Revolution

The ambitious, possibly deranged brief for this fragrance is that it's supposed to evoke the streets of Paris during the French revolution: smoke, gunpowder, houses ablaze, crazed horses and desperate riders, the leather of boots and saddles, oil for muskets and sabres, and touch of incense from churches offering sanctuary and promising peace after the terror. That’s a lot of drama for a perfume, and it really does feel torrid, rebellious, and uncompromising, but with an undercurrent of mystery and luxury. There’s an overpowering blast of dry, woody smoke off the top that’s a little acrid but also resinous, warm, sweet, and almost savoury—it could be gunpowder and burning buildings, but it has a touch of campfire and bbq, perhaps from the aromatic elemi, angelica, and juniper, which come close to suggesting grilled meat when combined with the flinty and fleshy smells of leather, birch tar, and cade oil. (Speaking of which, the official pyramid on this perfume seems frankly misleading—how can Lyn Harris possibly be wringing all this leather and smoke out of the five listed notes here: Elemi, Angelica, Papyrus, Juniper, and Cedarwood?) Moreover, once the ashy haze starts to clear, the warm, clean sweetness of a refined liturgical incense starts to emerge (I would swear it’s olibanum) and the leathery aroma starts to feel more like the bindings of antique books or the upholstery of polished mahogany furniture. The papyrus note begins to suggests the faintly musty, tobacco-ish sweetness of aging pages. All of a sudden, you find that you’re watching the street battle at a remove, from behind the sheltering walls of an elegant monastic library. At this point, Revolution starts to feel quite similar to another Trudon fragrance, Yann Vasnier’s Mortel, which is a delicious but much more straightforward Catholic-church incense. I’m quite divided in my opinion about Revolution. On the one hand, I find the opening excessive—I really don’t want such intense smokiness, even though I find the experience of it quite intoxicating. It’s a good perfume to apply 30 minutes before you plan to be anywhere, but even in the more tranquil drydown, a touch of the ashy charcoal turmoil persists. Mortel comes close to giving you just the drydown phase of Revolution, but it lacks the mixed threat and thrill of burning and the leathery-papery suggestion of books. Both are very good, and Revolution is a seriously impressive fragrance even if I’m not sure I could wear it often.

Firstly, I feel the need to express how content I am in Cire Trudon finally having a [beautifully thought-out] line of personal fragrances; since owning my first Cire Trudon candle, I've been praying for the day I could wear a Cire Trudon scent. Revolution is a wonderfully dark, abstract scent that is truly unisex. The narrative of this scent smelling like the French Revolution is one that doesn't seem too far-fetched. While Revolution is quite an herbaceous scent, the presence of resinous, woody, and incense notes assist in keeping it from smelling overtly 'green'; furthermore, the patchouli lends to an earthy quality. The very opening (first five to ten minutes) of this fragrance is especially potent and not entirely agreeable (in my opinion), I would recommend avoiding spritzing oneself with this fragrance immediately before leaving the home. After the opening, Revolution becomes softer, with the incense, juniper and patchouli enveloping the body. The scent of Revolution doesn't drastically change from after the top notes evaporate off, instead, it softens slowly over five to six hours until it becomes only detectable when placing one's nose to one's skin. Overall, Revolution is a luxurious, dark, and romantic fall/winter scent perfect for either a man or a woman.

Agree with the other reviewers here. While I like smoky scents as an environmental smell, I’ve never wanted to wear them other than rarely on a cold day. They tend to be a little too agressive and perhaps to hickory bbq smelling reminding me more of meat than the cool outdoorsy feel I’d be looking for. This scent most closely resembles the Cire Trudon Empire candle which is smoky and a bit green and aromatic. The smoke is initially strong and smells like campfire, or the smell left ion clothing after sitting around a campfire. It softens rather quickly into a comforting haze of smoke with some green, coniferous notes peeking through, reminding me of one of the CdG Incense scents in that way. There is only a hint of sweetness from the labdanum. Overall, it’s more subtle than others in this genre and a smoke that I would actually wear. Very well done, IMO. Also, probably a nice layering element for an amber or rose fragrance I think.

I just want to confirm what the other reviewers have stated: This premiere personal fragrance line from Cire Trudon is one of the most beautiful, thoughtful, cohesive and luminous collections I've ever had the pleasure of sniffing. They stay true to the Cire Trudon tradition of beautifully composed classical resin and woody notes, but are neither heavy nor cloying. There is enough projection to be noticed but not take up too much space. They progress, as fine niche fragrances often do, without falling apart or losing their appeal (in fact, the first few minutes if Revolution can be aggressive, but reward the wearer with something beautiful as it settles down). I am struck by the fact that this line of fragrances are each equally strong and independent, and yet retain a Cire Trudon brand cohesiveness -- in terms of style and taste level. Bravo.

I’ve used Revolution in my rotation for about three months now. On my skin, it opens with heavy, resinous smoke that loses its prominence after ~ten minutes, but then remains constant throughout the lifetime of the scent. Next comes the smell of fresh-cut grass, and eventually the scent dries down to reveal something reminiscent of worn, kind of dirty leather. There’s more complexity to it, but those are the most prominent notes to me. I love it, I think it’s such a unique and smooth combination of dark and green themes. Average performance, but I’m ok with that given the uniqueness. If you like smoky scents, it’s worth a sniff!

It opens with a blast of gunpowder, gasoline, smoke, and worn trench coats. Imagine you are finishing your letter before joining the battlefield. This is Revolution! An hour later, as it settles, you find yourself in a quiet church, still tinged with the smell of gunpowder, but now it tells a different, more calming story. It literally smells like a dusty old Bible (papyrus notes are more distinctive now), a cassock, and burned resin. There are no floral notes, so I wouldn't call it a funeral scent; it is something silent and loud at the same time. Very long-lasting, very unique, a bit retro but timeless. Love it!

This leather fragrance is refined with a splash of wild ruggedness—nothing too polished or sticky like a Tuscan leather. It’s a western leather. Very dry, smoky, & woody. I also get a very realistic smell of a campfire—like burning wood (not the beverages one might drink by the campfire). It’s cozy, but not sweet. I’m getting charred mesquite. Maybe even a little rectified cade. Scent imagery: Southwestern landscapes, a very old & luxurious ranch home, cowboy vagabonds, a bonfire at sunset, leather boots, nighttime at a music festival, & the giddiness of autumn

A smoky combination of woods, florals and spices including elemi, angelica, cedar, papyrus, patchouli, cade, incense, cistus, and opoponax. Very unusual and very much a skin scent of a time and place, in this case the inspiration being the Paris streets after the French Revolution. I get a misty morning walk in the woods sort of feel. Unisex, with moderate sillage, projection and longevity. Beautifully blended. Does not overpower and has a mysterious ethereal beauty to it. Enjoy!

Revolution is mostly BBQ smoke and greenery, enveloped by more subtle amber and incense accords - and it's awesome! There's something very comforting yet edgy about it. It brings about outdoor camping vibes. I'm not usually into smoky scents, but this is a very nice one, as it doesn't go down the spicy, sweet or peppery road like many other smoky scents. Revolution and Mortel are my favourites from the line, and probably the most 'masculine' leaning ones in the range.

Trudon – Revolution: a smoky, skin-warming seduction built on elemi resin, papyrus, juniper, angelica, and dry cedarwood. It opens like a spark in the dark — sharp, spicy, slightly metallic — then melts into a smouldering, woody haze that clings to skin like heat after a kiss. Minimalist notes, but the effect is feral, intimate, and irresistibly sexy. A quiet rebellion with incredible presence.

Trudon smells like hiking up a mountain, and as the elevation changes, the forest around you becomes more and more coniferous, the atmosphere becoming dry, airy, windy but inside your wool sweater, you are kept warm. To me, a beautiful scent with a very sappy opening which dries down to something more feminine (not sweet, just lovely in the way fem is) & cozy. A very comforting scent.

I love Revolution. Revolution opens with the smokiness of the now banned Twinnings lapsang souchong loose leaf tea. After two hours dries down slightly floral and the opening smokiness dissipates only to return a few hours later, before becoming animaliac after 8 hours. An empowering scent to wear to confrontations and to undertake tricky negotiations.

Smoke against stone, and leather and suede, quick earthy spice, and incense all around, not the dense kind but somehow its airy. Dries down to an intriguing ashy kind of wood and earthiness... There is something modern and austere about it, yet, yes,18th century raw about it too if we're in theme. I love it. I wish it didn't fade so quickly tho....

In the first 20 minutes it smells like kabanos sausage. After that it turns into a beautiful smoky fragrance that is too elegant and refined to be part of a revolution. But still just really great. It may be a revolution of taste? Because those who can afford it aren’t usually into revolutions...

not sure the Revolutionary chaps would've appreciate the price of this perfume but grand capital here we are (nevertheless i fell in love with myself again thanks to TRVDON UH like hi gorgeous do you have a number what are you up to???)

Smoke'em if you got'em. I got'em. I once got to fire a handmade black powder musket, so this is my scent memory. Might be my fave smoke, love this perfumer. Don't be surprised if you're inspired to break into Les Mis tunes.

Smoky without verging on barbecue/pure birch tar. I like the sense of realism and mood this fragrance achieves for me—transportation to an earlier time—while still feeling quite wearable.

Makes him smell like a gunpowder magazine which I think is appropriate. Sexy!

The opening of Révolution is fairly smoky. Not the kind of harsh, acrid woody amber aromachemicals, but the leathery smokiness of cade oil, reminiscent of the savoury nutty aftertaste of finely smoked ham (without the salty meat part). The resins soon emerge to further smoothen the initial smokiness. Their deep balsamic smell and velvety texture, especially that of opoponax, enhances the sensual, musky leather undertone while bridging to the smoke. This development makes Révolution more fleshly and round than other smoky fragrances, often either austere and aloof, or fiery and aggressive. What's more unusual of Révolution, is that, with the seemingly heavy note pyramid, the perfume has a surprising, luminous quality, and occasionally exhibits a bitter green, almost grassy smell, which I suspect is the doing of elemi and angelica. This subtle herbaceous nuance almost reminds me of II, another Trudon fragrance created by Lyn Harris, as if there's an internal link between these sibling creations. Like the other Trudon fragrances, Révolution shifts incrementally. The nutty smoke gradually fades, while the mild leathery undertone and the subtle vegetal nuance remain in the dry down. The resins also grow dim, and hand over the baton to the musky sensual cedar. The end result is a radiant green woody skin scent. The patchouli hums in the background with its deep, dark, spicy medicinal facet in the dry down, when I apply only one spray to my wrist. But with two sprays on the same spot, there's a moment of dark cacao stemming from patchouli in the opening. Révolution has a moderate sillage, and lasts about 9 hours on my skin. While niche perfumery does not lack smoky fragrances, Révolution can still stand out as a refined, even sensual smoky perfume, in my humble opinion. I especially appreciate its finely tuned mellow nutty quality, which helps to avoid being acrid and forceful. Its surprising "human" feeling and radiance also makes it more approachable than most smoky fragrances without being boring. I'd definitely recommend it to those who are interested in exploring smoky perfumes.

I was sent a sample of this by a friend as a much more palatable take on Tonnare by Beaufort. Other than the smoke, and the naval, military battle references, I don't get the connection particularly. Tonnare is a brutal mess of hairspray, seaspray, oppressive smoke and antique violence, This is for sure much more palatable, yet it's not particularly great, and not my cup o tea. The smoked ham/flint sort of note, swelling and pervading then retreating and revealing a much friendlier aspect. It's labdanum and sweeter toned perfume department stuff, accented with greens and a kind of incense accord. I get why my friend likes it. It's not heavy smoke, this is predominantly a resinous perfume with birch/guaiac phenolics over the top, a way more accessible, entery level, use of the smoky stuff, but if you like that you might find it a bit wanting, craving some more balls. Frankly I like my smokey perfumes to be even more subtley suggestive than this even, I think you can conjure smoke without having to go reaching for the birch tar or cade. In anycase revolution dries down much less smoky to me, far more perfumey and familiar It's a like. I can see what Lynn Harris has done here, not an avid though.

Cade in Cinemascope - tangy, tingly, juniper-tinged wood smoke in a great big bang at first, fading within a couple of hours to a more manageable, more mannered, gently spiced mid-hardwood. It's really very good, but a bit too civilised for me! This seems more like a constitutional revolution negotiated by classy diplomatic guys in suits, than an all-out blood-in-the-streets revolt. I wanted to try this because it's a close (verrrrrrry) close cousin to nose Lynne Harris's Perfumer H Charcoal, which gave me a scent revelation. And it's basically the same scent but toned down a bit - this is much more urbane and smoother on top than Charcoal, which is just the reek of a bonfire in a wet forest. (And I love that - and love Revolution too - but the latter is weaker IMO.) Definitely worth trying if you are pushing for something really smoky and real classy. True unisex imo but you do have to really really like smoke.

Review Foundation: Have a tester, live in a high humidity country, tried because I am looking for a fire/burning/campfire scent. // Thoughts: It lives up to the name. It does start out with a firey-gunpowder and burning wood buildings smell before moving into a warm soft leather and eventually ending in an expensive talc powder. The entire time it is warm scent, a bit hazy waking from a dream feeling. // End Opinion: I found the overall scent to be enjoyable. I feel it is unisex and works well as a strong, comforting, pleasant scent worn by a self-assured person. I like the story it told me and the overall scent lasted over twelve hours on me. Unfortunately, I am looking for the first fire-burning scent and here it lasted a minute or so before moving into the supple leather for the majority. If it stayed at the opening it would be perfect for me. Definitely recommend for a test.

Smoky sweat? I get a rich, animalic scent off this, I guess from the leather, topped off by a smoky ashy scent. It’s better than what that makes it sound like, but it’s not for the faint of heart, or a blind buy. One for the bold.

My first thought when smelling Revolution is that this is elemi resin that has been accosted by birch tar. It's très enfumé, reminding me of those Paine's Balsam Fir incense cones that are made in Maine and are popular in New England during the Yuletide season. I do love these incense cones, but I don't think I want to smell like them, but surely there are others who might. To it (and Lyn Harris's) credit, this does feel overall to be a more affable experience than the sullen travesty that is Tonnere, the oppressively phenolic Bois d'Ascese, or the unforgivable smoked swine of Bois Sikar. Yet, it still just is a little too much combustion for my taste. With the exception of the outstanding Apoteker Tape Holy Mountain, I've come to the realization that I like smoke in perfume turned up to a 5 at most, not to an 8-10 like the aforementioned and Revolution. But if you do, you may find in this one the perfect companion.

This is very similar to Bois D’ascese to me, except this more green/fresh spicy. Very beautiful smoked woods accord but toned down compared to the latter. I’m just not really into this type of fragrance profile anymore but I think it would be awesome to sample if you’re into campfire type scents.

It smells like a spring morning at an outside gun range in east Texas. I dig it. But yeah, most people don’t.

I get the same "smoky streets" --> "leathery indoors" drydown as some of the other reviewers here. This smelled overwhelmingly barbecue-y to me, the same smoky wood with a hint of pork note that I got from DS&Durga's Mississippi Medicine. There are also touches of metallic earth and herbs. Overall I found Revolution a challenging wear, and I can't imagine a lot of settings in which it would work. Maybe your next medieval LARP session?

This Literally Smells Like Arbeg Uigeadail For Those Who Know Whisky .... Smokey, Peaty, Bacon/Meat-ish. From A Perfume Art Perspective Objective Achieved.. From A Consumer Perspective, I Dont Know Where I Would Want To Smell Like This hahahaha

This thing smells like gutter water to me. Yuck! Guess it might be just me, because my wife didn’t mind it! But a big no for me...i’m gonna need all the soap in the world to get this off.

The Elemi and Angelica give the opening a very piney balsamic vibe. Very leathery and smoky fragrance

The smoky opening is pretty deceiving. It gave me really high hope initially as I anticipated something extraordinary like the Empire Candle from the same house. Unfortunately, as soon as the smoke fades out, some weird questionable green accords kick in with a hint of sweetness that smell like a random mess... Overall the whole composition feels really shallow and unintentional, with quite detached notes that don’t blend well together. This is very disappointing given how good the Empire candle smells with the same smoke + green + spices combo. The bottle is gorgeous though.

Heavy on the smoky side, almost smells like smoked meat with a bit of resins in the background. For me it is a pleasant smell, but not expected in a perfume as it smells a bit like you did not take a shower after a kitchen shift.

Wow this is so bad! I received this as a free sample. Sorry can’t appreciate the perfumery here, this just smells awful, please don’t ever wear this perfume

Big fan of smokey fragrances here. I already own A City On Fire, as well as Bois Sikar, which are both smoke powerhouses. I asked myself after getting a sample vial of Revolution: Do I need another smokey perfume? The answer was a swift and resolute OUI. Revolution has a cistus labdanum and myrrh base, which I adore, and an elemi and angelica top which sends me into a state of ecstatic bliss. The Cire Trudon website also lists cade as a note, which is missing from the Frarantica notes list. The incense note I am pretty sure is olibanum (frankincense). There is absolutely no sweetness whatsoever in this fragrance. I thought the myrrh would be of the sweet variety, but it isn't. The juniper is really a big player in Revolution, keeping everything in a cool, camphorous, pinene haze. If you don't enjoy incense or smoke or resins, you should probably avoid of this one. Top shelf ingredients, a bit pricey, but worth every franc imo.

I'm a fan of Tonnerre by Beaufort. It perfectly captures the scent of an old-time naval battle with all its tar-coated decks and gunpowdery glory. Revolution follows suit, ditching the high seas for the cobblestone streets of a bygone era where an angry mob with burning torches marches into a musket salvo. Only after years of exposure to increasingly challenging fragrances have I become ready to adorn myself with such a daring 'Eau de Barbeque' scent. Pairs well with a leather coat and the chill of winter, then refuge indoors beside the fire with a dram of peaty Ardbeg.

I love this fragrance, I so wish it lasted longer on skin! There's a waxy, antiqued quality that truly evokes the texture of leather but the scent itself is wispy, like the scent-trail of burning incense. The 'gunpowder' description is a little OTT in my experience, it's not smack-you-in-the-face birch tar-ry smoke! As it wears, the dry-down is somewhat akin to a men's cologne. There's hints of black tea and dark berries, elegantly and subtly projecting. Due to it's light wear I find this an easy reach and am interested to explore more from Trudon!

Reminds me of CdG Black without pepper note because of similar use of incense and fresh, spicy notes. Opening is bitter, green, maybe slightly herbal, fresh and foresty - even minty. After initial phase, so about 10 minutes in I got very prominent cedar and incense note - it reminds me of SPA I mentioned in Bois D'Ascese review. The longer it sits on my skin the more smoky it is. This is the moment it starts to feel quite transparent, airy. Closer to the skin it's mostly only smoky frankincese and cedar. Good quality overall.

Opens up barbecue smell, not as strong as Naomi Goodsir’s Bois D’ascese but similar. It does give me the vibes of an uprising, the air smelling of muskets and cannons. It’s very sexy. Eventually it dries down to a much more enjoyable interior of a gothic abbey filled with incense. Somewhere where you can confess your sins. Wear this in cold weather, never in hot. I’m a huge history nerd, this stuff is very intriguing to me. 9.5/10

Starts off extremely smoky with leather accord. Within a couple of minutes the herbaceous scent comes through the smoke and it fades a bit. I'm not a fan of smelling like a bonfire but this does it well. It's strong but not overwhelming. Bonfire and woods come across. Possibly better on a man. I can see me liking this in the middle of winter.

A marriage of gunpowder and peaty whisky, this is the 1790s in a fragrance. This calls to mind less a burning Paris and more the incendiary thunder of William Blake's prophetic poems or Alejo Carpentier's baroque novels. A scent to wear when feeling nostalgic for Toussaint Louverture and the future.

Smells like burning tires, gasoline, and gunpowder. The name Revolution is on the nose. It is a very unique scent. I can understand someone wearing this perfume as an oddity, to smell avant garde and draw attention. I’m a lover not a fighter or revolutionary, so not full bottle worthy to me.

More gunpowder smoke than wood fire smoke - definitely hits the nail on the head with the name. This is really good - one of the more nuanced smoke-forward scents I've smelled, definitely has more going on than most of them tend to. Really like it.

If you're standing up against the intrusion of coercive authoritarian power into your peaceful, freedom-loving life, then this could be the fragrance to wear as you assert your rights. The scent of dissent.

It's the BBQ incense with some opoponax, papyrus, juniper, & patchouli. I don't like this type of incense, as if it's grilling some hotdogs.

Acrid, hot, dry, resinous, deep green, slightly licorice-y, can be nauseating, stifling, leathery, forest fire. My signature scent.

medicinal, resinous woods + smoke. i imagine this is what an old medicine cabinent/chest (??) would smell like.

Well done smokey perfumerie. You really get the impression of charred wood but in an elegant way. Nice ✨

it is very smoky for sure. If you love feu de bois by diptyque, you would very much love this one.

Hot goth girls could pull this off 100%