Leather

Leather is a material obtained from animal skin. It is mainly used in clothing. At first, leather smelled bad. It was in the 17th century that some had the idea of scenting it, starting with gloves. The trade of “perfumed glovemakers” was thus created. The city of Grasse, a highly renowned tanning center, then developed essences intended to scent luxury leather. In perfumery, the difficulty lies in reproducing the very distinctive smell of leather. To do so, pyrogenic notes are used, along with synthetic molecules (such as Isobutyl quinoline), as well as other components such as animalic notes, honey, or tobacco.

Leather, a captivating scent

Leather in the past had a smoky smell because it was tanned using burnt birch bark. Leather gives off notes of tar, tobacco, sensual notes, dry notes, but notes full of character. The fragrance of the “Leather” olfactory family is bold and atypical. Leather accords are mainly divided into animalic leather notes, smoky leather, supple leather, rich and rounded leather, Middle Eastern leather, and gourmand leather, such as red leather. The finest years of leathery perfumes fall between 1920 and 1970, notably with the very famous perfume Cuir de Russie, created by Chanel in 1927. For many, this perfume recalls the smell of the leather boots worn by Russian soldiers.

The olfactory pairing of the leather family

Thanks to its many facets, leather pairs with every olfactory family. It is often found in woody, chypre, and amber accords, but it sometimes surprises by appearing in an aromatic perfume, such as Jules by Christian Dior. Here, leather is positioned as a base note, accompanied by oakmoss and tonka bean. Jules is perceived as an impertinent perfume with a full-bodied fragrance. At first, and because of its particularly imposing, even animalic, smell, leather was mainly used in men's perfumes. Today, women are proud to own their own leather-scented perfumes as well. Among the greatest feminine perfumes, Cuir Béluga by Guerlain, Kelly Calèche by Hermès, and Cuir de Lancôme by Lancôme stand out. In these perfumes, leather is paired with floral notes such as jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, narcissus, or ylang-ylang.

At first, leather was obtained from animal skin. Since the perfumed gloves of Catherine de Médicis, leather has successfully traveled through the ages. Mainly present in men's perfumes, leather has managed to win over women's hearts as well. It pairs skillfully with woody, amber, chypre, fruity, aromatic, or floral notes. Today, leather notes are making a comeback, and with them, the noble materials of perfumery.