent of almond biscotti. In the air, from a distance, this appears more powdery fresh & floral.

The dominant orange blossom note is thankfully not too citrussy & certainly not overly fresh & sweet in that washing powder/fabric conditioner kind of way.
In the drydown the orange blossom is tapered by sweet amber/vanilla & smooth sandalwood.

As a couple of others have noted, this shares some similarities with D&G's "red cap", but it's mostly alike in character/vibe. This is far, far softer and doesn't have the sharp, distinct coriander and basil notes that red cap boasts. So this could not replace red cap, by any means, but I believe that fans of one are likely to enjoy the other - especially as Maroussia is so impressively purse-friendly. It was seeing comparisons to the original D&G that eventually convinced me to buy Maroussia, so thank you.

This is a beautiful, feminine (womanly) creamy & woody orange blossom scent. I only wish it had more strength!

I have lost my senses and decided to write a review on Maroussia the vintage, in the burning, moist heat of Cyprus.

Well Maroussia is burning too, and it burns me down to ashes. It's so painfully dirty and sexy. It is, I think, well out of place but for having some "serious" fun by the fire side in some snowy woods maybe... The nature of this scent is winter, a fiery winter.

It's not something you reach for when you feel ordinary. It's a certain kind of magic.

I don't drink, but I think about vodka everytime I come near to this scent! Vodka and dark, bitter chocolates. The dirtiest of flowers, the ylang ylang, amber, woods, musk.

Maroussia is truly orgasmic!

Oh.My.God. Talk about LOVE at first sniff!

This is not how I pictured it at all. Based on the reviews here I really didn't imagine that I would like this perfume that much as I actually do. I ordered it just because I was curious.

And what a surprise! It went straight to my top 5! Maybe even top 3. The smell is so feminin and sexy. It's like nothing I have smelt before. Definitely oriental, but also very likable and happy (if that makes any sense). I don't get the sad nostalgia vibe as some of the reviewers mention. Just pure seduction and classy elegance. I just hope my husband will like it as much as I do, cause boy, he's going to smell it a lot on me. I should really save it for romantic occasions only, but what can I say, I am hooked... and need to smell it constantly.

This took a little while to grow on me, but now I can't get enough.

It makes me think of velvet and furs, of luxury--but I love to spray it on my wrists just before I fall asleep, so when I put my hands under my cheeks I am surrounded by its soft, comforting aura.

The initial blast is harsh with adelhydes and, with the civet underneath, fairly unpleasant. But oh, quarter of an hour later, when the other notes bloom, such softness and beauty. The florals are blended well enough to be almost indistinguishable, the amber is warm and golden, the fruits add sweetness, the adelhydes hold it altogether and oh, that soft, fuzzy civet underlying it all.

It certainly doesn't sell contemporary at all, just a warning. It's very "perfumey". And in heat it could be a bit offensive. On cool nights, however...

A perfume that smells classic--much older than 1992!--yet still unique, a thing of beauty, elegance and coziness. A perfume that smells undefinably expensive, but is available for pocket change.

Such a discovery.

Lovely! Normally I'm a bit dodgy about oriental/spicy perfumes - some I just can't wear at all - but this is really beautiful. I'm so happy. I love it. It lasted all day, and is so womanly and warm and cosy and loving. Enveloping me in a warm fuzzy glow. And the bottle is supreme! Totally beautiful, exotic and alluring. Very sweet and comfortable for me, and I would wear it anywhere. I can't imagine anyone being offended by it. It's superb.

I just received this in the post. . First impressions are that it is along the same lines as d&g, it hits a certain spot but I'm going to have to spend a fair amount of time in cold weather with it. Update to follow. ..

This smells like childhood to me cos my grandma would always wear it. Now I do and I still like it. It is warm and soft, like a coat you spray on yourself.

I am very sensitive about memories and scents, like most of us. This one I first expierenced at my grandmother. She wore it all the time and I was addicted to it. I was 14 when she gifted me my first bottle, I think she got tired of me sampling her own bottle each time i was with her.
So, it was summer and I was on holiday with her in Spain and Italy. We both wore it and several people asked us constantly what that lovely perfume was.
Now it reminds me of the summers i spent with her, the sun burning our skin, sipping Coffee at breakfast, strolling local markets, taking a gondola in Venice...
My dear grandmother is no longer with me, but every time I open that pretty red bottle, she stands next to me, smiling.

I have blind-bought many perfumes, having read reviews etc on here and I've been pleased by most of them (although I have recently had a couple of disasters! Having said that, I have had some success "layering" different perfumes - something I wouldn't have tried before reading the suggestion on here). I do love perfume, but often find it difficult pick out the notes like many reviewers - I'll try the best I can; this is my first review, so please excuse any faux pas.

I read the main accords of Maroussia - as it's described as an oriental floral, I decided to buy it, having seen 100ml for sale on eBay UK for GBP8.95 (with free P&P). I sprayed it on the back of my hand a couple of hours ago.

What a lovely surprise this is! I can't stop sniffing my hand. It is a strong scent when first sprayed and I wouldn't have thought it was an EDT; the top notes are very powerful. It calms down quickly though and morphs into a musky, warm, rich, edible dark perfume on me. I don't get the - ahem - intimate woman's odour to which some reviewers have referred. This is divine and very sexy. I used to wear CK Obsession in the 80s and Maroussia smells very similar to how I remember that smelling.

Maroussia is delicious and an absolute bargain at less than £10.00 for 100ml.

I sincerely apologise to anyone from Russia for the presumptuousness of my review below. I have never been to Russia and my views are those of a brainwashed westerner...

Maroussia is Russia in a bottle. Drama, melancholy, longing, frustration and determined optimism all rolled into one.

I absolutely love it in the very depths of winter when going about even the simplest of tasks (getting out of bed for one) seems torturous on the mind and body. A tiny spritz of Maroussia (and I do mean TINY - its a powerhouse) stiffens my backbone and reminds me that my petty sufferings are a drop in the ocean and will pass with the changing winds.

Maroussia IS melancholic but in a way that prompts you to look with objectiveness in regard to your perceived struggles. It makes you WANT to be kind to people - to bring peace to the world in general.

L: Very long lasting
S: Heavy

Note: For those that find Maroussia nauseating - try putting it in a rollerball.

Retro perfume, very 90s, unique and beautiful. Someone here said it is melancholic. I couldn't agree more! It evokes memories of a place that's very dear to you, but it is out of reach now and all that's left is longing and nostalgia. It's like your soul is crying for something that's lost forever. I love the perfume, it is so warm and feminine and it draws attention, but the feelings it evokes is not something I would want to experience on a daily basis:) The composition is blended beautifully, but it is not easy to pin-point any particular note, apart for civet maybe...Moderate longevity and projection. Gorgeous bottle!!

For someone who prefers sweet over sultry scents, this perfume was very much an acquired taste for me. When I first tried it, the civet note was too strong, too dirty for my liking, but as I continued to use Marusja out of curiosity (and not wanting to waste 18 USD!), I started to love it. As Marusja fades, it turns soapy and more flowery than its initial animalic impression. However, just because *I* have taken a liking to it, I'm always weary of having Marusja on me in public -- I feel like sometimes it can be quite strong.

So I really want to like this perfume. I don't have anything like it & there are so many interesting layers but something in there instantly makes my stomach turn and not in a good way. I keep trying to wear it but keep having to scrub it off because it's so nauseating.

When I smell you Marusja I hear the Marche Slave by Tchaikovsky. This is the greatest description of Russia in a fragrance ever created. This was a gift from my Russian girl friend Marina. She told me she wore it when she younger and the Soviet Union fell (after the Berlin Wall came down) around 1989 and 1990 during which time the Communist Soviet Russia ceased to exist and became a democratic country. This evokes the spirit of that time but it also evokes a much more ancient Russia, Imperial Russia at the time of the Tsars. This fragrance smells like a Dostoevsky novel, a Tolstoy novel, War and Peace. At first it's a Russian spring season with the fruity scent of peach and orange blossom. Then the flowers are in bloom: iris (the dominant note) rose, jasmine, heliotrope, lily of the valley and orchid. But the spring does not last forever and the winter comes bringing with it the smell of incense, benzoin, and musk. Now you have to wear fur coats and ushankas and muffs to warm up your hand. You have to find warmth inside the cathedrals where incense burns and creates a cloud of smoke. The incense note gives it a seriousness and grave solemnity, almost like a funeral. This has a touch of darkness and mystery. And the musk is an elegant leather smell. My God how beautiful this fragrance is. Totally appropriate for winter time in the coldest months. If you want to experience Russia through a scent wear this.

This is one of the perfumes where I read the other reviews and marvel at differences in perception, especially the people who call this light and sweet or sour.

To me this is uncompromising civet, warm and thick and animal and dirty. It takes a while before I can even detect the flowers and fruit.

Not an easy wear. I would be afraid to wear it on a bus or in the theatre or anywhere people are trapped next to me.

I remember in the 90's babysitting for a family where the Mother wore this perfume. It was my sneaky habit to remove the cap and sniff the scent. I remember thinking it was the height of luxury, and oh so dramatic as a 15 year old.
Now in my late 30's I have rediscovered the scent. If you did not know better I would think most people would believe this to be expensive. It is very complex and warm and daring. For $14 au I got 100mls of this, so will be wearing with abandon and 'high fiving' the 15 year old me for her good taste.

This is such an unusual one, I'm not even sure if I like it or not. I think I do. Anyway my first impressions were 'interesting' so I put it on my skin and I can smell a lot of sandalwood, rose, and civet. It has a slightly dirty vibe. It could smell like a box of incense sticks or the inside of a hippy shop. It's got a similar vibe to Dolce & Gabbanna Red Cap.

I imagine a beautiful exotic-looking girl with dark looks, thick black hair, maybe a girl from India, smelling like this.

Sillage is moderate. The longevity is weak but can always be reapplied.

This was my first "proper" adult perfume... It was strong and oriental, a great confidence-builder for a coy teenager. I loved the wintery, slightly aggressive, amber-heavy allure of it. Maroussia is seductive, assertive but never vulgar. Imagine Empress Alexandra Feodorovna discretely flirting with Rasputin.
My first love, at the time, was so into it that after I switched to Angel and stopped wearing it, he kept bemoaning the loss of my Maroussia days... Twenty years later, he still talks about it.

I don't usually like leaving negative reviews but this one might help someone like me from making a very bad blind buy.

I was seduced by the wonderful and eloquent reviews on here and by the fact that the perfume is Russian (my paternal grandfather was Russian).

I'm sorry to say that this is the worst perfume I've ever smelled in my life. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to smell like this. It's like Giorgio Beverley Hills, Loulou and Poison all jumbled up together with a quarter of a bottle of Pledge(cheap furniture polish) thrown in for good measure.

Luckily it was very cheap.

Listen to La Cachila by Eduardo Arolas (in the interpretation of Fulvio Salamanca or the Orquestra de Carlos di Sarli) and you will feel the passion of Maroussia. This is tango danced on the ice of the Red Square. Drama and high class.

I have never felt the urge to write a second review about a scent, I rarely add small edits and that happens only if I change my opinion about a fragrance. But now I must write another one. I do think I am a very dramatic, passionate young woman, that's probably because I am from the south of Italy. I am jealous yet a warm person, I am in love with the most intense feelings and I must admit I am quite the crybaby.

I tended to buy fresh scents the most, but I have never felt like they could express my inner self.

Maroussia does. It is such a passionate, "terrible" fragrance, so intense and old fashioned in the best way, perfect for winter and so dramatic.

Heart-breakingly beautiful fragrance, almost like a costly painting or piece of art that one can look at but not possess. Evokes longing. And hope. So, yes, a somewhat melancholy, dreamy and pensive fragrance.

The aldehydes do not sparkle, they simmer like coals in an antique samovar gently heating and thereby restraining the floral notes and keeping the basenotes warm. I do detect the faintest soft spiced tea accords, or at least the remnants of tea in porcelain cups in the mid to base.

Restraint and secrets kept are keys to Maroussia. There is amber and fur in its depths, if one gets past a somewhat aloof veneer. I do not receive it as a "big" fragrance, although it is very, very much present. Maroussia is, heart and soul, romantic.

Not a feminine perfume, but an intensely female perfume. There is the possibility of hedonistic abandon, but counter-balanced with thoughts of abandonment.

Nostalgic. It has an air of seriousness to it. It's regal even. European Catholic church during evening mass in the colder months. Packed with people so it's both cold and warm. The ritualistic nature of it all. The chill that gets let in when you open the big doors and go in. Lights that are incredibly ceremonious at all times. Holy water at the entrance. Candles and incense. Cold stone walls, I don't know how it manages to capture that bite and that warmth at the same time. That's what Maroussia smells like to me. No wonder I immediately felt nostalgia when I smelled it. That sort of environment is not a part of me now, but it was definitely a part of my childhood and I have a real visual and olfactory appreciation of it. Longevity of this on me is out of this world, it just doesn't quit.

This scent is amazing. I have been wanting it for ages! It is so important that its price is so small for such a perfume.
The composition is gorgeous, the animalic note is prominent, making it "dirty" and "wild" in the most positive way.
Of course you have to appreciate opulent and retro compositions to like this perfume. There is a lot of civet, carnation, sandalwood and ylang-ylang at the very beginning, the drydown is a faint version of the beginning plus the aldehydes.

The sillage is moderate, but I would like something more :)

It lasts about 5-7h, but after 3 hours or so it becomes a skin scent.

I love it c:

Very Small Edit: if you spray it accidentally on your clothes, what has reamained on the textile the next day is truly a gem. It is soapy, oriental and retro at the same time. Beyond beautiful in my opinion.

One of the best ways to keep warm during fall and winter!

Maroussia is very beautiful and somehow melancholic. It evokes vague memories and a sense of bittersweet undefined longing. It's from another time and place that is out of my reach, but on the other hand I feel like I've been there.

Warm, balsamic, smoky, a little bit spicy and floral. Of course one has to like the animalic note too to appreciate Maroussia. The civet is quite strong here... but dang it's fabulous!

Satisfactory longevity, moderate projection and a wonderful bottle.

This is Amarige Givenchi mix with feromones and Carmol and definetlly smells Russian

This smells like a fuzzy animal that's been laying in your sweater drawer next to your sachet, like fur and flowers and warmth. Perfection in winter
My husband on the other hand thinks it smells like a urinal cake, but he's wrong.

This was a blind buy for me, and I'm thankful I did. Rich and heavy, full of spice and smoke and nothing whatsoever like what I expected from a bargain scent like this one. Big sillage, long-lasting and utterly gorgeous. Cheap thrills, yes, but I love it.

Thank you Corinne39 for the giveaway which I was luck to win :-) So today I am wearing Maroussia... more than 15 years later so to speak. I am immediately taken back to memories of times past and yet it is not what my scent memory had recorded. Yes it still smells the same but my nose isn't the same anymore if that makes sense. (IT's me, not Maroussia so to speak). Now my nose has got the analytic hat on and perhaps because I know what's in it, I can smell it. This is a deliciously dirty fragrance. I get a fleeting resemblance with Charlie Red which I also endulge in shamelessly from time to time. There is a leathery musky civet vibe behind this ylang, sandalwood and powder curtain. It feels like sticking your nose into a furcoat (I don't have one and wouldn't ever get one but my grandma had one) or perhaps the muskier bits of cat fur will give you an idea too. Maroussia is a pretty unique and very affordable fragrance and I am very happy to have it back in my wardrobe. I would recommend to try it if you have no problem with civet and you like Samsara. In fact, I have been thinking of layering Maroussia with Samsara too. Just bear in mind that Maroussia is not a safe fragrance, in case of doubt use it very sparingly.

Received this new in post today and it's a great disappointment.
Not the unusual and underrated beauty that I was hoping for, led by reviews here and elsewhere online.
Sprayed some on my wrist, sniffed and - I've smelled it all before many times.
Something akin to Red Door or Charlie Red, fading at last to something reminiscent of Britney Spears Curious.
Commonplace.
Also just far too 'floral' for me.
Scrubber and will be wending its way elsewhere before too long.
Pity because I love the bottle - and the box - but it's not worth keeping just for those.

I really, really wanted to love this, from the reviews here it sounded wonderful and right up my street..but sadly, instant headache!! :( I will give it another go when the weather gets colder, but until then it'll have to live at the back of the cupboard..

This is so splendid that I almost did not want to write a review about it in order to keep it for myself only but I had to fight my selfishness and here I am. A splash of Maroussia will transport you straight away to the red square in Moscow on an icy wintery night, it will give you the power of a tsarina sitting in front of the biggest fire you could imagine. Cold you will forget, special you will be and unnoticed you will never pass.

This is the smell of the romps between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky. Maroussia is a festival of warm flowers, civet (surely synthetic, thank god)woods and a hefty dose of spices. It was one of my favorite perfumes when I was a teenager, people (men) would stop me in the street to ask me what perfume I was wearing, it fitted perfectly with my high hormonal status and carefree lifestyle, now not so much, but one sniff is enough to take me back to those beautiful days.Ideal for cold days and nights, not very apt for summer, it can weigh you down whith her estrogenic imperiosity.

Curiously I didn´t like this when it was released in the 90´s. I found this too heavy and suffocating then even when I was a Loulou lover. I had a sample and it smelled rancid to me, couldn´t stand it. Recently I sprayed a bit on my wrists and after the overwhelming first punch had dried down, loved it. This is more like a perfume than an eau de toilette, heavy and long lasting. It needs time: you need to let it dry down on your skin to appreciate it. I don´t agree with those who say this is only for cold weather: just spray it with a very light hand after showering and before bed and let it sit and the next morning it´ll be much lighter and you´ll smell divine even in hot summers. Very 80´s even if it was released in 1992. Potent, sexy, dark, animal and overwhelming. But dries down nicely to something musky and soapy, like one of those Arabic solid musk pastilles. Not a "clean", modern fragance: this is only for the daring, not for shy people and certainly not for teenagers. Very different from the sweet and light perfumes that teenager girls use today. More like the 80´s classics like Poison, Loulou or Opium. And ridiculously cheap: yesterday I bought a 100ml bottle for 5´95€ :)

This fragance was all the rage in our brother country Portugal during the 90´s but here in Spain it never was such a big success. Perhaps because the climate. Portugal is not so hot and is much more humid than Spain. Or perhaps because their different character. I really don´t know but during the 90´s you could smell Maroussia everywhere in Portugal, but in Spain all you could smell was CK One, Sunflower, Agua Fresca de Rosas by Adolfo Domínguez and Corazón by Ágata Ruiz de la Prada.

A blind buy....
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE MAROUSSIA!

Blind Purchase.
$35.00 us
WOW powerful Civet ! Reminds me of 1970's mens Burte.. Beautiful Bottle

Summer: No
Autumn: Maybe PM
Winter: ?
Spring: No

Animalic, spicy carnations, and musk. There is really no way to put this politely: it smells like a room full of post-coital heat. It's sexy, erotic and kind of romantic too. I really, really like this.

I find this heady, exotic, peppery and unchanging. I was of two minds about whether I liked this or not and thought I might test it again before I bought but the rash it has given me on my inner arm has decided me against it.

Not a cheapie. A generous amount of civet and aldehydes and flowers.
It reminded me of business women in Moscow of ninities. Ladies back those days used Climat and those French classics and in harsh Moscow environment it turned in to something what Maroussia smells like.

For the old formula:

With a heavy load of civet, this smells like a woman's private parts in the best way. Like you are out of (a good) shower clean, shaved, moisturised; and after 2-3 hours you sweated a little and got juicy with some intimate thoughts. That's it, Maroussia. The powdery clean element plus all the musk, civet, ylang ylang and amber which gives the effect.

All in all, this composition also smells like booze, cognac, Baileys and a night club where quite a few dancers are around performing, their skin dewy with sweat, and albeit chic, that may not be a terribly classy club for the matter.

Such a smell will either put a guy on his knees, or it will utterly put him off.

So far that's been my most obscene review; and if you are slightly offended, I don't think Maroussia is something you'd be head over heels for. Rather you'd run away holding your nose...

Apply carefully. Or I couldn't care less.*

Although the notes apeal to me, the result on my skin is a blast of chemical sweetness. Like the colored flower shaped erasers I had when I went to school back in the 80's.

I really don't like it.

True wild card here... a blind buy that is very different from what I imagined!

While what I have here is very attractive, it immediately reminds me of Charlie Red. SO reminiscent to my nose that I browsed reviews to see if ANYBODY else could smell the similarity.... Or was it merely my imagination?

Happy me..:D TanteSimon mentioned that it reminds her of Charlie Red also, so I feel less fanciful than formerly. Which is a good thing, since the longer I wear Maroussia, the More she smells like Red! I realize the notes are only vaguely similar, but the impression on skin remains distinctly alike. As I consider Charlie Red to be a high quality fragrance, this is no bad thing.

What are the differences between Maroussia and Red? I think it might well be summed up in two words.

Musk &

Earth!

It is as if you have layered the tiniest dab of Jovan musk oil over a generous amount of Red, then added the smallest spritz possible of an earthy, green cologne, such as Cachet. The impression your receive is mostly of Charlie Red, sweetened and grounded by these two additions. I know, because my mother has done something quite similar with her Charlie Red for years! <3

Summary - For sweet floral lovers, powder lovers, and those who enjoy greens in their sweet florals. But do not be saddened if an affordable bottle evades your grasp. Consider buying Red instead. ;)

Contrarily, for those scared of Charlie Red's admittedly HUGE sillage, Maroussia will be a welcome find. She is gentler and more subtle than her unrestrained American cousin!

Maroussia is a lovely creature, which captured in its juice bright and contradictional Russian character. Reminded me of movie The Barber Of Siberia, with its magnificent scenes of snow, steam-trains, wildness and lovingness, emotional friendship and hospitality.
Also it is very much in tune with perfume "Red Moscow", that I have in my collection - by loud spicy carnation as well as with "C`est La Vie" Christian Lacroix, but not only by carnation with aldehydes - all three are sweet-spicy and dynamic, they are not from those "forgotten in the corner of the room" dance-ladies, they will be in the centre of attention. Civet here is very soft, very accurate, I don't think it can put off even those who avoid animalic scents in fragrances, -its mainly feels balmy, creamy, nice, very relaxed, not anxiously alert as some loud fragrances do make you feel.
How I personally feel wearing it?.. I feel happy, its cheerful, beaming and girly, and with all my respect - I do not understand comments who say its for "mature ladies" or "after 40-s" , nah! - comfort-yummy scent, antidepressant.

Maroussia
A classic like a heroine out of Russian novel.
Proud, passionate and strong-willed she appears when you first meet her, revealing her softer side only over time - if she decides you are worth it ...

The first moments you are hit by a powdery, aldehydic sensation with green and spicy carnations woven into. Those notes give the impression of an "old soul". No matter how youthful she appeared on the outside when she was launched, Maroussia belongs in another time. She's met Pushkin, Dostojewski and Tolstoi. She witnessed the downfall of the Romanovs and the roaring sounds of revolution... unlike them she is still around.

It is her soft and tender heart, a warm mix of ylang, heliotrope and benzoin she shows over time what makes one feel at home at her side, even if you've never been to the distant land of snow... she will tell you about it if you're patient enough to listen.

For the uninitiated to the perfume, here it is; Maroussia is a marvel, the civet is there but together with ylang and a hefty dose of smoke in the form of benzoin, there is a green element that lurks in the back but the carnation is strong and heady, vanilla softens ever so slightly the overall effect with a very discreet jasmine, this is a scent inspired by the great Russian Empire, think of the magnificence of the Orthodox Church with its rituals and heavy incenses and you got the picture, it is regal, haughty, sublime, NOT for the faint hearted, I refer to the red bottle,of course.

This is ubiquitous in Australian pharmacy shops. It is usually sold in the same section as discount Arden perfumes and the like that either seem to languish there forever or sell well enough for them to always be on order and in stock, things like Green Tea, Provocative Woman, Fifth Avenue, etc. It is not highly thought of. Typically, it is worn by older women, which means nothing to me, but means a lot to most people. It is also highly associated with Eastern European immigrant women. I actually wish more women would wear it instead of the other cheap garbage, because it doesn't really smell "cheap".

A very smooth, rich, musky floriental with nothing sharp, screechy, or overly sweet. It smells very warm and comforting, but never suffocating. Extremely tenacious. Makes me think of Russian "things": caravan tea with safflowers and spices, incense burning amongst bouquets of exotic scented flowers in Orthodox churches, candles, and old appartments kept warm with fire as well as central heating. The actual scent profile is so seemlessly blended that you can't really pick any of the individual notes out. So don't be alarmed by "aldehydes", "peach", etc., etc.

Really quite hard to describe for me, actually. I'd say it is a safe blind buy, so if you can't test it, the risk of ordering it from somewhere else is low, as the price isn't exactly "designer" either.

As a man, I'd love to wear this, and originally started wearing Dunhill Man because there was some slight, vague, distant resemblence in its sillage to Maroussia. I could pull it off, its not exactly what I'd call a gendered perfume, but its association with old Eastern European women and its reputation for being worn by them borders on too much for me.

I blind bought this off amazon based on reviews I've read here. Although longevity is disappointing, I'm pleased with the purchase and fragrance. I would recommend Maroussia as a safe blind buy. It's inoffensive and inexpensive enough for anyone to give a whirl.

The opening is boozy and aldehydic. It dries down to a powdery, fluffy, and quietly confident scent. It reminds me of a Persian cat. Lush but very dry. Powerful insulation due to thick but light fur. It is sweet, but self-assured rather than effacing. It comes across a little more aloof than engaging, but amiable nonetheless.

This fragrance does not last long at all, and although it has projection, I've found you can't really overspray. It's inoffensive and mostly ambric/aromatic powdery on my skin. I spray several times all over due to its poor longevity. I'd wear this scent anywhere in colder months: day or evening, but I especially like wearing it to bed alone. The plushness and distance of the scent makes me feel cozy and meditative. Scent projection lasts maybe 2 hours, but it you apply liberally enough, will become a skin scent after that.

Silage- 6/10
Longevity- 3/10

At its price, will buy again, and probably sooner rather than later due to how liberally I apply this particular scent.

This smells like the clean linen scent that was all the rage about 10 years ago. Rather disappointing.

I agree, this is a pretty dark ylang-ylang on a powdery base of vanilla and amber. The civet gives it that dark angle and interplays with the rest of notes in a lovely and lasting way. Well blended and great value for money, no wonder it's a popular cheapie. Sillage is decent, not loud at all. The aldehydes are just a second in the opening, and the heliotrope gives it that powdery touch that blends nicely with the ylang-ylang and amber. After a while the civet disappears and the quality ambery-vanilla base is left to enjoy, less dark than the ylang-ylang plus civet heart. This is my favourite phase of this oriental. Maybe ylang-ylang is not my favourite note and I find this civet rather heavy. However this is the essence of Maroussia.

Algo sublime e quase indescritível! Nossa, tá aqui ele, no meu pulso. Abre com cheiro de sabão em pó de lavanderia norte-americana, com naftalinas quebradas e molhadas levemente com água de sabão em pedra, vai crescendo pra um caminho de pêssegos frescos, mas as bolhas do sabão em pó quebram esse caminho e chamam Orquídeas e Cravos pra ele ficar mais misterioso, daí cresce uma sensação de Rosas e Ylang-Ylang que são misturadas ao Benjoim ao ardido do Cedro ao Sândalo e a uma pitadinha de Almíscar. Ufa, é realmente cheio de personalidade, um tapa na cara de muitos florais que existem por aí, uma obra com cheiro de armário de madeira (deve ser o Cedro) [risos]...

Resenha postada no Orkut a trilhões de anos atrás!

On me it starts warm and very animalistic (I guess that is the civet) and something else between oily and volatile (could be the aldehydes, I do not know what those smell like). The start is very intriguing but unsettling, and leaves me thinking whether I hate it or love it with a passion.

As it dries the civet becomes smoother on my skin and I can smell several other notes, still warm, a little sweet (honey/spice sweet, not candy sweet), some hint of wood, amber and maybe leather, and I guess it's vanilla?

I can't understand how something that smells so unsettling at first becomes so serene and cozy afterwards, but this strongly adds to my fascination. In my head, it's a night that starts with a misunderstanding between two lovers, who then make up, have a nice long romp and go cozily to sleep. Not a bad story in any way ;)

Not a summer/spring morning scent, but for cooler days or nights it sounds good.

As it is inexpensive and I really like the drydown (and the start unsettles but fascinates me) I think I will buy it.

It was a blind purchase, based on reviews. I've got it in July and this fragrance doesn't belong to summer season. It is definitely a "winter" scent, very worm and spicy. So, may be this is a reason why currently I don't like it. Now it seems to me too heavy and a little bit old-fashioned, over-decorated with all those oriental notes. This scent is very different from now-days standard floral-fruity-girly-candy fragrances that hardly could be recognized. This one is not for a girl, but for a woman in her beautiful 40+. I'll give this fragrance another chance when the cold wind, grew sky and rains will take us from sundresses to wool jackets.

This smells like something ten times the price. Warm, balmy, a little liqueur like but now as much as Le Baiser du Dragon for instance. Very comforting, strong and lasting enough even for me.

The overall impression reminds me of Hypnotic Poison. There is nothing similar in these two scents themselves, but they both provide the feeling of warm embrace.

Lovely, and well worth to buy, also so cheap. This goes against the current trend which is to smell, look and act as cheap as you can, making people pay a fortune to smell cheap. This is the opposite, and I love it!

I blind bought this after looking for a mature smelling perfume and seeing the reviews.
I can't decide whether this smells nice on me or DISGUSTING. Normally I can decide one way or another. I asked several friends what they thought of it and one likened it to the smell of a woman's crotch about a week before menstruation, which apparently isn't a displeasing smell to men...
I would definitely class this as a sensual scent, but also a mature one. I think I'm a bit too young to pull it off just yet and it's definitely too heavy to wear during summer.

no doubt it is a winter perfume. designed to be worn when you are all wrapped up in wool swaeters and thick coats. reminds me somehow a luxurious chocolate cake mixed with a lot of kalouha or another kind of alchoholic liquer. it is sweet and oriental all together.for women over 35. it has good sillage and staying power.

Today I am totally reminded of 'Elysium'. By Maroussia.
Cheers T.

Today I am totally reminded of 'Elysium'. By Maroussia.
Cheers T.

I just bought it today and I really like it. I was surprised that such a complex fragrance is so affordable. Although I don't usually go for rich spicy scents, this is so interesting I couldn't pass!

It is a warm spicy scent with distinct woody and animalic notes (it is the first perfume in my collection that has animalic notes). I feel that the vanilla and the carnation are the strongest scents. The woody character is also prominent as the sandalwood and amber are noticeable from the first 5 minutes. After a few hours it becomes sweeter and richer. In the dry down I mostly get sandalwood and vanilla. It lasts for so many hours on me that I can still feel it at the end of the day. By then, it has become almost a skin scent but I can still smell faintly the warm woody notes.

It is such an interesting fragnance. I believe it will be my go-to fragrance in the winter. It is similar to Vanderbilt which I also love, especially during the colder months.

I think it may be a difficult scent for younger women as it so different from the mainstrean sweet-sugary scents, but since it is so affordable I would suggest you to try it, you might be pleasantly surprised. I am in my early twenties and so far I love it!