Impromptu by Lucien Lelong debuted in 1936—a year of social and artistic contrasts, poised on the edge of dramatic change. The name Impromptu, a French word, translates to “spontaneous” or “unrehearsed,” and is pronounced [ahm-PRAHMP-too]. Its origin lies in Latin via French, and it carries with it an air of unpredictability and elegance—like an unplanned gesture of charm or a sudden inspiration. The word evokes imagery of a fleeting romantic encounter, a sudden dance, a night that unfolds unexpectedly yet beautifully. It suggests freedom from routine, a willingness to be swept away in the moment.
For Lucien Lelong, couturier and tastemaker, choosing the name Impromptu aligned perfectly with the spirit of his fashion house and clientele. The late 1930s were a time of transitional glamour—nestled between the Deco opulence of the 1920s and the austerity soon to be imposed by World War II. 1936, in particular, was still basking in the shimmer of modern elegance. It was the height of the Art Deco era, with clean architectural lines, a fascination with streamlined design, and a cultivated air of luxury. In Paris, the International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life had just taken place the year prior, reinforcing the city’s status as a hub of style and sophistication.
Women's fashion in this period had begun to soften from the bold, angular lines of early Deco. Skirts lengthened, shoulders grew broader, and silhouettes became more fluid and romantic. Eveningwear featured bias-cut gowns, luxurious fabrics like silk and satin, and an emphasis on movement. Women wore perfumes to complete the image of the ideal modern woman—poised, mysterious, and emotionally expressive.
In this cultural moment, a fragrance named Impromptu would have resonated with women who were both fashion-forward and emotionally attuned. It suggested a departure from formality and a flirtation with freedom. A woman might wear Impromptu not for a grand occasion, but precisely for the possibility of one—an impromptu invitation, a moonlit walk, an unexpected encounter.
The scent itself was composed by Jean Carles, a master perfumer renowned for his structural approach to fragrance composition. Impromptu was classified as a sweet, fruity-floral perfume—a feminine blend grounded in rose and lily of the valley. These notes, symbolic of classic beauty and innocence, were given a lush, almost effervescent treatment. While florals were certainly popular at the time, Carles’s interpretation leaned into a softer, more spontaneous feeling, as though the bouquet had just been gathered in a sudden whim.
Compared to other perfumes of the late 1930s, which often emphasized heady aldehydes, animalic bases, or bold orientals, Impromptu offered something fresher, more immediate, and more intimate. It wasn’t avant-garde, but neither was it staid. It reflected a gentle shift in perfumery toward the more personal and emotional narratives that would become central in the post-war years. In this way, Impromptu captured not just a fleeting moment in a woman’s life—but also a fleeting moment in time.
In its earliest advertisements, Impromptu by Lucien Lelong was positioned as more than a perfume—it was a personality, a mood, a whispered suggestion of something delightfully unpredictable. In the pages of Advertising & Selling in 1937, Lelong himself is quoted describing the fragrance in a tone of playful intrigue: “A new fragrance,” he whispers, “friend to laughter and kin to danger — delightfully, mischievously impromptu!” The line evokes a woman who is both spontaneous and seductive, equal parts joy and risk, whose charm lies in her unpredictability. The ad’s theatrical phrasing, with its use of ellipses and whispered tones, suggests intimacy—an invitation to a secret experience, the thrill of something unplanned.
The following year, Woman’s Home Companion picked up the same tagline—“friend to laughter and kin to danger…”—and added: “invokes romance.” Here, the narrative expands: Impromptu is no longer just mischievous and bold, but also deeply romantic. It straddles the line between flirtation and feeling, a scent meant to accompany a woman's impulsive decisions and secret affairs of the heart. The price range—from $6.50 to $60—indicates a tiered offering, from modest flacons to luxurious presentation bottles, signaling its appeal across social classes, while still firmly positioned as a prestige perfume.
In wartime France, a 1941 article in Le Petit Parisien casts Impromptu in a more nostalgic, almost baroque light. It is described as “more precious… more tenacious,” evoking the splendeurs maniérées of the 17th century—a time of powdered wigs, courtly manners, and intricate rituals of seduction. Within this poetic review of Lelong’s fragrance portfolio, Impromptu stands out as a sophisticated, lasting presence, in contrast to the more reckless allure of Indiscret or the girlish innocence of Orage. It is memory captured in scent: elegant, deliberate, yet somehow still elusive. In this context, Impromptu becomes a bridge between eras, offering both contemporary glamour and a whisper of the perfumed past.
Together, these advertising narratives crafted a multidimensional identity for Impromptu—a fragrance that could be at once playful and refined, fleeting and enduring. It was sold as a scent for women who were unpredictable yet composed, spirited yet cultured. Whether whispered through the pages of a magazine or evoked through poetic prose, Impromptu was more than just a fragrance—it was a gesture of freedom, the promise of an unexpected moment, bottled.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? Impromptu by Lucien Lelong is classified as a sweet fruity floral fragrance for women, with lots of rose and lily of the valley.
- Top notes: aldehyde C-10, phenylacetaldehyde, Calabrian bergamot, Italian neroli, Sicilian mandarin, citronellol, lily of the valley, hydroxycitronellol, fruity note, benzyl acetate, cinnamic acetate, bromstyrol, Vietnamese gingergrass, geranyl formate
- Middle notes: linalool, terpineol, Bulgarian rose absolute, rhodinol, African geranium, geraniol, Zanzibar clove, isoeugenol, Grasse tuberose, Tunisian orange blossom, methyl anthranilate, Egyptian jasmine absolute, Manila ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Tuscan violet, ionone
- Base notes: Indonesian patchouli, Yugoslavian oakmoss, Persian galbanum, Mexican vanilla, vanillin, Mysore sandalwood, Siam benzoin, Tonkin musk, Indian musk ambrette, Atlas cedar, Abyssinian civet, Sumatran styrax, coumarin, ethyl phenylacetate, phenylethyl alcohol, benzophenone
Scent Profile:
Smelling Impromptu by Lucien Lelong is like stepping into a sunlit, velvet-curtained salon just as the breeze carries in the scent of fresh blooms and polished woods. It opens with a sparkling, almost fizzy brightness, thanks to the presence of aldehyde C-10—a synthetic note that smells waxy, fatty, and citrusy, often compared to warm clean linen or the airy skin of an underripe peach. This aldehydic shimmer immediately sets the stage with a vintage sophistication, enhancing the natural sparkle of Calabrian bergamot, prized for its nuanced bitterness and light floral undertone. Grown on the Ionian coast of southern Italy, Calabrian bergamot has a sunnier, more rounded profile than bergamot from elsewhere—brighter, smoother, and more refined.
Alongside it, Italian neroli brings its unmistakably clean, green-white floralcy. Extracted from bitter orange blossoms in the coastal groves of Italy, neroli lends an elegant, slightly soapy lightness, while Sicilian mandarin adds a sweet and juicy vivacity. More playful than orange and less sharp than lemon, Sicilian mandarin is beloved for its candied, almost effervescent character. Woven into this citrus medley is citronellol, a rosy, citrus-floral alcohol that helps bridge the opening into the heart of the composition. Its role here is dual: softening the citrus while echoing the floral theme to come.
Phenylacetaldehyde makes a quiet appearance—it has a green, honeyed, hyacinth-like aroma that adds a tender, narcotic sweetness, enhancing the lily of the valley and the rose that follows. Lily of the valley appears both as a natural reference and a reconstructed idea—its scent cannot be extracted from the flower, so perfumers use molecules like hydroxycitronellol and benzyl acetate to mimic its airy, dewy spring-green freshness. The effect is delicate, almost crystalline—like sunlight diffused through glass petals.
Fruity aspects come alive through synthetic touches—cinnamic acetate offers a warm, spicy, slightly balsamic-fruit aroma, while bromstyrol, a specialty molecule, introduces a creamy, exotic fruit nuance, almost like ripe mango and spiced plum, deepening the sweetness without over-ripening the bouquet. The fruit accord is made vibrant by Vietnamese gingergrass, which adds a sharp, zesty, slightly peppery green tone. Geranyl formate—a fruity-floral ester—gives a rounded smoothness, melding rose and fruit into a seamless lilt.
As the heart of Impromptu unfolds, it becomes a living floral tapestry. Linalool and terpineol are here as natural-smelling support molecules—both impart a lilting floral-citrus cleanness, giving lift and diffusion to the heart notes. The centerpiece is Bulgarian rose absolute, the liquid soul of thousands of hand-picked petals. Rich and honeyed, Bulgarian rose is known for its deep, velvety fullness—darker and more sultry than its Moroccan or Turkish counterparts. Rhodinol and geraniol, rose-scented alcohols, amplify its fresh, leafy facets, while African geranium brings a green, almost minty sharpness to counterbalance the rose's lushness.
Dancing alongside are exotic floral treasures—Grasse tuberose, waxy and narcotic; Tunisian orange blossom, rich and honeyed; Egyptian jasmine absolute, earthy and indolic, wrapped in moonlight. Methyl anthranilate imparts a sweet, grape-like nuance that adds a whisper of fruit to the floral blend. Manila ylang ylang, with its custard-smooth creaminess, gives depth and a tropical warmth. From Italy, Florentine iris brings a powdery, slightly metallic dryness, while Tuscan violet and the molecule ionone contribute soft, velvety purple tones—evocative of old lipstick, suede gloves, and shaded gardens at dusk.
Then the base arrives—warm, resinous, animalic, and sensual. Indonesian patchouli, deep and camphorous, creates an earthy anchor, while Yugoslavian oakmoss lends a forest-floor dampness and a mossy bitterness that grounds the sweetness. Persian galbanum adds a bitter-green sharpness, a resin that smells of crushed stems and ancient woods. Mexican vanilla and vanillin swirl through with creamy sweetness—one a natural pod extract, rich and spicy, the other a crystalline synthetic that boosts and stabilizes the gourmand warmth.
Mysore sandalwood, rare and revered, lends its unmistakable milky-woody softness, smelling of antique temples and polished skin. From Southeast Asia, Siam benzoin adds a golden, balsamic richness, like warm amber and cinnamon-laced honey. Tonkin musk and Indian musk ambrette, both now largely replaced by synthetics, bring sensual, skin-like warmth—ambery, powdery, and deeply intimate. Atlas cedar offers a dry, smoky-woody thread, while Abyssinian civet, animalic and slightly leathery, adds a seductive growl beneath the florals.
Sumatran styrax, a resin with smoky-balsamic character, adds depth and roundness to the composition, tying the floral heart to the resinous base. Coumarin—sweet and hay-like—softens the entire structure, adding a nostalgic warmth reminiscent of freshly mown fields or sun-drenched skin. Lastly, ethyl phenylacetate, phenylethyl alcohol, and benzophenone round out the perfume with faintly sweet, floral-musk effects—balancing brightness with radiance, and helping the fragrance bloom on the skin with graceful longevity.
Altogether, Impromptu is a complex composition that moves effortlessly from sparkling spontaneity to deep, intimate warmth. Each ingredient plays its part not in isolation, but in harmony, orchestrated to evoke the fleeting beauty of an unexpected moment—immediate, unstudied, unforgettable.
Bottles:
Deluxe Crystal Flacon:
- No. 650 holds 0.25 oz and stands 3.5" tall, this is the smallest size.
- No. 1000 holds 0.5 oz and stands 4.5" tall
- No. 1007
- No. 1500 holds 1 oz and stands 5.5" tall.
- No. 1650 holds 1 oz and stands 5.25" tall
- No. 2500 holds 2 oz and stands 6.5" tall.
- No. 4500 holds 3 oz stands 9.25"
- No. 6000 holds 6 oz bottle stands 9.5" tall, this is the largest size
High School Journalism, 1939:
"IMPROMPTU is a new and exciting perfume also put out by Lucien Lelong. An odeur in the renaissance of the gay and luxury loving Court of Louis XIV, this perfume comes in a beautiful flacon that has a pedestal of solid glass.
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Stage - Volume 15, 1937:
"Lucien Lelong - The new bottle, very French-looking of Impromptu perfume has been out several weeks, but there is a gorgeous new box of bath powder, more than eight inches across, with an immense puff and a cover that looks like molded plaster of Paris. $10."
Plaster Flacon:
- Ref. No. 92 - 4 oz EDC size bottle stands 8" tall.
Stage, 1938:
""Impromptu" Cologne, richly fragranced, in a flacon of carved plaster $3.75."
Drug and Cosmetic Industry, Volume 43, 1938:
"Lelong originally started using the plaster casing on the Indiscret bottle decorated intricately with tiny flower designs, which was brought out in 1936. The white plaster casing is again used on the Impromptu Cologne bottle and is carried out in the sunburst effect which distinguishes the perfume bottle and package."
The Stage - Volume 16, 1938:
"Impromptu" Cologne, richly fragranced, in a flacon of carved plaster $3.75 elaborate quickie."
Eau de Cologne Glass Flacon:
The eau de cologne bottles was made up of clear glass that is molded with the starburst pattern. It can be found with either a brass screw cap or white plastic screw cap.
- No. 104 holds 1 oz Eau de Cologne, bottle has brass screw cap
- No. 91 holds 4 oz Eau de Cologne, bottle has plastic screw cap, bottle stands 7" tall.
Ancillary Products:
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown.
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