The Leathery Facet: History of Glove-Makers and Perfumes with Character

What is the Leather Facet? History and Definition

From the 1920s to the 1970s, the leather family was very present in both masculine and feminine perfumes, often accompanied by animal notes. During the period of women’s emancipation, between 1940 and 1960, women particularly loved these so-called “leathery” perfumes with strong character.

Then, gradually, this family disappeared, giving way to its presence as a facet. Today, it no longer constitutes a separate family.

In perfumery, the leather facet stands a bit apart. It is a family highly appreciated by connoisseurs and lovers of perfumes “with character.” This leather note refers to the myth of the perfumer-glove maker.

Between Leather and Perfume, A Marriage Story

In 2000 BC, in Asia, leathers were treated and perfumed with kumquat tree bark to mask the powerful odors of skins. Spanish skins were perfumed with various precious scents such as rose water, amber, camphor, cedar essence, and musk. Italian leather in the 17th century was scented with a sweet almond smell.

Tanners, Grasse, and Leather

From the 12th century, tanners settled in Grasse to trade in leathers and skins. They made trade agreements with Genoa and Pisa in Italy, where they exported their leathers. The master tanners of Grasse were renowned for the exceptional quality of their leather, recognizable by its greenish color obtained through myrtle maceration.

The only shadow in the picture… the leathers did not smell good, which displeased the nobility!

The Fashion of Scented Gloves from Florence

In the 16th and 17th centuries, gloves, indispensable accessories, were scented with various fragrances such as ambrette, musk, or under Francis I, civet, ambergris, or rosemary were used… Under Henry III, people even wore gloves to sleep!

The idea of perfuming leathers and particularly gloves is said to have come from a Florentine perfumer who offered a pair of gloves scented with orange blossom to Catherine de’ Medici.

She was won over, and for this reason, she was nicknamed “La Nérola,” with orange blossom essence being named “neroli.” The product then spread to the Court and throughout high society. King Louis XIII created the corporation of “Master Glove-Perfumers” in 1614, and the city of Grasse acquired a worldwide reputation. This was the golden age of “Glove-Perfumers.”

The Master Glove-Perfumer

The profession of Glove-Perfumer is artisanal and requires significant know-how. Indeed, it takes 4 years of apprenticeship and 3 years of journeyman status to achieve mastery. But around 1759, taxes on leather and competition from Nice caused the leather industry in Grasse to decline. Perfume succeeded leather.

The community of glove-perfumers was dissolved in 1791. In the 19th century, Grasse became the “Capital of Perfume,” the early artisanal production giving way to a real industry, and the surrounding countryside became covered with flowers.

Leather Notes: Birch

The first leathery notes were the result of infusions of leather scraps made by the master Glove-Perfumers of Grasse. They recovered scraps of leather coming from Russia from which the boots of the Russian army were fashioned. This leather was tanned with burnt birch bark.

Then, perfumers replaced their leather infusions with birch bark essence. Birch thus became one of the main raw materials to give a leather note to perfume.

A few years ago, birch wood was banned, to be replaced by a birch accord; each perfumer has their recipe. Some use cistus labdanum with a warm and balsamic smell, or cade oil with leathery and smoky notes, others safranal.

Raw Materials and Leather Note

Other raw materials can be used to give leathery facets such as:

• Styrax (resin) and pyrogenic styrax
• Cistus labdanum (resin) and all its derivatives
• Agarwood or agar essence, which is the main constituent of oud wood, a very rare tree found in India or Southeast Asia. Its essence is used to work leather notes and is obtained by distilling the resin produced by agarwood. This resin appears on very old trees in reaction to parasites. Oud essence is not used in perfumery because it is very rare and very expensive.
• Pyrogenic incense
• Immortelle
• Cassie

Molecules and Leather Note (Synthesis)

This leather facet can also be obtained through molecules such as:

• Suderal by IFF (scent of soft suede)
• Tabanon and Aldron by Symrise
• Madrox by Givaudan
• Beta-ionone, with violet notes
• Safranal (saffron note)
• IBQ (IsoButylQuinoline), which renders a dry leather with a rubbery, green facet

Iconic Leathery or Leather-Faceted Perfumes

All perfume houses have had a perfume bearing the name: Cuir de Russie (Russian Leather)

• Cuir de Russie by Guerlain in 1890
• Cuir de Russie by Chanel in 1927
• Cuir de Russie by LT Piver in 1939
• Cuir de Russie by Creed in 1953

In 1918, the house of Caron created Tabac Blond, a leathery perfume accompanied by tobacco notes. Knize Ten by Knize, a chypre leather, nods to L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain, in 1924.

Then, leathery perfumes became less and less popular and declined from the 80s onwards, along with animal notes. It was during this same period that people turned to other notes such as marine, clean, or floral notes.

However, we note a few exceptions still daring to offer true leathers:

• Bel Ami by Hermès in 1986
• Cuir d’Ange by Hermès
• Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens
• The “Vuitton parfums” collection offers many leather facets in its fragrances (with leather skin infusion).

A large offer of leather-faceted perfumes can be found in many niche brands:

• Cuir Beluga by Guerlain is a much softer powdery and vanilla leather co-created by Olivier Polge and Sylvaine Delacourte.

Other Examples of Perfumes with a Leathery Facet

Feminine Perfumes with a Leathery Facet

• 1931: Scandal Lanvin
• 1944: Bandit Piguet
• 1959: Cabochard Grès
• 1963: Diorling Dior
• 1985: La Nuit Paco Rabanne
• 1986: Parfum de Peau Montana
• 1999: Dzing L’Artisan Parfumeur
• 2004: Daim Blond Lutens
• 2007: Kelly Calèche Hermès
• Cuir Lancôme

Masculine and Unisex Perfumes with a Leathery Facet

• 1781: Royal English Leather Creed
• 1955: Doblis Hermès
• 1959: Tabac Original
• 1964: Aramis Estée Lauder
• 1976: Yatagan Caron
• 1978: Polo Ralph Lauren
• 1980: Macassar Rochas
• 1981: Quorum Puig
• 1985: Derby Guerlain
• 1989: Parfum d’Homme Montana
• 1998: Rocabar Hermès
• 1999: Tabarome Millésime Creed
• 2002: Cuiron Helmut Lang
• 2003: Duel Annick Goutal
• 2004: Daim Blond Serge Lutens
• 2005: Cuir Améthyste Armani Privé
• 2006: Rien État Libre d’Orange
• 2007: Ambre Fétiche Annick Goutal
• 2008: Serge Noire Serge Lutens
• L’Eau du Navigateur L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme Van Cleef & Arpels
• Jules Dior
• One Man Show Bogart
• Antaeus Chanel
• Kouros YSL
• Bulgari Black Bulgari
• Cuir Ambre Prada
• Feuilles de Tabac Miller Harris
• Black For Men Aigner
• Cuir D’Oranger Miller Harris
• Fumerie Turque Serge Lutens
• Cuir Pleine Fleur James Heeley
• Cuir Ottoman Parfum d’Empire
• Dzongka L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Tuscan Leather Tom Ford
• Japon Noir Tom Ford
• Luxe Patchouli Comme Des Garçons

And also:

• Ombre Leather Tom Ford
• Leather Acqua Di Parma
• Crème de Cuir BDK
• Cuir Cannage Dior
• 2 Man Comme des Garçons

At Guerlain in the classics, there was a very present leather facet in Djedi (1925) and also in Parfum des Champs Elysées (1904) and in general all the very old Guerlains.
Indeed, it is also found in Vol de Nuit and also in Shalimar which would not exist without its leathery facet, the same for Habit Rouge.

Paul Valéry was not mistaken when he said “what is deepest in man is the skin”!