Leather notes
Coralie Frébourg
Leather notes in perfumery:
Although quite popular in perfumery, Leather notes are not part of the 6 original families (Floral, Citrus, Woody, Oriental, Fougère, Chypre) according to the SFP (French Society of Perfumers).
Leather notes are special. Giving character, personality to a perfume, or we like them, or we have trouble.
A little history :
You've probably already heard of the profession of Maitre Gantier-Parfumeur. At the time, leather was treated and tanned, and then perfumed to cover the powerful scent of the leather. Catherine de Médicis made the famous perfumed gloves from Italy famous. In 1614, King Louis XIII created the association of "Maîtres Gantiers-Parfumeurs". Grasse then became the world capital of perfume.
Leathery notes are very powerful, dark, sometimes smoky, woody, animalic and earthy. They are generally the base notes that give a perfume a great deal of hold and diffusion.
There are two types of subcategories for Leathers. Here are some raw materials, the natural ones are followed by a * :
- Leather :
Suederal: costus.painting.woody
Absolute Tobacco *: smoked.honey.tobacco
Iso Butyl Quinoline: asparagus.hazelnut.smoked
Birch Essence* (Forbidden): smoked.incense.tar
Guaiacol: methyl.woody.eugenol
Costus Essence*: iridescent.balmy.warm
- Pyrogen leather:
Café Essence*: coffee.chocolate.tobacco
Ethyl Maltol: toasted.caramel.butter
Caramel acetate: strawberry.acetic.toasted
Methylcyclopentenolone: licorice.coffee.smoked
Some emblematic perfumes:
"Russian Leather" - Chanel 1924 - Ernest Beaux / Leather
"Shalimar" - Piguet 1924 - Jacques Guerlain / Oriental
"Russian Leather" - LT Piver 1939 / Leather
"Bandit" - Piguet 1944 - Germaine Cellier / Floral Chypre
"Aramis" - Aramis 1966 - Bernard Chant / Woody Chypre
"Cabochard" - Stoneware 1959 - Bernard Chant / Leather
"Bel ami" - Hermès 1986 - Jean-Louis Sieuzac / Boisé Chypré
"Moorish Leather" - Serge Lutens 1996 - Christopher Sheldrake / Leather
"Ottoman Leather" - Perfume of Empire 2006 / Amber Floral
"Leather" - Lancôme 2006 - Calice Becker & Pauline Zanoni / Leather
"Leather Angel - Hermès 2014 - Jean-Claude Ellena / Powdered Leather
"Impertinent Leather" - Mugler 2015 - Jean-Christophe Herault / Leather
This list is not exhaustive, as there are a huge number of great launches: some emblematic, some more commercial.
