Revolte (1936)

Révolte, launched by Lancôme in 1936, was one of founder Armand Petitjean’s earliest creations, and its very name carried a deliberate sense of provocation. In French, “Révolte” (pronounced ray-volt) means “rebellion” or “uprising.” The word immediately conjures imagery of defiance, challenge to authority, and a refusal to conform—a bold concept to attach to a fragrance, particularly a masculine one. Petitjean’s choice was likely intentional: the name was meant to speak to men with a strong, independent spirit, and perhaps to suggest a fragrance that broke from the conventional expectations of its day. In the mind’s eye, “Révolte” evokes images of leather-clad riders, political posters, jazz-filled Parisian cafés, and the thrill of living unapologetically. Emotionally, it suggests confidence, daring, and a certain cultivated nonchalance.

The year 1936 was a time of deep social and political change. In France, the Popular Front government, led by Léon Blum, had just come to power, introducing sweeping labor reforms and ushering in a more modern, socially conscious era. The decade as a whole—known as the interwar period—was marked by the lingering shadows of World War I and the ominous rumblings that would lead to World War II. In fashion, men’s style had moved toward sharper tailoring, wide lapels, and a sense of structured elegance; women’s styles were streamlined but feminine, often influenced by Hollywood glamour. Around the world, the arts were in full bloom—surrealism, modernist architecture, and jazz continued to flourish—while political instability simmered in Europe and beyond. Perfumery, too, reflected this duality: on one hand, rich and opulent compositions were still in demand; on the other, the industry began to explore more daring, unconventional scents.

Petitjean’s Révolte was a perfect olfactory expression of its name. It was an intense leather fragrance, softened by floral notes, and built on the grand tradition of Cuir de Russie—a genre inspired by the scent of Russian leather riding boots. At the time, leather perfumes were often associated with refined masculinity, though a few daring women wore them as a mark of sophistication. While it was marketed for men, Révolte quickly attracted a female following, revealing that the “rebellion” could be one of gender norms as much as of style. In scent, “Révolte” could be interpreted as the aromatic equivalent of breaking the rules: the assertive bite of leather, the unexpected grace of flowers, and a smoky, sensual undertone that blurred traditional lines.

When Révolte debuted in 1936, contemporary reviewers recognized it as a fragrance of notable distinction. The French magazine Rester Jeune described it as “worthy of its elders,” acknowledging its place alongside the great leather perfumes of the era. They praised its tenacity and complexity, noting that while it opened with the unmistakable character of leather, the composition gradually revealed an unexpectedly captivating floral note. This interplay between ruggedness and refinement reflected the very spirit of its name—Révolte—suggesting a fragrance that challenged convention without abandoning elegance. Even its presentation was a statement: the bottle was fashioned from a solid block of raw rock crystal, a bold, unpolished form that underscored the perfume’s uncompromising personality, housed in a natural-colored parchment box that lent an air of artisanal sophistication.

Two years later, the Perfumery and Essential Oil Record provided another perspective on the design, emphasizing the architectural quality of the flacon. They described Révolte’s container as a square crystal glass bottle with sharply cut-off corners, creating an octagonal effect. This geometric styling softened the otherwise austere form, giving it visual interest and modernity. The precision of the cuts and the clarity of the glass reflected the meticulous craftsmanship Lancôme brought to both scent and presentation, making Révolte as much a collector’s object as it was a fragrance. Together, the reviews reveal that Révolte was not merely a perfume, but a carefully orchestrated sensory and visual experience—its design and composition united by the same spirit of bold elegance.

In the context of the fragrance market of the mid-1930s, Révolte stood out for its bold positioning and its name. Leather fragrances were not new—Chanel’s Cuir de Russie (1924) and Caron’s Tabac Blond (1919) were established classics—but Petitjean’s creation was more than just another interpretation. By framing it as an emblem of rebellion and self-assertion, Lancôme gave it a conceptual identity that resonated with the tensions and aspirations of the time. It was both in keeping with the leather trend and distinctly apart from it, appealing to men and women who wanted their perfume to make a statement as striking as their presence.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Revolte by Lancome is classified as an intense leather perfume with floral notes. 

• Top notes: Calabrian bergamot, Paraguayan petitgrain, Sicilian citron, Italian neroli, Manila cananga, Ceylon cassia  
• Middle notes: French carnation, Grasse rose, Bourbon geranium, Parma violet, Florentine orris, jasmine, benzyl benzoate, methyl benzoate 
• Base notes: terpineol, Russian leather, birch tar oil, Virginia tobacco, balsam, Madagascar vanilla, vanillin, Tibetan musk, musk xylol, muks ambrette, Sumatran styrax, ambergris, Canadian castoreum, Abyssinian civet, Yugoslavian oakmoss, Mysore sandalwood, Venezuelan tonka bean, coumarin

 

Scent Profile:

From the very first breath, Révolte unfurls with a vivid brightness that is anything but timid. The sharp, sunlit sparkle of Calabrian bergamot greets you first—grown along the southern Italian coast, these citrus groves produce oil prized for its balance of floral sweetness and brisk, green bitterness. The bergamot’s brightness is deepened by Paraguayan petitgrain, distilled from the twigs and leaves of bitter orange trees, lending a slightly woody, herbal greenness that tempers the citrus sparkle. Interlaced with this is Sicilian citron, a fruit with a thick, fragrant rind that yields an aroma richer and more voluptuous than lemon—sun-warmed, almost honeyed in its citrus profile. The floral warmth of Italian neroli, distilled from orange blossoms, softens the edges with a creamy, honeyed bloom. Exotic floral spice slips in from Manila cananga, a tropical cousin of ylang-ylang with a slightly drier, greener edge. Ceylon cassia, a cinnamon bark from Sri Lanka, winds through the brightness with its sweetly spiced, faintly peppery heat, hinting at the darker depths to come.

As the heart develops, the leather’s sternness is balanced by an opulent bouquet. French carnation emerges first—spicy, clove-like petals carrying the warmth of summer gardens. Then Grasse rose, cultivated in the perfume capital of the world, unfurls its lush, velvety sweetness, its scent layered with nuances of fruit, honey, and soft spice. Bourbon geranium from Réunion Island adds a minty-rosy freshness, lifting the blend with crisp clarity. The powdery, nostalgic sweetness of Parma violet drapes a delicate veil over the richer florals, while Florentine orris, extracted from the rhizomes of Italian irises, contributes an earthy, buttery powderiness with a faint suggestion of warm bread dough and violets combined. Jasmine—rich, sweet, and indolic—deepens the floral heart, adding sensuality. Supporting them are benzyl benzoate and methyl benzoate, aroma chemicals that occur naturally in blossoms like jasmine and ylang-ylang; here, they serve to fix and amplify the florals, extending their radiance and giving them a polished, shimmering quality.

The base is where Révolte claims its true identity. Terpineol, with its lilac-like sweetness, bridges the transition from floral to leather, smoothing the shift. Then the unmistakable Russian leather accord arrives—dry, smoky, and refined—its character built from birch tar oil, whose inky, campfire-like smokiness gives leather perfumes their signature bite. Virginia tobacco adds a sweet, hay-like warmth, and a touch of balsam gives a resinous, ambery smoothness. Madagascar vanilla, with its rich, creamy sweetness, is paired with vanillin, the synthetic molecule that both mimics and intensifies natural vanilla’s sugary warmth, creating a richer, more diffusive effect. Musk enters in multiple guises: the animalic depth of Tibetan musk (in the 1930s, still natural), the crystalline sharpness of musk xylol, and the powdery-soft warmth of musk ambrette, each contributing a different texture—feral, radiant, or silky. Sumatran styrax adds a leathery, balsamic sweetness, while ambergris lends its legendary marine warmth and fixative power, making the scent linger with a soft, almost glowing radiance.

Animalic shadows swirl through the composition: the dark, leathery bitterness of Canadian castoreum recalls sun-warmed pelts, while Abyssinian civet offers a pungent, sensual warmth that adds tension to the sweeter notes. The grounding earthiness of Yugoslavian oakmoss contributes forest-floor depth, bitter and green, binding the composition with chypre-like elegance. Mysore sandalwood, once considered the finest in the world, softens the leather’s edges with its creamy, milky-woody sweetness, while Venezuelan tonka bean introduces the scent of warm hay and almond, its richness enhanced by coumarin, the synthetic that exaggerates tonka’s freshness and adds a dry, almost tobacco-like powderiness.

Inhaling Révolte is like stepping into a 1930s atelier where leather saddles are polished with fragrant oils, floral arrangements scent the air, and fine tobacco smolders quietly in a crystal ashtray. Each note, whether natural or synthetic, plays its part in a symphony of contrasts—bright and dark, rugged and tender, rebellious and refined—capturing precisely the spirit of its name.

Bottle:

The bottle for Révolte was designed by Georges Delhomme and produced in France by the Bresle glassworks, renowned for their precision craftsmanship. It is an object of striking simplicity and strength, made of thick crystal with areas left partially frosted and others polished to brilliant clarity. The form was inspired by the paving stones of the streets of Paris—a subtle nod to the fragrance’s rebellious name—its solid weight and geometric silhouette evoking both permanence and urban elegance. The name “Révolte” is engraved prominently across the forehead of the glass, an austere declaration that mirrors the perfume’s uncompromising character.

Architecturally, the flacon is a square block of crystal with its corners sharply cut away, giving the piece an octagonal effect. This subtle alteration lends a modernist sophistication to what might otherwise be a purely rigid form, catching light in unexpected ways as it passes over the crisp edges and frosted planes. The stopper continues the geometric theme: a solid, square-shaped block of crystal that sits flush atop the bottle, reinforcing the design’s sculptural presence.

The presentation was as carefully considered as the bottle itself. Each flacon was housed in a natural-colored parchment box, its soft texture providing a tactile counterpoint to the cool, hard crystal within. The minimalism of the packaging allowed the flacon’s architectural beauty to speak for itself while quietly signaling luxury. Offered in two sizes—7.5 cm and 10.5 cm—Révolte’s presentation was neither ostentatious nor timid, but rather a bold artistic statement that perfectly matched the leather fragrance it contained. Together, scent and vessel formed a seamless whole: a marriage of refined craftsmanship, Parisian modernism, and the audacious spirit of 1930s Lancôme.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Révolte, launched in 1936 by Armand Petitjean, began its journey under a name charged with defiance and boldness—the French word for “uprising.” Originally conceived as a masculine fragrance, its rich leather accord intertwined with floral nuances soon won the admiration of women as well. However, as the perfume reached markets in South and Central America, its provocative name took on heavier political connotations, evoking notions of “anarchy” and “revolution” amid turbulent times. The volatile social and political unrest sweeping through Latin America in the late 1930s—marked by revolutions, ideological clashes, and nationalist fervor—meant that Révolte’s name risked unintended controversy beyond its artistic intent.

Though rumors circulated that the fragrance was withdrawn after just six months due to “public order disturbances,” archival records reveal a more nuanced picture. Lancôme maintained the Révolte trademark in Italy in 1937, and the scent was still advertised under its original name in the United Kingdom in 1938, suggesting that the name’s discontinuation was likely a strategic adjustment for certain markets rather than a full removal.

With the outbreak of World War II and mounting geopolitical sensitivities, Lancôme officially renamed the fragrance Cuir in 1939, shifting focus to its core identity as a leather scent. This rebranding helped the perfume navigate political tensions abroad and allowed for a gentle refinement of the composition, broadening its appeal to women while preserving the commanding essence that made it distinctive. Thus, from its audacious origins as Révolte to its elegant evolution as Cuir, the fragrance’s story reflects not only a journey of scent but also Lancôme’s skillful adaptation to a world in flux, securing the perfume’s lasting place in fragrance history.