What defines a chypre?

What defines a chypre? 1

So today I’m wearing Chypre Palatin and I’m thinking… is this a chypre at all? What exactly is a chypre anyway?

In my mind, a chypre would have this fresh citrus top, a rosey floral heart and a heavy mossy bass. Deified Tony Iommi comes to my mind, although it’s got apple as a top note.

The most difficult thing about this category is the fact that it’s got to be a combination of notes that defines the genre. It doesn’t make it easier when Parfumo calls the note by name in its categorization game.

What defines the chypre category for you?Can you name some beautiful chypres for me to smell, train my nose a little?

2

'Chypre' as a scentprofile comes from the perfume by François Coty called Chypre and this name came from the Ile of Cyprus refering to citrus, woods and indeed oakmoss.

I love the opening of Azurēe (2015) as a chypre, but hate the bitter drydown unfortunately, others love just that bitterness Smile

A famous chypre is Aromatics Elixir Perfume well...brace yourself is all I can say Smile Very strong!

I love Diorella Eau de Toilette as a chypre for summer and never tried her big sister Diorama (can't find it anywhere).

Many people like chypres as Paloma Picasso Eau de Parfum and Diva Eau de Parfum . I don't.

Then there is the famous Portrait of a Lady Eau de Parfum ofcourse. I tested it only once and should test it again sometime in the future.

And there are many, many more.

0

A lot of suggestions straight out of the box @Ringtale ! Thanks, I’m going to put them in a special collection here on parfumo to build a case. Can you describe what you don’t like about the Picasso one and Diva? Are they that much different from the rest?

1

Chypre Palatin is kind of a weird one. While I love it, it's not the most "Chypre smelling Chypre" if that makes sense. For me I love more dry and mossy scents while Chypre Palatin does introduce vanilla in the base and in certain weather settings, it's pretty dominant at least to my nose. I actually wrote about this experience in a blog post on this site. LOL.

A few others that I really enjoy.

Chypre Fulminare On paper there isn't much for florals, but they are in there, I think primarily from ylang ylang listed in the notes. It's lightly "dirty and sour" (in a good way) on top. Peppery and leathery with an earthy and mossy dry down.

Chypre Noir (from Rogue Perfumery and Manuel Cross but only American Perfumer sells it). Pretty classic to me. Citrus - Floral - Moss with a resinous animalistic kick.

Dryad Is a nicely done fragrance. About the driest scent I ever experienced if that makes sense at all.

One thing I am learning is that Chypre seems to be a pretty loose categorization and I am trying to sample as many as I can. So hopefully you get lots of recommendations I can get ideas from as well.

0

Thank you for the recommendations @Killsocket ! They all sound pretty interesting, especially the American one.

1
0
Smirky

Oldies but goodies:

Aramis Eau de Toilette

Antaeus Eau de Toilette

Ah alright! I didn’t even realize Aramis Eau de Toilette is one.

1
Ceesie

So today I’m wearing Chypre Palatin and I’m thinking… is this a chypre at all? What exactly is a chypre anyway?

In my mind, a chypre would have this fresh citrus top, a rosey floral heart and a heavy mossy bass. Deified Tony Iommi comes to my mind, although it’s got apple as a top note.

The most difficult thing about this category is the fact that it’s got to be a combination of notes that defines the genre. It doesn’t make it easier when Parfumo calls the note by name in its categorization game.

What defines the chypre category for you?Can you name some beautiful chypres for me to smell, train my nose a little?

Some absolute gorgeous vintage Chypres: Givenchy III (1970) Parfum , Yvresse (1993) Parfum , Paloma Picasso Eau de Parfum , Miss Dior Extrait de Parfum Original , Gucci № 3 Parfum , Mitsouko Extrait just to mention some. If you have a possibility to try some or find some vintage, I recommend to go for them. Those are true Chypres which needs Oakmoss in the base imo.

Nowadays people call as a Chypre if there is Patchouli instead of Oakmoss and personally I don’t like that new definition of Chypre. Chypres used to be very complex as well with fruity/citrusy bright top, floral heart and rich mossy base. Of course, mostly Oakmoss is made synthetically nowadays or mixing some other ingredients and Patchouli is mostly one part of that but Patchouli alone doesn’t make that beautiful mossy feeling.

Roja makes amazing Chypres: some of my favorites are Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie (2019) , Turandot Parfum , Risqué Parfum , Diaghilev Parfum , Chypré Extraordinaire , Roja Haute Luxe.


From Amouage: Memoir Woman Eau de Parfum is a great Chypre.

1
Ceesie

A lot of suggestions straight out of the box @Ringtale ! Thanks, I’m going to put them in a special collection here on parfumo to build a case. Can you describe what you don’t like about the Picasso one and Diva? Are they that much different from the rest?

Well I find them too 'bossy' and sort of 'severe'. I just can't relate to them. And in the end they can turn out a bit aftershave-y on my skin.

I second Givenchy III (2007) (so I don't have the vintage one, but this one is lovely too) and Miss Dior Eau de Toilette Originale is beautyful. I don't find them very 'chypre-chypre' though. Like Mitsouko Eau de Parfum That's a real stunning beauty that everyone should at least smell, but I find it a bit too vulnerable and melancholy to be a chypre maybe.

0

The wiki definition of chypre is a perfume based on Coty’s Chypre accord of bergamot, labdanum and oakmoss. Nowadays it doesn’t have to have all these ingredients.
Mitsouko was the second commercial Chypre - the perfumer added an aldehyde that smells like peaches and gave the world our soft-sharp, slightly fruity, dark and light masterpiece.

My opinion is, if a fragrance has prominent oakmoss or honestly anything dark green, it’s a chypre. I’m sure someone will prove me wrong. But I think a chypre has a certain feeling, of being a little austere or melancholy like @Ringtale said.

My favorite chypre is Femme (1989) Eau de Toilette (1989 version in particular) because it takes the peachy swing in Mitsouko and adds plum, woods, and something that smells like cinnamon even though it’s not listed. It’s lightly sweet, a bit sweaty, and really has a sense of majesty.

Close runner up is Bandit (2012) Eau de Parfum. Incredibly rough leather and galbanum and it’s honestly kind of intimidating but also addictive.

The Afternoon of a Faun is also really great and newer than the others. Smells rosy and mossy.

0

The most important components to a chypre are bergamot, labdanum, and oakmoss. The slight animalic quality of the labdanum is what gives the chypre depth and differentiates it from the fougere, which also usually contains bergamot and oakmoss (along with lavender and tonka bean/coumarin). Even if the three elements are missing from the note breakdown, they are essential to what makes a chypre a chypre and are most likely included as aromachemicals, or hinted at by some other note/accord (i.e. using another earthy base as an alternative to the oakmoss like patchouli or vetiver, or using civet to provide a heavier animalic presence, in place of the labdanum). Usually it also contains some floral, doesn't have to be rose. To me a strong floral note + chypre base smells like potpourri in an old lady's house: musty, heavy, and in many cases powdery, and I actively avoid it.

I think the chypre-iest chypre I've smelled is Chypre de Grand, feels like just pure bergamot, labdanum, and oakmoss to me, the chypre broken down to its essential core. I've also heard Diaghilev Parfum is a quintessential chypre, though I haven't yet tried it. Samples are expensive and I'm like 90% sure I'm not going to like it. But I feel like it's a fragrance that's referenced so much I have to get my nose on it at least once.

Notify about new comments
Go to