What is frankincense? Frankincense or oliban, found in the southern Arabian Peninsula as well as in northeast Africa and India, is a resin obtained by making incisions into a tree from the Burseraceae family. Considered to be the oldest fragrance in the world, frankincense has been used in the rituals of many religions and civilizations. Frankincense takes us back to the sacred origins of perfume, from the Latin “per-fumum” (by means of smoke), as it allowed people to communicate with the gods by means of its fragrant smoke. Its powerful olfactory symbolism has stood the test of time and traveled across borders. It adds woody, coniferous, fresh, camphoric and spicy notes.
What is tonka bean? The tonka bean comes from Dipteryx odorata, a tree that can grow up to 40 m (131 ft) tall and which produces a mango-shaped fruit containing a single seed: the tonka bean itself. It must be left to dry for one year, during which time white crystals appear: the coumarin that gives it such a powerful aroma and actually makes up 50 to 70%! After all this, the precious absolute can be extracted using solvents so we can finally enjoy it. In terms of its scent, tonka bean presents a succession of sweet, balsamic and tobacco notes, with a slightly rustic top note of dried hay and a warm and gourmand base note with accents of vanilla, toffee, condensed milk and almond.
What is the leather note in perfumery? Leather is a material obtained from the hide of an animal. It is mainly used in clothing and to manufacture leather goods. Originally, leather smelled bad. In the 17th century, people had the idea to scent it, starting with gloves, the essential accessory of the time. The occupation of “gloverperfumer” was born. At the time the town of Grasse, a renowned center for leather tanning, developed essences intended to scent leather, such as orange blossom, musks, ambergris and other raw materials from animals. In perfumery, the difficulty lies in recreating the distinctive scent of leather. To do this, “pyrogenic” notes are used like birch, cade juniper or styrax, along with other components such as animalistic, honey or tobacco notes. It’s impossible to talk about leathery scents without mentioning Chanel’s Cuir de Russie; very elegant and marvelously balanced, it mingles notes of blond tobacco with a jasmine heart.
