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 have probably already heard of the profession of Master Glove-Perfumer. At the time, we treated and tanned the leather, which we then perfumed to cover the powerful smell of the leather. Catherine de Medici made famous the famous perfumed gloves from Italy. It was in 1614 that King Louis XIII created the association of “Maîtres Glovers-Perfumers”. Grasse then becomes the world capital of perfume.
Leathery notes are very powerful, dark, sometimes smoky, woody, animal, earthy. These are generally base notes, which give a perfume a lot 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 because there are a lot of beautiful launches: some emblematic, some more commercial.
