Of the five major senses, the sense of smell is perhaps the most evocative. Certain fragrances can bring back memories long since forgotten, transporting you instantly to another place and time. They also have the power to change your mood and elicit a rainbow of different emotions, sometimes catching you off guard.

Fragrance enriches our lives everyday. What we eat, what we drink, what we wash with, what we wear on our skin, are all enriched by the aromas and fragrances that accompany them.

We owe much to the skill and expertise of master perfumers. Our story began in 1768 when Count Orlof, a member of the wealthy Russian aristocracy, asked a London perfume house to create a fragrance that captured the distinctive aroma and atmosphere of the Russian Court.

The perfume house crafted a distinctive fragrance, by blending a symphony of ingredients, including Turkish Rose, Lavender, Cumin and Precious Amber. The fragrance was called 'Eau de Cologne Imperiale Russe'.

After the scent came into the ownership of Cussons, it was chosen as the signature fragrance for the launch of a new soap brand called Imperial Leather.

That the fragrance continues to be used to this day, more than 240 years after it was created, is a testament to the skill of the perfumers who originally developed it.

Over the decades, we have continued to develop new fragrances with our team of perfumers, to ensure that all of our products are always at their fragrant best. A little known fact about Imperial Leather, is that out of the 10 acknowledged perfumers in the country, 2 of them are employed by us - helping to ensure that everybody can enjoy our exquisite fragrances, everyday.

Take a look at the range of scents created so far in the our family section.